A little girl's poem about her dog was published in the newspaper 1957 — and honestly, it should be framed

In 1957, Melissa Loveless, a fourth-grade student, wrote a beautiful poem honoring her beloved dog, whom she loved more than words could ever convey. Her heartfelt poem, published in The Peninsula Times Tribune, was later shared on History Cool Kids' (@historycoolkids on Instagram) page, establishing just how innocent a child's love truly is, especially for her loyal four-legged companion. Well, grab some tissues as you prepare to dive straight into this little girl's heartwarming verse, talking about why she loved her dog.

"I do not love my dog because he's good at doing tricks," she wrote, explaining how her fur baby could stand on his hind feet, snatching balls mid-air with his forelegs. "I do not love my dog because he really is quite fine," Melissa added just before revealing the oh-so-profound reason, so beautiful that you might end up smiling through uncontrollable tears. "But oh, I love my dog because I am his and he is mine," she penned. The poem was short, simple, and sweet, but her unconditional love for her animal companion lingered through every line. At such a tender age, it's astonishing how Melissa understood that life is not always about what we give or receive, but the connections echoing from the most unexpected places, that make the world a better place.

Meanwhile, Melissa's poem received an outpouring of love on social media, leaving netizens sobbing. For instance, echoing the sentiments, @lizzbeth661 commented, "So simple and cute. I hope she has had her dog for a very long time." Similarly, another user who goes by @adiosdummies on the platform said, "Melissa, in fact, wasn't loveless." On the other hand, a user who goes by @jerry.mclain on Instagram wrote, "'My' dog loves my wife more than me," pointing at how, despite loving his dog to bits, the cuddle ball loves his partner more. 

There is something truly incredible about children growing up with dogs. In fact, MARS says that Waltham Petcare Science Institute-powered research confirms that kids who play with dogs, whether their own or therapy pups, exhibit higher levels of oxytocin, the love hormone. This shows that dogs could play a crucial role in uplifting a child's mental and physiological health by decreasing their stress levels. Melissa, too, was lucky to have a pet she could call hers and who meant the world to her.

Just like Melissa, Andrés, a 12-year-old boy, also loved his dog, a pitbull, like anything, but had to make the heartbreaking decision of dropping his pup outside a shelter because he was scared that his abusive father would sell his little friend. The tear-jerking letter, shared on Facebook by Xollin, the dog rescue group, read, "My name is Andrés, and I am 12 years old. My mom and I decided to leave my dog in your hands, hiding it from my dad because he is thinking about selling it." Further, the boy shared that his father mistreats his dog and has even physically assaulted him multiple times. "I hope you can help and take care of him. I left him a stuffed animal so he won't forget me," Andrés added.

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