number nineteen: pet adoption

okay, so this one is important. and i mean more than just being important to me and my small, contained world. this one is BIG important. like, whole world important.


animals are important to me. i've already written a post about my love of dogs, it was an early one. and so maybe i'm repeating myself. but i don't have a problem doing that to hopefully get a point across.

and as aforementioned, this is an important point.

march 15th is national pet adoption day. a day which i celebrated by buying my pup Mac a rather large bone and finally got him a fancy dog tag. Mac is a shelter dog. i adopted him from PAWS in september when he was three months old. he had been previously owned by a family who decided they couldn't have a dog after having bought him. had it not been for the possibility of adoption, who knows what would have happened to him. he certainly would not be cuddled up in my bed with me living the good life. chewing on a bone bigger than his head.

adoption is undeniably important. i'm not good with stats. i should be better, but i'm not. thank goodness for google. i found while conducting a little research that according to the ASPCA there are 5000 animal shelters nationwide. and no, there aren't real guidelines or nationwide regulations. some animals get lucky. like mac. some don't.




it is estimated that each year between 5 and 7 million animals are put in shelters.

here comes the part that is hard.

it's also estimated that 3 to 4 million animals are euthanized.

and this is something else i had to share, "five out of ten dogs in shelters and seven out of ten cats in shelters are destroyed simply because there is no one to adopt them."


okay okay, i know i know. i'm being a debbie downer. except i'm not really.

what i've learned is that pet ownership is right for some people and not for others. up until this point, owning a dog would have been a disaster for me. and even moreso for my poor roommate. it's important to wait until you're ready to commit. because trust me, having a dog really is like having a child. albeit, it's a lot more socially acceptable to have a smelly dog versus a smelly child.

pet adoption is important. but it's important to do so when you're ready. when you're at the right point in your life.

but when you're at that point, and you know the only thing missing from your life is the purr of a cat or a tail wagging to greet you at the door please adopt.


it'll be the only thing i ever ask you to do (at least in this post...)

please adopt when you're ready for a pet.


and if you're not ready for an animal in your life, donate. help save a life from euthanasia.


and hey, for more information about pet sponsorship in another part of the world (and some REALLY adorable pictures) check out this link:
http://aandbctheworld.blogspot.com/2011/03/dog-lovers.html