We’re officially in the home stretch of what’s felt like the longest year ever. In just under two days, we’ll be turning our calendars over and putting this chaotic year behind us for good. BUT, before we say goodbye to 2020, let’s take the time to reflect on everything that’s happened in our lives over the last twelve months, as we would do with any other close of the year. According to Medium, end-of-year reflection is important because it helps us understand what you did well, the areas upon which we could improve  and how to plan for the upcoming year. After a challenging year like 2020, remembering the good — what you’ve learned about yourself, what you’ve been able to accomplish or overcome, what you enjoyed — may be a challenge in itself.

Our team at Kradle can certainly pick out at least one silver-lining of 2020: the abundance of time we’ve had with our pets! While we’re grateful for the dogs in our lives each and every day, we have to give them major props for never leaving our sides throughout the past year…literally and figuratively! Our dogs’ worlds were turned upside down as much as ours when the COVID-19 lockdowns were first implemented in the spring. The daily routines they had come to know were drastically upended and they were suddenly spending every waking moment with us…it was a dream come true, really, but also took some getting used to for us all. Through all of the ups and downs of 2020, our dogs have remained one of the constants with their unwavering loyalty. Amidst our many bouts of frustration, sadness, and stress, our dogs were the first ones we went to for immediate comfort, and they never failed to make us feel better. They love us unconditionally, as much as we love them, and will always be right by our sides to celebrate the good times and get us through tough ones.

If anything, 2020 has proven just how important our pets are to our well-being and happiness. The Washington Post featured a story in August that shelters, nonprofit rescues, private breeders, and pet stores were all reporting more consumer demand than there were dogs and puppies to meet. It’s not a coincidence that there’s been greater demand for dogs than ever before in a year that’s been filled with stress and isolation. Pets have played such a crucial role in our year that TIME named rescue animals the “Pet of the Year,” noting, “With so much uncertainty and instability, animals provide people, especially children, with unconditional love, support, and comfort, as well as serve as a distraction.” We couldn’t agree more!

The human-animal bond is truly one of the greatest gifts we have in life. So, thank your dog, hug your dog, treat your dog, do something special for your dog. We are so lucky to have our dogs in our lives, this year and every year, and they deserve all the appreciation in the world. The Kradle team is here too to enhance your bond with your dog by losing the stress with calming CBD solutions that help ensure the strongest bond possible with your forever best friend.  

Happy New Year!