Stragent Dog Park on Saturday January 16, 2021. (Michael Cavazos/ News-Journal Photo)

Hallsville native Jessica Lightle was having one of the worst days at her former job in Dallas when her then-boyfriend Austin Lightle asked her to meet him outside by the firepit at their apartment complex in Addison.

When she walked outside crying, at first she didn’t notice the puppy — a little black, flat-coated Goldendoodle — with Austin.

“He said, ‘Look what I got us,’ and he let Charlie out on the ground. He was so little, only seven or eight weeks old at the time,” she recalled. “I got so excited and I picked him up. That’s when I saw his name tag. It said, ‘Will you marry me?’ Then he proposed with Charlie. It was so sweet. It definitely became one of the best days of my life.”

On Jan. 11, 2017, Jessica’s family grew to include a fiance (now husband) and a sweet dog who is now like family. The Longview couple now take 4-year-old Charlie everywhere with them, including walking on trails in Longview, at patio dining across East Texas and on travels across the state and country.

The Lightles are among thousands of pet owners who consider their furry companions to be an extended part of their family.

Engaged couple Kaitlyn Porterfield and Carson Shultz, who reside in Tyler’s Azalea District, have two pups. Presley is a 3-and-a-half-year-old white German shepherd while 5-year-old Brutus is a black and white standard poodle.

“They both have very distinct personalities,” Porterfield said. “Brutus goes everywhere with Carson and we take Presley as much as we can.”

The couple enjoys walking their dogs around the square in Tyler, often stopping for a pupcone at Andy’s Frozen Custard. They also enjoy taking the dogs with them for outdoor dining at places such as ETX Brewing Co. in downtown Tyler and at True Vine Brewing Co.

“We take both of them out to Carson’s family’s land in LaRue to run,” she said. “They love to play outside.”

Shultz’s family owns New York, Texas Zipline Adventures and Shultz said he takes Brutus to work with him every day.

“He doesn’t shed and he behaves himself, so it’s really easy to take him places,” Shultz said.

Shultz found Brutus via a Craigslist ad in Fort Worth in 2016. The two have been a duo ever since.

“He’s such a smart dog. You can tell him specific commands; he knows his left from his right. He thinks he’s a human. He doesn’t really know he’s a dog most of the time,” Shultz said, laughing.

Porterfield adopted Presley about three years ago from the Humane Society’s Pets Fur People in Tyler. Presley was a baby at the time and looked a bit like a yellow Labrador, but after about two weeks her German shepherd ears popped up.

“Presley’s a social dog,” Porterfield said. “She loves to walk around the square and she’s made friends with a lot of people. She’s made friends with an officer who works at the courthouse, and she always wants to go over and see him. We also have neighbors who walk around the square and she’s made friends with them and a lot of other people who work downtown.”

With a love for downtown Tyler, Porterfield previously was involved in the Heart of Tyler, a nonprofit organization that works to revitalize the downtown area. She enjoys the walkability of downtown Tyler and that traffic isn’t too bad there.

“People think there isn’t a lot of green space, but there is,” she added. “You just have to walk a little bit off the beaten path but you can find good spaces for your dogs.”

She also enjoys how friendly downtown businesses are toward pups. ETX Brewing Co., for example, will supply dogs with water bowls when they come to visit while Andy’s Frozen Custard offers free pupcones that Presley and Brutus enjoy.

In Longview, the Lightles said they enjoy the city’s many dog-friendly spaces. Charlie enjoys going for walks at the Mobberly Mountain Bike Trail, located behind Mobberly Baptist Church, and at the city’s Paul G. Boorman Trail where there also is a dog park.

Charlie, whom they adopted from someone in Gainesville, Texas, enjoys getting puppuccinos from Starbucks and pupcups at Shivers Natural Snow. Shivers outdoor space is dog friendly, as is Silver Grizzly Espresso, a coffee shop in downtown Longview that Charlie also enjoys. Charlie also has helped them meet new friends as dogs often offer a conversation starter for pet owners.

“We’ve taken him to the Strut Your Mutt walk, which raises money for the animal shelter, and Charlie was a big fan of visiting the Historic Longview Farmers Market downtown,” Jessica Lightle said. “He pretty much goes everywhere with us.”

That includes out of state trips to Colorado, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma, and he’s been all over Texas.

But when the couple needs to board Charlie, they rely on Creature Comforts, a grooming, boarding and doggie daycare facility in Longview.

“We’ve been going there for four years since we moved back to Longview,” she said. “They have a great facility. I love how clean it is and I also love that they post pictures on their Facebook so that when we are out of town, we’re able to see what he’s up to. Charlie seems to really like it, too. He’s a big fan.”

From car rides to walks, to snacking on bones and visiting his favorite Longview boutique, River Outfitters, Charlie has become a huge part of the Lightle family.

“I never thought I would love a dog as much as I love Charlie. He has been such a sweet part of our family and will always be a part of our family,” Lightle said. “We look forward to hanging out with him every day. He makes life a lot of fun.”

Favorite Spaces To Take Pets Across Tyler & Longview:

• Downtown Tyler
• Downtown Longview
• Tyler State Park
• Mobberly Mountain Bike Trail, Longview
• Faulkner Park Trail, Tyler
• Paul G. Boorman Trail, Longview
• Cargill Long Park Trail, Longview
• Bossart Bark Park, Tyler
• Sunrise Paw Park, Tyler
• Stragent Dog Park, Longview
• ETX Brewing Co., Tyler
• True Vine Brewing Co., Tyler
• Silver Grizzly Espresso, Longview
• Andy’s Frozen Custard, Tyler
• Shivers Natural Snow, Longview