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.
Luci-fur: The Black Demon
October 6th, 2020 is not a date I will forget any time soon. October 6th, 2020 was the day we rescued the most beautiful little panther in the world from her unfortunate lot. October 6th, 2020 was the day our little household became complete.
By Diana R. Jones5 years ago in Petlife
A Life Saved
Arya Underfoot. I had named my beautiful girl after the character from Game of Thrones because she was, indeed, always underfoot. She was also deeply loyal and completely devoted to me, and while hard to befriend, once in her circle, she’d cry every time she got to see you again.
By Mayra Martinez5 years ago in Petlife
The best worst dog
As the months passed, it became clear that Ginger hated most living things in life. People, other animals, even some trees. The phrase, "It's a good thing you're cute," was a repeated mantra in my house, mostly uttered by my mother after Ginger had done something atrocious. Her crimes varied - snarling at my brother, eating mud in the backyard and promptly throwing up in the living room, treeing the neighbourhood cat. The decision to adopt her marked a new chapter in my family's life. We had said goodbye to my childhood dogs a few years prior, and it was time for fresh life in the house. Life was indeed present, as Ginger embodied the personality of three dogs. She was loud, sassy, and somehow opinionated. But, she was also incredibly intelligent and desperate for love. We didn't know a lot about her past, only a few face scars to piece together what could have happened to her. She had been found on the side of the road by a family up north and advertised 'free to a good home' online. We drove up, sight unseen, and picked up a little, frightened orange puppy with the most beautiful green eyes (cue, "its a good thing you're cute"). That little pup soon showed us how things were going to be in the house from now on. She loved us intensely, but it became more and more clear that love was not intended for others. The emotional scars of her past came through when meeting other dogs. She gave quite the 'welcome' when my friends visited. Her looks drew in her prey, until it was too late. Well, nothing too dramatic ever happened. A few snaps in the air when an outsider would get too close. Or just an immense amount of obnoxious barking. Unlike our childhood dogs, who were two big bundles of love, Ginger needed all the love she could get. We no longer had a dog to fulfill our own want for companionship; we had to fill the needs and patch the wounds of this dog. Ginger showed her appreciation for that love everyday, even on the bad days. She was grateful for shelter and regular meals, though to look at her behaviour when the food came out, you would think she hadn't eaten in days. Cue, "we promise, we're not starving her". There will never be a dog quite like Ginger, and maybe for the peace of the world, that's a good thing.
By Madeleine Wiebe5 years ago in Petlife
A Wandering Soul
In life, we are at times met with situations that cannot be explained by our own earthly terms. Events take place that leave us wondering how things fell the way they did, how our hearts could have gotten so lucky. When this happens, we tend to call these miracles. It's a word that, when taken into context, means an unnatural phenomenon. Something incredulous. Something that honestly had little to no chance of taking place. I would like to tell you the story of the time that I found mine.
By Amber Dawn5 years ago in Petlife
A Second Chance
September 2019 our beloved Golden Retriever, Sophie, passed away at 14 years old. We were immeasurably saddened, moving us to tears for quite some time afterwards just thinking about her. In her memory we enshrined her signature red collar with a tag inscribed with the words, "Sophie, She Loved", because that is exactly what she did to everyone; family, friend, or stranger.
By Meko James 5 years ago in Petlife
A Second Chance
For as long as I could remember, I was always drawn to animals, particularly dogs, with an intense desire to help any stray that crossed my path. At eight years old, I experienced my first rescue situation when my neighbor and I found three Rottweiler puppies under a wooden board in a park in our small suburb in Sydney. We ran home to grab blankets and pulled the puppies out, and brought them to my backyard. They were covered in fleas and looked malnourished. We fed them and gave them some water as I tried to devise a plan to convince my parents to let me keep them. When my mom came outside and realized what was going on, she explained that these pups would one day be full size, and with all of the traveling we had planned, it would not be reasonable. We called the RSCPA, an Australian animal rescue, who came and got the pups. Three weeks later, we visited the shelter, and the pups looked healthy and were going to their new homes. It was a special moment that has stayed with me through adulthood and increased my desire to help and to adopt a dog in the future.
By Kenzie Clarke5 years ago in Petlife
