Celebrate Shelter Pets Day
November 30 is Celebrate Shelter Pets Day on Facebook. I think its a great way to shine light on some of the great dogs and cats who are waiting for forever homes in shelters across the nation. So many people think that the dogs and cats in shelters are there because there is something wrong with them. If nobody wanted them, then there must surely be a good reason. This is a complete fallacy. There are so many animals in shelters who are completely wonderful - they have so much love to give, and just want a forever home.
I have had many shelter and rescued pets over the years, that it is hard to pick one to tell about. Katie was my first border collie. I got her when she was about 6 months old. She was definitely a diamond in the rough, but with a little patience, and some obedience work, she was by far one of the best pets I have ever had. One of the problems we had with her was that she loved to jump. She could jump 6 feet in the air, from a standing start. Because of this amusing ability, I began going to agility classes with her. Agility is a competitive sport for dogs which requires them to jump hurdles and climb A-frames, and walk on a balance beam, and up one side of a teeter totter, and down the other side. She was a natural at it. The jumps were not very challenging for her, but she enjoyed going over them anyway. Katie was the kind of dog who was so eager to please that she would have walked through fire if I had asked her to.
Her best friend, Sunshine, was adopted from a shelter as well. Sunshine came from a very bad home. The woman who owned her was a hoarder, and had at least 40 small dogs of various ages. Sunny came to live with me when she was 3 months old. She was the sweetest and most loving of dogs. When she and Katie were outside playing, she would grab onto Katies tail and slide along the grass as Kate was running. It was probably one of their favorite games.
Both dogs became my daughter, Allison's best friends. After my divorce, I was forced to leave both dogs behind with my ex husband, but I knew they would be alright as long as Allison was there to care for them. Sunshine died 4 years ago, and not surprizingly, Katie died shortly afterwards. I still miss them.
Her best friend, Sunshine, was adopted from a shelter as well. Sunshine came from a very bad home. The woman who owned her was a hoarder, and had at least 40 small dogs of various ages. Sunny came to live with me when she was 3 months old. She was the sweetest and most loving of dogs. When she and Katie were outside playing, she would grab onto Katies tail and slide along the grass as Kate was running. It was probably one of their favorite games.
Both dogs became my daughter, Allison's best friends. After my divorce, I was forced to leave both dogs behind with my ex husband, but I knew they would be alright as long as Allison was there to care for them. Sunshine died 4 years ago, and not surprizingly, Katie died shortly afterwards. I still miss them.
If you are looking for a new best friend, I cant recommend more highly, going to your local shelter or contacting a breed rescue, and adopt a pet. You'll be glad you did.
