Shortly after moving to Virginia, my husband and I began discussing the fact that we wanted to add a dog to our family. We both had dog breeds that we liked, including Pugs, Huskies, German Shepherds, and Bulldogs, among many others. We looked online and around our area, speaking with breeders of different types of dogs, considering costs, and talking about what we wanted in a dog. We had even discussed going through a breeder to get a Pug.
Yet, something about doing this just didn’t seem right for us. We had also talked about adopting from an animal shelter, which was something I had been considering myself for a while, as well. Knowing how many animals end up in shelters each year and understanding that adult dogs and animals lose their first families for a variety of reasons, we realized that adopting from a shelter would be the best option, not only for our family, but also for the dog we brought home. My husband and I sat together each night to read about different local shelters, all the hard work they do, and looked at the dogs available for adoption.
Once we had chosen a shelter, we made the trip to visit and meet the animals in person. The shelter employees and volunteers were so friendly and knowledgable, the animals were well cared for, and we knew immediately that we had made the right decision. By adopting, we would get the joy of loving an adult dog, bringing some happiness back into his life after losing his family, and at the same time, we could support the adoption of other animals and the hard work of a community organization. Giving some of our time, money, and energy to this shelter allowed us to become part of the solution for our special new family member and for the many others still waiting for a home. Shelters take in many dogs every day, millions each year, who need new homes and who might otherwise lose their lives if they are not given new families. We wanted to be able to save one of these dogs, too; we wanted to be the loving, wonderful family for one very lucky dog.
Little did we know, he would save us, too.
Having had such a wonderful adoption experience, my husband and I recently returned to the shelter to adopt another family member, Belle, our lionhead mix bunny. She and Charlie Bean are happy playmates and are learning to enjoy living together. I continue to advocate to any person I meet about the importance of adopting, and I encourage you to do the same. Please feel welcome to share my book and Charlie Bean’s beautiful adoption story if you would like to promote a personal account of the joys of adopting. If you’d like to read more about why shelters are important, the amazing work they do, and the importance of saving a life by adopting your next pet, check out some of the links below.
http://www.hhhstopeka.org/adopt/top-10-reasons-to-adopt-from-an-animal-shelter/
https://www.peta.org/living/companion-animals/8-reasons-adopt-buy-dogs/
Upcoming Event Friendly Reminder: Book signing and sale on Saturday, October 21 at 2nd & Charles, Woodbridge, VA, beginning at 2pm. Charlie Bean will be attending this event as well. We hope to see you there!
