My current dog is the third that I have adopted from an animal shelter which rescues animals from death row at pounds.
He is a 4yo mixed breed and the happiest, most loving and intelligent animal that has lived with us.
We adopted him at 18 months of age, after he had spent six months in the shelter. I am so glad that we adopted him, the change in his behaviour has been astounding and I put that down to a combination of him maturing and also having a loving home where he gets the exercise, attention and stimulation that he needs and deserves.
When our last rescue friend died at age 14, we adopted her at 6 years of age, it broke my heart and I never thought that I would recover. It was three years age that she died just last week and I am only now just starting to really accept it. As painful as it is to lose a furry buddy, I think rescuing dogs is my mission in life. I sometimes tear up when I see our new friend run with his dog walking group on a Saturday morning, to see a dog play with uninhibited joy and frolic like he hasn't got a care in the world is the most satisfying thing. Sometimes having a pet isn't easy and it can be expensive, but to give an abandoned animal a second chance and watch it thrive in it's new home is the most humbling and rewarding thing ever.
