According to the Humane Society of the United States, around three million animals are euthanized each year.
WHAT?! That is a sickening amount. It's not that we think pets from breeders are bad. Discussions about the unfair treatment of animals in puppy mills and those used as breeding factories is another story for another day. However, we can discuss why we feel so strongly about rescuing before buying. We also understand that many don't know what goes on with shelter pets, or their tough fate, or the slim chances of rescue that they face.
***DISCLAIMER: We are in love with all dogs, wherever they come from***
Louie and his pitbull sister Zoey are both rescued. When so many animals are killed each year just for being alive, we won't personally fund breeding when there are so many beautiful pets that we can save (another reason why it is important to spay or neuter your pet!).
Louie came to us during a cold and snowy December day in 2009. The Michigan Anti-Cruelty Animal Society of Detroit, MI, had found a box of puppies left in a box. This box was inside of a dumpster. Inside were four abandoned puppies; only three that would survive. I happened to be looking for my next best friend at the time and couldn't say no to the precious face that looked up at me, and then chewed on my ear lobes. Here is the first picture I ever saw of Louie:
It was love at first site. From dumpster dog to family pet. I couldn't be more grateful for his love and all of the lessons he has taught me about life, and I am not sure if I rescued him, or if he rescued me.
Zoey came to us in February 2013, just before Louie's first disc rupture. She was pulled from a fighting ring in Pontiac, MI, where they believe she was used as a bait dog. She was covered in cuts and scars, and she was emaciated. When her black and blue eyes met ours, it was love at first sight. Because of her breed and a lot of the misunderstandings that come along with the them, she was not going to be adopted out, but rather put down. Her Dad happens to be a police officer in the city of the pound she is from, so they let us adopt her (PS, she is much more well behaved than Louie, in spite of breed discrimination).
Louie and Zoey have brought us so much joy, and it is beyond me to understand that they may have been put down if we didn't step in and pluck them from their shelters. It is never too late to save an old, abused, neglected, or sick pet. They have been so grateful to us for giving them a home, and our home wouldn't be complete without them. I think there is something to be said about the "unwanted" animals of our shelter system. They provide a love that is unmatched.
Next time you decide to bring a pet into your life, please think to adopt, and not shop. Rescued is our favorite breed. For each dog that is bred, many more are put to sleep much before their time in a shelter near you.
I'd like to end today's post with a poem about rescue. I have always asked myself, "Who saved who?"
I went out to rescue a dog that day
I went out to rescue a dog that day
To give him a really good life
To take him away from the life that he led
And free him from trouble and strife
I thought I would do him a favour
And be a good person to him
And go do my bit for the country
I didn't go out on a whim
But what do you think really did happen?
The day that I did my good deed,
I discovered a love that I'd dreamed of
And fulfilled in myself a strong need.
I now have a dog that I care for,
I see things that I needed to see.
That lovely dog that I rescued
Really ended up rescuing me.
Fionna D via pawfirst.com
