Dog Adoption for the Better

Do you ever look at your dog and think about how easy he has it? How everything can make him happier than you've ever experienced? It amazes me especially how happy my dog is when he chows down and consumes a full bowl of kibble within 30 seconds. He then comes pounding and leaping into our family room, with its white carpet, doing a nose dive straight into it. He then holds the position for a good 30 seconds, tush sticking straight in the air, until he decides to collapse onto the floor. He sprawls his whole black furry body out, stretching out his legs and paws and then begins licking the white carpet. What a weird pup, but he is happier than anything.

Fred was a pair for a while, with his brother being Barney. We rescued them both from Small Dog Rescue, even though they were both well over 60 pounds and not yet fully grown. I had actually found Fred on a website and somehow convinced my mom to visit his foster family. Well when they let Fred out, there came Barney, nose to tail with Fred. They were inseparable, identical looking, but with completely opposite personalities. Fred is timid, being very resistant to human interaction. He is very smart though, being the one that could actually play fetch and figure out problems that he ran into. Barney however was a big, dumb, cuddly boy. It's hard to write about him, especially after he passed away a little over 2 years ago after being diagnosed with brain cancer. It was one of the worst incidences I have ever had to deal with. It is amazing how a dog can become such a part of your family.

I encourage anyone thinking about getting a dog to adopt. Adopting Fred and Barney was one of the best things our family has done, and they have given us so much love that will be remembered long after they are gone.

Please look at Athens Pets for those that are still in the classic city, and for those in Atlanta, there are an infinite amount of websites providing foster care for dogs. Pounds are a great source to go to first though, since most of these dogs are put down a few days after they are kenneled, depending on how they got there. They have a very limited time, and I know Fred and Barney were a day away from being put down as 10 week old puppies before Small Dog Rescue took them in. I could not imagine my childhood and growing up without them.