When I was a little girl my grandparents had a dog named Rusty. Oh, how I loved Rusty! Looking back, I think Rusty was the first dog I really loved.
While I was still very young, Rusty was killed after being struck by a car. I missed Rusty so much that one night, after I had been tucked in by my parents, I prayed to my Heavenly Father and asked if Rusty could come and snuggle with me. Then, I imagined Rusty hopping onto my bed and curling into a ball at my feet. I sat up and lovingly "pet" Rusty as he got cozy on top of my covers. When I laid back down I smiled and felt content imagining Rusty at my feet.
For the longest time my favorite dogs were dalmatians -- because of 101 Dalmatians, of course. I even started collecting dalmatian stuffed animals and I'm pretty sure my ultimate goal was to reach 101. Sadly, I never came close but I did have a pretty big collection.
As a little girl, I used to ask my parents virtually every day, "When are we going to get a puppy?" I never let up. I kept asking and asking and asking... and asking. I knew my family was destined to own a dog, so I started daydreaming about what type of dog it would be and what his/her name would be. I'm sure this won't surprise you when I admit that most of my dog names came from Disney movies about dogs... Lady, Pongo, Perdita, Lucky...
While I waited for that magical moment when my family would get a dog, I enjoyed the company of other dogs. No dog was too big or too small and in my eyes every dog was worth holding and showing love. I gave virtually every dog a chance to feel loved -- even the dogs that weren't too fond of humans, let alone children.
I was six years old when we got our very first puppy, a female chihuahua we named Lucky. Lucky was born on August 9, 1988, and we brought her home in September. Lucky came from a local breeder. She was the last available puppy from her liter and we couldn't have been blessed with a better first dog in our family.
Lucky was a spoiled little pup. She had free range throughout the house and got a generous amount of "people food" whenever possible. She loved sleeping in the sun and when it was cold outside she'd lay on a vent whenever the heat kicked on -- she had her favorite vents too. Lucky was always looking out for our safety and well-being. She kept an eye on "her yard" and kept it squirrel-free as often as possible.
Lucky knew basic commands like sit, lay, and beg, but my favorite trick was taught by my younger sister, Kathleen. Kathleen taught Lucky how to play Hide and Seek! Kathleen took the time to show Lucky a few spots that she could hide in our house. Then, Kathleen would tell Lucky to go hide. While Kathleen slowly count to 10, Lucky would pick one of the spots she was shown. Sure enough, once Kathleen was done counting she would find Lucky in one of the spots she was taught to hide.
Our poor little pup put up with Kathleen and I like a champ when we were little girls. Lucky let us dress her up and treat her like she was one of our baby dolls. When we cried Lucky would come and lick/kiss our tears away. She'd wag her hyper, little tail with each lick as if to say, "It's okay! I'm here! I've got this." If our grief was more than a few happy licks could fix, she'd quietly lay with us, offering silent comfort that was always appreciated.
We had Lucky for 15+ years until she quietly passed away in my mother's arms on December 5, 2003. To this day my family still misses our little Lucky and we still enjoy sharing stories about her. She was certainly more than a family pet, she was/is part of our family.
I may be all grown up and married, but that never stopped me from asking my husband, "When are we going to get a dog?" Unfortunately, Dan is allergic to all animals -- major bummer. However, thankfully he can tolerate some animals better than others and is willing to put up with the occasional stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and headache to be a dog owner -- he is certainly a dog lover as well.
Over time I have developed a passion for adopting pets from a rescue shelter. I'm also no longer hooked on the idea that we need to start with a puppy. When we felt ready, Dan and I started searching and watching local shelters for the perfect pup to bring into our family.
The first dog we attempted to adopt was a medium/large dog who was about a year or two old. We had an appointment to meet the dog that we had our hearts set on and upon entering the shelter we received the bittersweet news that she had just gotten adopted. We were disappointed but we still took a stroll through the shelter to see other dogs that were waiting for their forever families. This was my second time in an animal shelter. Like most shelters, these dogs were kept in cages with a concrete floor. Some were barking (begging for attention), some sat quietly while flashing their adorable puppy eyes at us, and the rest were tucked as far back into their cage with their tail between their legs, shaking out of fear and anxiety. We didn't adopt a dog that day, but I knew I couldn't get a dog anywhere else. Our dog must come from a shelter -- no question about it.
As many of you already know, we ended up adopting Jetta on November 1, 2012. Our little pup was born in an animal shelter and it was an absolute blessing to give her a life outside of an animal shelter so quickly.
Due to our Home Owners Association, Dan and I are only permitted to have two pets at a time. That's a hard pill for me to swallow these days, especially when I come across so many dogs who are in desperate need of a forever home. We came pretty close to adopting our second dog from a different animal shelter, but once again this dog was taken before we had a chance to meet him.
I try blaming my pregnancy hormones, but I'd probably be just as emotional about these dogs in animal shelters if I wasn't pregnant. No matter, Dan has been very supportive whenever I come to him with photos and stories of shelter dogs who could really use some love and a forever home.
I'm less than a month away from having our baby girl and right now is probably not the best time for us to take in a second pet. However, I hate feeling helpless, so recently I decided to collect some dog food and treats that I could pass on to my friend (Tasia) who volunteers at an animal shelter by her house. Still, that doesn't stop me from looking through photos of dogs who need to be saved -- literally saved. A few weeks ago I was sobbing over two puppies who were dumped in a kill shelter. One had been claimed for foster care and the other was scheduled to be killed if no one rescued him. Like a little girl, I asked Dan to include the puppies in our nightly prayer time and, like a loving husband that he is, Dan did what I asked. He even offered me comfort as I quietly sniffed through our prayer time.
Now, I could take a moment and show you some sad photos of puppies and kittens who have abused/neglected and dumped in shelters, but I'll take it easy on you guys -- mostly because I don't have the heart to Google for such images. Now, it may just be a movie (and a cartoon), but take a look at this scene from Lady and the Tramp. It's certainly not far from the truth. All over the world there are precious animals in shelters who are absolutely terrified and desperately just want to go home. These poor animals just want the chance to show love and be loved.
Real shelter animals may not cry in a somewhat musical style, but the living conditions seen in this cartoon are very close to the real deal. The metal bars, the cold concrete floors, and the lack of natural light exists in real shelters.
While I'm certainly not trying to guilt anyone into adopting a pet when you're not willing or able, I am hoping that for those of you who are already considering
a family pet, you might consider checking your local animal shelter for your furry best friend. Lots of shelters even have Facebook pages that offer photos of their current animals available for adoption. Pets are a huge responsibility, so, please, only consider adopting a pet if you've carefully thought it through.
Just like Christmas and birthday presents, puppies and kittens get dumped (into shelters) once owners lose interest and/or come to realize it takes a lot of work to properly raise/train a pet. Sadly, many pets get purchased as impulse buys only to be dumped once the owner has given up or lost interest. That is one of the reasons why puppy mills really boil my blood.
Now, if you really want to save an animal, look into organizations with information about animals who are scheduled to be killed if no one adopts them. Seriously, there is no rhyme or reason as to why these animals get put down, it's simply because they're unclaimed or unwanted.
Did you know you can foster care a pet? Foster care is a great way to show an animal love and to give him/her time to find a forever home. Contact your local shelters to see if they need foster families for any of their animals.
Lastly, if you do decide to permanently adopt a pet, please have your pet neutered/spayed. Trust me, there is no shortage of dogs, cats, or rabbits out there. Please help control the pet population by having your pet fixed.
Now, if you're like me and you already own a pet, after reading this you're probably anxious to go and give your pet a hug and some random treats. You are your pet's hero! Even if you didn't get him/her from a shelter, you're giving your pet the opportunity to be part of a family and feel loved. And if your pet is anything like my little Jetta, he/she will light up with joy when you enter the room and just be happy that you're home.
