REPEAT: BECAUSE OCTOBER IS "ADOPT A SHELTER DOG MONTH"
"dogs are everywhere almost everywhere i go..."
FLASHBACK october 2007
rufus appears on our deck, early one fall morning.
FLASH FORWARD january 2008
first came charlie. cody and his girlfriend went to the local animal shelter and came home with a huge puppy. HUGE puppy. charlie is collie/st. bernard mix. and he's scared of everything. i call him the cowardly lion.
then came maddie. she's tiny. she looks like a mutant chihuahua. her paws are HUMONGOUS. we are told she is pit. as she gets bigger it's clear she isn't. she's greyhound/english pointer mix. she is a princess. she rules the house with an iron fist. rufus could care less. charlie bows down to her highness.
FLASH FORWARD today
maddie lives with me and bk now. no dogs to boss around. no boys to boss around. and bk refuses to be bossed around. she attempts to boss e'beth around...e'beth reminds her that she is, in fact, the queen. she is an amazing dog. she is loving. she is calm. she rarely barks. she does have her issues: #1~she still thinks she's a chihuahua (but why CAN'T i sit in your lap?)...#2~she hates when she is sent to time~out (yes, she gets time~outs, and, just like any kid, she tries to get out early...maddie's version? military crawls out of the room)...and #3~she firmly believes in "no means no" (so a word to all male dogs...keep your distance...she will punch you in the throat).
october is "adopt a shelter dog" month. we've all seen the commercials. sarah mclachlan sitting there, with her healthy yellow lab, making us cry over all these sad, abused animals. well, she's giving you some important facts...according to the aspca, 5~7 million companion animals enter shelters each year and 3~4 million are euthanized. 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred. and only 10% of animals, received in shelters, have been spayed or neutered. so, why listen to sarah and ADOPT a shelter dog? for one thing, you will be saving a life. the number of dogs being euthanized would be reduced drastically, if more people adopted rather than purchase from a pet store. your pet will, most likely, be healthier. most shelters examine and vaccinate animals when they are dropped off. and, often, they will spay/neuter the animal at adoption. and this also means...you'll save money. think about it...the cost of the adoption fee including first shots, and spay/neutering (go purchase a pet from a breeder or pet store and try to get a deal like that!)? and, don't forget, studies show that pet owners live happier, healthier, lives. so basically, you've saved 2 lives (the shelter dog and your own!!).
adopt a shelter dog...it does the body good...
**Update to gallery...our newest shelter dog**
need help finding a shelter or rescue near you? check out petfinder.com
