The Eric O & Gray book in which he tells how he lost weight thanks to his pet – Health – Life

Eric 0 # Gray was overweight at 70 pounds (he weighed 170 pounds) and was depressed and sick. I had diabetes. After living a life of strict diets and treatments, he changed his doctor. And, surprisingly, they made a special order: "Adopt a dog". And this dog, literally, saved his life.

O & # 39; Gray, professional in finance and doctorate in jurisprudence, and who, thanks to this experience, has become a speaker and a motivator, just published his testimony in a book that goes around the world and is already made in Colombia: "Petty, the dog that saved my life" (Penguin Random House).

O 'Gray is badociated with Mark Dagostino, journalist and author of several bestsellers of the prestigious The New York Times newspaper, to tell his story alongside this dog, a mix of border collie and shepherd Australian. TIME spoke with him.

How did a dog change his life?

I had never had a pet before Peety, so when my doctor prescribed me to adopt a refuge dog, I was surprised. I asked him, "Can I adopt a cat instead of a dog?" She looked at me seriously and said, "Have you ever walked with a cat?"

She replied that the reason I needed a dog was because I had been detained and that I had stopped going out. He told me that a dog would force me to walk for at least 30 minutestwice a day, which allowed me to meet people from my neighborhood and relive life outside my apartment. And that is exactly what happened.

So began to change habits?

When I went to adopt, I asked the shelter for a middle-aged obese dog, so we have something in common. That's why they recommended Peety: I weighed 340 pounds, I took insulin and 15 other medications a day for type 2 diabetes, but it looked even worse than me. When we met, he weighed 75 pounds (about 25 pounds more) and his skin was red and had patches of skin. I was in such a bad state that I stopped pitying myself and started to pity him.

We quickly developed a fraternal bond that I had never experienced before. We became inseparable and it was obvious that the only thing that mattered to me in the world was me. He loved me unconditionally, with all his heart, so he treated me as if I were the best person who ever walked on Earth. I decided to become the person he thought he was and he helped me become the man I am today.

And what happened?

In less than a year, my weight dropped to 180 pounds, my height went from 52 to 33 inches, I stopped all my medications and I reversed my type 2 diabetes. died in 2015; but he is always with me because, as I have learned, all the angels of God are not human.

What recommendations would you make to get the perfect dog?

A dog can greatly enrich his life, as Peety blessed mine. If you feel lonely, sick and overweight like me, the good dog can help you extend your life for many years and fill it with joy and health. But, please, consider adopting a teenage, adult or elderly dog ​​instead of a puppy. Adopting a puppy is like adopting a two-year-old child: it will take a lot of work and training until adulthood. If you adopt an adult or senior dog instead of a puppy, it is likely that the older dog will generate less work and problems since it will already be domesticated, will know basic commands and some ways; The era of the destruction of your furniture will be over and it will be more like adopting a 30 year old student instead of a 2 year old baby.

Better to adopt than to buy

And most importantly, please, simply adopt dogs from a local animal shelter. Do not buy When he adopts a dog, he saves two lives: the dog that he adopted and another dog that now has an open space in the shelter. Your new and old dog will know that he has saved his life, and will love him unconditionally, deeply, as he will never have experienced.

How to manage the mourning of a pet?

At Peety's death, I slept next to him on the floor for two days while singing John Lennon's songs. It was by far the saddest day of my life. Two days after Peety's death, I wrote the introduction of my book and I felt devastated for months. Finally, someone told me that when a new dog would look for me, I would know it. And that's just what happened.

And what happened?

One day, I felt the urgent need to go to my local shelter because I felt a new dog calling me. I ran and in the first kennel of adoption, left, there was a dog that had just been put up for adoption. He watched me, I looked at him and it was as if we recognized each other. He called Jake and I said, "Jake, let's get out of here!" Less than half an hour later, we drove home and the next day we started running together.

Now, we run together over complete marathon distances, we are inseparable and travel everywhere. So, the best way to manage the mourning of a beloved pet is to honor him by adopting another pet. I will never be without a dog again.

CECILIA MONTOYA
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