adoption
Our guide to animal adoption; learn why, where, and how to prepare to adopt a cat, kitten, dog or puppy from an animal shelter or rescue group.
The Chronicles of Riff Raff
Shortly after Paul and I moved in together, we decided we needed a dog. My mom's allergies meant I never was allowed one as a child. My love of animals found other outlets; I cherished visits to my neighbor’s pond to feed their rainbow-speckled koi, as well as caring for Hermie, my beloved hermit crab. I had many roommates over the years who had dogs and I had many cat companions but never my own puppy. Plus, I wanted my kids, Kevin and Jackie, to have a dog.
By Kristen Wilson5 years ago in Petlife
Indie
I came home one day to the strange sight of my family kneeling in a circle. I asked if everything was ok, my dad waved his hand for me to come over. To my delight they were all fixated on a timid puppy curled up in a ball. The pup was a stray from Tennessee, he was seven months old, and his coat black with a white chest. We had no idea what breed he was but we're thinking a terrier mix. The shelter named him Indigo which we found fitting, so we call him Indie. He was so nervous, my large family must have been overwhelming, he could barely move. He remained tail tucked and withdrawn everywhere he went around the house at first.
By Gabby Cooke5 years ago in Petlife
Trixie, The Abandoned Dog Who Found Us in the Woods
We didn't plan for Trixie. We didn't plan for a dog at all. We planned for a cat, and we only planned for a cat, because we had good friends who couldn't keep him, because they had a few too many. A stray cat they were helping had had a litter of kittens.
By Susan Joy Clark5 years ago in Petlife
Benny the Bright Light
I didn’t find Benny, he found me. I got out of the car and left the door open while I shut the gate to the house next door that I have been cleaning. I saw a little black and white dog on the road looking at me, but I was exhausted and didn’t take much notice. When I turned to get back in my car, he jumped in and sat on the passenger seat.
By jacki fleet5 years ago in Petlife
First Time Foster Fail
Three years, we lost our beloved cat of 8 years. My husband had rescued her as a kitten after he found her sick and dying on a golf course. She became his best friend and saw him through a difficult time in his life before we were married. Every year we take a week vacation to Florida and have family feed her and care for her. She was always fine but one year she wasn't. For whatever reason, she stopped eating when we left. We didn't realize she was eating so little until we came home and noticed how lethargic and miserable she was. She had always been a cantankerous and fiesty cat, so this was a huge change. When we took her to the vet, they said she had liver disease and would need to be hand fed and given IV fluids to save her. The vet shared it was alot of work and warned us it would be very time consuming and diffcult to feed her. We felt totally up to the task, as we loved her and were certain we could nurse her back to health. The vet wasn't kidding! Every feeding and IV treatment was brutal. She meowed in in agony and fought us every step of the way. 6 days into the treatment, we woke up one morning and couldn't find her in her usual spot. My husband found her in the shower moaning in agony. She started to seize and we think she had lost her vision as she stared mindlessly into space. We waited for the vet to open and took her right in. The vet sadly told us there was no hope and we had to put her down. We felt devastated.... Not only to lose her but that she had been suffering for 6 days. We thought we were doing the right thing trying to save her but to this day, both my husband and I feel awful about prolonging her pain. In addition, we felt guilty for leaving and couldn't figure out why this particular year, she stopped eating and reacted so poorly to our abscence. This was one of the few times in my life, I have seen my strong and easy going husband break down in tears. She was there for him when she needed him. She was his best friend when he and I were on the rocks. She brought him so much joy and he had saved her and she had saved him. It was heartbreaking.
By Stephanie Bortmas5 years ago in Petlife
Saving Sarah
“My dog! Don’t leave my dog here!” My two-year-old son shouted earnestly as we walked through the small lobby of the Kent Animal Shelter. Looks from a couple at the front desk burned a hole through me as I shuffled my son towards the doors. “It’s ok, we’ll come back tomorrow,” I assured him as I got more dirty looks. “Whyyy?”my son pleaded.
By Bethany Hill5 years ago in Petlife
Out of the Igloo
I realized that the odds were stacked against me for owning my own dog when you considered my track record – every house plant I had ever attempted to keep, dead. The herb garden on my windowsill, dead. The little vegetable garden in my back yard, dead. Cactuses had been unable to survive in my household. I had even managed to kill my air plant, one of those alien-like things that you only have to mist with water once in a while.
By Brian Wright5 years ago in Petlife
I Rescued Her, She is Saving Me
Meet Ellie. She's cute, right? She looks happy and playful. To be fair, she is but her idea of playful and mine differ greatly. Ellie is a rescue from our local humane society. She was so sweet and demure when I met her, I knew she was the one for our family.
By Yvonne Lovejoy5 years ago in Petlife
