Summer of 2007 Fiance and I decided to get a dog. We made the decision around the time I was fired from Job #2 in the DC area, not exactly prime time, but once we met the dog named “Nancy” there was no turning back.
I had been perusing petfinder for a boxer mix – the breed that we researched and decided would be best for us as they seemed to be good city dogs and he wanted a “real dog” not a minipooch of whatever breed. Yip-yip dogs were strictly out of the picture.
Nancy was a rescue dog, a few of you know how this story ends and how it began but I’m going to tell it again thanks to inspiration. She had been found – as we know – at a kill shelter in West Virginia, put into Foster Care by a rescue organization in Arlington. It is highly likely she was at some point in her short life a stray, and then found by the kill shelter. As far as we know, she was not abused, maybe just abandoned.
She was high strung when we met her and had a high pitched whine that could break windows. She rarely barks, but has the howl of a beagle with a low moaned “rooo” attached to it.
But Nancy won her way into our hearts once she plopped down delicately under a bench in the shade from the hot June afternoon. We told the lady we would try her out. They told us they could bring her by tonight – they’d bring the paperwork and the food.
$115 was what our pup cost us. Of course far more than that if you could the destroyed couches, door frames, flooring, carpet, windows, shoes, and everything in between. They dropped her off and we were smitten. It was then that Ellie came into our lives and has dominated them ever since.
I have always been a dog lover. During my childhood my family had two dogs – one “Lady” a yellow lab mix, and “Lucy” and Beagle/Shepard mix. Lucy came after Lady – my parents were quick to bring both dogs back when the going got tough – Lady used to run away, and Lucy was brought back when neither parent wanted to keep her amidst the divorce. My father and step mother later allowed my younger step brother to adopt “Margaret” a 4 year old shepard mix who is now brinking on old age at 14 years old.
Ellie (formerly Nancy) is a blessing (or a curse depending on who you are and how you look at the destruction) but I would never give her away, or give up on her. She is loyal, protective, energetic and reminds us of the simpler things like having someone sitting patiently, tail wagging waiting for us to walk in the door.
Last week in Connecticut, Fiancé had a meeting so I spent the afternoon at the mall perusing the after Christmas sales. My wandering led me into a pet store with a dozen or so of the cutest dogs. I walked after minutes of sadly watching the dogs play in their tiny crates, thinking why would anyone buy a dog from here? I know all dogs need homes but we all know dogs from pet stores often (though not always) come from breeders who may not have sanitary conditions for breeding, who may be in it just for the profit thus selling to the pet store dogs with health conditions that may be unknown. The dogs clearly were marked for their breed and where they came from (the state/town) but it just seemed so cruel to me.
Those were a couple of the Beagles lounging in a crate that I saw
While my dog may not be an angel, I gave her a better life. She was born into a life unfit for a dog, and we took her in and gave her a life a gazillion times better than that. There are so many dogs in foster homes, and in shelters that need good homes why would you buy a dog that was bred for profit?
This is not to say I’m bashing people who breed dogs (or buy them from pet stores…)- I’m not. Getting a dog from a qualified breeder who is in it to maintain the breed of the dog is much much different than purchasing a dog at a pet store. I personally, would just never buy a dog from a pet store – a qualified hobbyist breeder is much different and the two should not be compared. It’s hard to find out from pet stores exactly where the dogs came from, their lineage and if they’re prone for diseases. Sure they’re all supposed to be AKC registered but after reading horror stories about people bringing home dogs from pet stores with parasites and a slue of other problems, I couldn’t fathom that (although my pup came with her own issues but it seems that a rescue dog is more likely to than a pet store dog consider those pups are usually only weeks old). I’m sure I sound far more judgemental than I am, but I would never judge anyone for buying any dog – all dogs deserve homes – pet store, breeder or shelter.
Walking out of that pet store I had tears in my eyes, and I wanted to take them all home with me. No dog deserves to be living in a small crate like that, no dog deserves to be couped up in a crate with another dog – especially as puppies when socialization is most important. Crating two dogs together does not socialize.
So this holiday season, fiancé and I decided to give to the Humane Society – a great cause with an amazing mission. All the dogs I’ve had have been rescue/shelter dogs. I couldn’t imagine not saving the life of a dog from the shelter when so many dogs that are in shelters are being killed if they can’t find good homes. So ’tis the season to give – time or money to causes that we all find worthy of hard earned dollars. For me? It’s those cute mutts at the shelter since I can’t take them all home with me.
What cause do you find worthy of giving to?
