During the holiday season most people think about others that are less fortunate than themselves. Today I am thinking about all of our little furry friends that aren't as lucky as our Izzy to have a warm home to roam, a backyard to dominate and a family that would pay an arm and a leg to fix her leg. At a local animal hospital, there is a kennel beside the road where many dogs are placed until they can find a home. I have driven passed it many times since they set this up and I am always astonished and saddened at how many homeless dogs are for adoption. This particular place keeps all of the pets there until they are adopted, unlike pounds where there is unfortunately a time limit on these priceless lives. I wanted to write about this because it is something that is very important to me. I eventually would love to do more to help than just blog on my new laptop about what people should/shouldn't do, but for now I hope to bring more awareness to those around me.
I was told that these dogs are owner surrenders or from puppy mills. One thing that we can all do before we ever make the commitment of purchasing a puppy/dog is to understand it could be a 15 year commitment or longer and on average dogs need about $600-700 in care each year. Along with understanding the expense and life span, maybe even more important is finding the right breed for you and your family. If you have a little apartment, you don't want to get a dog that is full of energy and really needs a lot of space to run. They will rip everything to shreds out of boredom! Matching characteristic and personality to you is something I think most people look over when they see that cute puppy face and just want to take it home to cuddle.
Next, once you have a dog, PLEASE, please, please spay or neuter it! And it you know someone that hasn't done so to their pet please encourage them to do so. Izzy was spayed before her first heat cycle so we never had to deal with that and it wasn't expensive! There are thousands and thousands of dogs that never would have been born and never would have been put down if people were responsible and fixed their animals.
The next dog we get will be adopted. We purchased Izzy from a pet store, which I don't regret because Izzy is a wonderful dog, but I don't want to do anything to support puppy mills and I wonder where all of those puppies are coming from. So many wonderful pets are in need of loving homes. I want to add another to our family as soon as I feel we can handle the responsibility.
There are many organizations like the Humane Society that help our four legged friends find lifelong loving homes. Having a dog has added so much to mine and Scott's life and even though we get annoyed with her and end up bathing her three times in one day because SHE KEEPS DIGGING IN THE MUD AND TRACKING IT INTO THE HOUSE AND I CAN'T KEEP MY FLOORS CLEAN, I still wouldn't trade her for anything!
I encourage you to research the different breeds and add a new member to your family for the New Year and give them a second chance, if a loving and stable home is something you and your family can provide! It is proven that there are actual health benefits that are in it for you as well when you have a pet! Not to mention someone that will always be excited to see you, even if you have only been gone for five minutes, you will always have someone to cuddle and someone you can talk to or a should to cry on. You will be rewarded with plenty of kisses and an endless amount of laughter. I am not trying to talk anyone into it, I am just thinking about how lucky we are to have our little Izzy and am just rambling...
