The Sweetest Inspiration: How My Sugar Daddy Sparked My Love for Giving Back

One thing that I love about my sugar daddy is that he might not understand my love for dogs, but he has always supported it. I mean, it must get kind of annoying to have to stop and wait for me to say hello to every single dog we meet on the street. And, he’s probably tired of me showing him pictures of dogs I’ve seen since the last time we met up. I can say for sure that he’s got to be wondering how much of our time has been spent lint-rolling our nice outfits before we got out to eat, because I’m usually covered in dog fur, either from my friends' dogs that I’m currently pet-sitting or the fosters that I sometimes take on or just general dog proximity.

But, bless him. Andre has never, ever made me feel bad about my love for dogs, even when he’s not a dog guy himself.

I think that he kind of drew the line, however, when we were on vacation in Mexico, and I came very, very close to smuggling a stray dog back across the border with us. I just couldn’t help myself! She was this little skinny thing with fleas and the saddest eyes you’ve ever seen. I knew that I could give her a much better life back home, and who would miss one little stray dog? No one would even notice.

But, my plans were foiled when Andre was like, “Absolutely not, no way is that thing getting in my car. And, you can’t just take a dog over the border without paperwork, it doesn’t work like that.”

So, you can imagine that the drive home was pretty quiet and tense. All eleven hours of it.

When he dropped me off at my house, I gave him a cold goodbye and told him that even though I was upset (okay fine, I might have used the word devastated), I was appreciative of him and of the trip.

He said, “You know I can buy you any dog you want, right? Whatever breed, I’ll pay for the trainer. I’ll pay for the best boarding services. And grooming.”

Before I closed the door (with a little bit of an attitude that I’m not proud of), I responded, “You just don’t get it. It’s not about the dog. It’s about the suffering.” And I made my grand exit.

Cut to a couple of days later, and I had a delivery at my house. It was a box from Andre, and in it, I found a brand new pair of running shoes, a lint roller, and a hat with a little dog on it. Underneath everything was a gift certificate for a massage and a facial. It was adorable, but I was confused as heck, so I called him.

“Thanks, I guess?” I said, still icing him out.

He just laughed. “I called the animal shelter next to your house. They’re looking for dog walkers, and I told them I had just the girl for the job. They’re expecting you tomorrow morning, right before your massage.”

I hated it when he was able to make me smile my goofiest smile.

“Are you smiling that silly smile that I like?” He said, right on cue.

“Screw you,” I said, but he knew he had won me over.

“There’s something else,” he said. “I know you’ve been wanting to adopt your own dog. But your current place isn’t really good for it. I want to increase your allowance so that you can find a bigger apartment, something with a patio.”

I asked him if I could think about it and get back to him. And I apologized for trying to make him an accomplice in my dog smuggling scheme. I couldn’t thank him enough, honestly. But I did my best.

After my massage, Andre offered to take me out to lunch so I could tell him all about my first volunteer day as a dog walker.

Before our food came, I told him I needed to tell him something. I was gripping the edge of the table (negotiation has never been my strong suit).

“I don’t want the extra allowance for a new apartment,” I told him. He looked surprised. “I want it for something else.”

I pulled up the notes app on my phone and showed it to him. It was a list of vet tech programs in the area.

Andre smiled and flagged down the waiter to put in an order for a bottle of champagne.

“Well,” he said after we clinked glasses. He had a playful look in his eye. “I was worried that you were going to adopt a dog and forget all about me. But now, you’re going to start your program and forget all about me. Maybe I’ll get a dog of my own and then you’ll come over all the time.”

“Hey,” I countered. “If you adopt a dog and put a study room in your house, you won’t be able to get rid of me.”

To be sure, the next two years were chaotic as I went through my program. But Andre was true to his word and converted a room in his home into a study room. And, I chose a vet tech program that was closer to his place than mine. Every other Saturday, we kept our appointment for me to walk dogs at the shelter in the morning, get a massage afterwards, and then let him take me out to lunch.

Eventually, I was able to get myself a better apartment with my own salary as a vet tech. And I found one with a patio so that I could have a dog (a dog that Andre helped me pick out from the shelter). Maybe this detail is irrelevant, but his name is Leo and he’s the cutest mutt you’ve ever seen.

Oh, and for my graduation from the program, Andre took me back to Mexico. And even though I still wanted to adopt every stray dog that crossed our path, I felt a lot better about all the good I’ve been able to do over the last few years. On our last day, Andre had yet another surprise for me. He took me to a local animal shelter, where they were already waiting to give us a tour and introduce us to their animals. Apparently, the biggest gift that Andre had given me was a donation to the shelter in my name. It was enough money to pay for the vet expenses for multiple dogs. I couldn’t believe it.

Sometimes people ask me how I can stand sugaring and whether I feel like the men just see me as an object. But I’ve never felt that way with Andre. He’s not only treated me as a human, but he’s also made me feel important and worthy of investing in my passions. He showed me that even though he didn’t really feel the same way about what I was interested in, he would support me because he cared about me. And, honestly, it’s not quite the level of love and devotion that my dog gives me, but it’s way more than any boyfriend’s ever done.