Share the Love - Adopt!

My husband and I recently adopted a new dog. It’s been nearly a year since Sage died, and we’ve felt the tugging for a few months, prompting us to consider bringing another dog into our home. However, we still have Cody, and two cats also call our house ‘home’, therefore, we had to be quite selective as to the personality and age of a new dog. Mary, a half-springer/half-cocker, fit the bill: older, spayed female, raised with cats, calm, attentive and trained, and therapy-pet trained to boot! She and Cody bonded almost instantly, and one of our cats is now also a friend (the other continues to allude and hide, but that flightiness is just part of her temperament). Mary’s former owned died suddenly, and the family needed to find a new home for her, so they turned to a rescue organization for assistance in re-homing her.

Adoption Requires Adaption

Adoption can be turmoil for all involved. I think of the drastic changes in Mary's life, from a loving home of nearly six years, to a foster home to our home. How confusing that must be for a dog! Yet, dogs are resilient, and as along as they are given love, encouragement, attention and acceptance, they do adjust. Just as Sage adapted to her new home and her situation of becoming blind, so Mary is adjusting to a new life with us. Soon, she and I will begin therapy training, becoming partners in helping others, just as she and her former owner did, providing even greater stability and certainty in her life.

Adjustments

Our lives, too, need to adjust. Although there are similarities between Mary and Sage because of the Springer breed, Mary is sighted; and many times when she sees something (person, cat, dog) out the front window, she barks. And, though Cody can also see, he is elderly (nearly 15!) and can no longer jump up on the furniture to look out the window – therefore, his barking is not as frequent. And, being younger than Cody, Mary has more energy – she needs more frequent and longer walks as well as more time in the backyard. We are all adjusting and learning.

Despite the changes, there is greater joy and comfort in our home. Mary loves to snuggle in bed and cuddle on the couch. She lays beside my feet while I'm in my sunroom office and next to my husband's desk in his home office. She has come to trust us, accept us, and bask in the companionship of us and our other pets.

Statistics

Not all homeless pets are as fortunate. Statistics indicate nearly 7 million dogs and cats are turned over to shelters and rescues every year; almost half are euthanized. Yet, millions of people in America are pet owners and spend billions of dollars each year on pet food, supplies, and goodies, including clothing. People love pets!

Share Warmth, Share Love – Adopt!

As spring casts its warmth upon the land, may we who love dogs and cats share the warmth of love with animals in need. Adoption is a beautiful thing, and opening one's heart and home to a pet who needs that love and warmth helps to save lives. Perhaps your heart, like mine, is being tugged to again love a pet... share that love – Adopt! Visit your local shelter or rescue organization or stop by Petfinder.com – your new furry friend just might be a short distance or a click away -- ours was!

 

 

Dogs and People Helping Each Other

Animal welfare groups, including many rescue organizations and animal shelters, celebrate the joys of dogs this month. October is recognized nationally as Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month and provides people the wonderful opportunity of giving a dog a new, loving home. Today, let's look at how dogs and people help one another.

My two special dogs both come from shelters, one from Montana, the other from my community's Humane Society. Both dogs have brought great joy into my life and have taught me many valuable life lessons, such as loyalty, courage, perseverance, and love.

Dogs and people have held a special bond for thousands of years. Dogs have served humankind in many capacities, from protector to bearer of burdens. Native Americans, for example, used dogs to transport loads prior to obtaining the horse. Still today, dogs serve people in a variety of ways: herding and protecting flocks; finding fowl in the field; guiding the blind; assisting deaf and wheel-chair bound individuals; rescuing lost children; and bringing smiles to those in hospital beds.

Here are some special ways dogs help people:

• Assistance dogs are specially trained to help people manage physical or emotional disabilities. Guide dogs assist the blind, deaf assistance dogs alert people to the telephone or doorbell, and assistance dogs open refrigerators and building doors for people in wheelchairs. Some even detect cancer and epileptic seizures.



• Search and rescue dogs look for the lost. From hikers and skiers to victims of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, these hero dogs put their health and life in the balance in the line of duty.



• Military and police dogs also put their lives on the line. From sniffing for drugs or bombs to patrol duties, these dogs serve our country in the United States and abroad.



• Visiting hospitals and nursing homes, therapy dogs bring smiles to the faces of ill children and lonely senior citizens.



• Read-to-the-dog programs are popular in many libraries across the country and help children become better readers.



• Sporting dogs, including spaniels, retrievers and pointers, help bring home dinner in the form of ducks, pheasants, and grouse.



• Herding dogs, like the Australian Shepherd and the collie, have the genetic instinct to drive and gather livestock. Some of these dogs, such as Israel’s Canaan dog, have been used for several centuries.



• A variety of dogs, including the Siberian husky and German shepherd, are part of the working breed, transporting and protecting people.

Dogs help us in many ways, including the simple acts of helping us exercise, lowering our blood pressure, and getting us to laugh and smile more often. So, honor your special pooch for his loyalty and love with an extra ounce of kibble, a special hug, or a play-day outdoors in the field. And, if you’re thinking about adding a dog to your household, October is a great time to do so.
If you can’t have a dog right now, there are still things you can do to celebrate dogs, including showing kindness and compassion to animals in need and supporting your local pet rescue and shelter organizations with donations – there is always need not just for money, but also for supplies and volunteers.

Celebrate dogs however you can during National Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month!