PetAgree
Best Dog Ever!
Have any of you ever had that pet that just makes your heart sing when she looks at you? Or that pet that seems to know exactly what you need after a rough day? Or that pet that is simply happy to enjoy a small bit of peace and quiet with you? Well, that my friends, describes Lilly Madeline to a T.
This week Lilly turned 10 years old so, naturally, I threw her a little birthday party. There were hats, singing, presents but no cake or dog treats (she has horrible food allergies so couldn’t risk her getting a morsel). She did get an extra banana and apple that day, those happen to be her favorite fruitsJ While all this was happening, I started thinking about how much she has enriched my life and thought I’d write a little something to encourage people to at least consider adopting a pet from an animal shelter or rescue.
Lilly wasn’t perfect. In fact I wasn’t even looking for a dog. I had two wonderful cats, was a newlywed and very content with my pet family…until I met Lilly. She came into the clinic I was working at gravely ill. We fell head over heels in love with one another instantly. The previous owners signed over their rights to me because financially they just weren’t able to help Lilly any longer and were considering euthanasia as the only other option. Lilly was a year old when I adopted her and she had already had 22 puppies. She had never been socialized with other dogs except for breeding and she had zero manners. But, she was kind, as gentle as an 80 pound pit bull mix can be and she loved me! I had her spayed as soon as she was healthy enough and then did my best to teach her a few manners. Lilly was the center of my life for 6 years. When I found out I was pregnant with twins I immediately thought about how Lilly’s life would change. I was worried about what the stress of new babies would do to her but let me tell you she took it all in stride. The twins are 3 years old now and I know she doesn’t get as many walks as she should or one on one time with me but she doesn’t complain. She is gentle with the girls and takes all the hugs and kisses from them with pride. Adopting a dog that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind has turned out to be the most fulfilling and wonderful experience for me. Not to say that it hasn’t been a lot of work, it has been. Lilly has been a part of many obedience classes and I have worked with trainers and veterinarians from everything relating to separation anxiety, dog to dog aggression to cancer. What I am trying to say is this, according to The Humane Society of the United States, four million dogs and cats are euthanized a year in the U.S. That is about one every 8 seconds. Think about that for just a minute; let that number register in your brain for a moment… This is why I urge you to simply consider adopting your next pet from an animal shelter or rescue group. Adopting can make a difference!
