Looking
for Love?
| (ARA)
- Wanted: Someone to love for lifelong partnership.
Must be outgoing and affectionate and be free with
kisses.
If
Valentine's Day makes you long for this kind of
relationship, consider adopting a homeless pet.
The price is right: usually it costs less to adopt
than to buy a pet from a breeder or pet store, both
of which are contributing to the pet overpopulation
problem and, in some cases, are participating in
the deplorable puppy mill trade. |
|
A
pet will give you unconditional love, and only asks in
return for a home to call its own. With 8 to 12 million
homeless pets in shelters and rescue groups, you can also
feel good that you're doing the right thing. It's as simple
as visiting a shelter in your neighborhood or going online
to Petfinder.com, a database listing more than 160,000
homeless pets in more than 8,000 animal welfare groups
nationwide and in Canada.
Emma
Dolan's valentine is Enzo, whom she found on Petfinder.
The handsome Doberman had lived with cats, dogs and even
a bird.
"Since
I have a small menagerie," said Dolan, who lives
in Dingmans Ferry, Pa., "he seemed like the dog for
me." One little problem. "He was in California,
and I am on a limited budget in Pennsylvania."
But
love conquers all. "Long story short," she said,
"my friend works for a moving company, and he was
in California that week. He picked up Enzo and drove cross
country to Atlanta, where I met him. That two thousand
miles of driving was worth every minute."
Dolan
was lucky, but it's always best to meet your potential
pet in person. Some shelters have a place set aside where
you can get acquainted with a pet in a quiet setting.
Look for a companion that is sociable and wants to bond
with you. You may want to visit the pet more than once.
Ask questions of the shelter staff. If the pet has been
at the shelter for a while, they may know something about
her personality. Check that they have a return policy,
just in case the adoption does not work out.
Choose
a pet that will fit into your lifestyle. While it seems
that a small dog would be an ideal apartment dweller,
a high energy pooch, though small, may not be a good choice,
and you'll find him bouncing off the walls, creating havoc.
A Jack Russell terrier, for instance, may need room to
run outdoors. If you don't have a fenced yard, you'll
need to fit walks into your daily schedule. No time? Then
reconsider your choice.
Joe
Power of Irvine, Calif., has heart trouble and is pretty
much homebound. A cat seemed as if he would fit Joe's
lifestyle. He began to look online and found Bob, now
called Charlie, at Cats in Need, a rescue in Yorba Linda,
Calif. After passing the rescue group's phone test, he
arranged to meet the Maine coon mix cat.
"It
was love at first sight," Power said. "As soon
as he heard me, he lifted his head and meowed. When he
was taken out of his kennel, he came right over to me
and fell at my feet and begged to be rubbed."
Exploring
his new home the first day, Charlie kept coming back to
Joe for reassurance. Now he follows Joe around like --
well -- a dog. "We have our little love fests every
day, and his purr motor really gets going," Power
said. "I don't know who has benefited more, him or
me. I love him with all my heart."
Linette
Gatmaitan and her fiancé, Dave Golden, of Silver
Spring, Md., wanted a pet that was independent and litter-box
trained. They also wanted one that didn't mind being hugged.
"A rabbit seemed like the perfect fit," Gatmaitan
said.
The
couple attended adoption fairs, and at one of them they
learned that Montgomery County Humane Society in Rockville,
Md., had rabbits in foster homes. They adopted Barney,
a Dutch-Rex mix, from foster care.
Golden
had just purchased his first house, so they converted
the guest room into a bunny room. "Besides a cage
and plenty of toys, we provided a variety of furniture
and rice mats for Barney to jump on and chew at leisure,"
Gatmaitan said. Their evenings were spent watching Barney
play.
When
the couple started spending more time at work and had
less time for Barney, they decided a bunny buddy was in
order.
"We
saw Satine on Petfinder," said Gatmaitan. "She
is a beautiful snow-white Blanc de Hotot with hypnotic
Cleopatra-mascara eyes." The two bunnies got along
just fine, and Satine moved into the bunny room. "Dave
and I are so lucky to have two such adorable and sweet
bunnies in our lives." To learn more about adopting
a rabbit, visit www.rabbit.org.
To
find your local animal welfare organization, consult the
yellow pages of your phone directory or visit www.petfinder.com
and click on "Local shelters."
Adopting
a pet is a 10- to 20-year commitment, so take time to
do it right. Diamonds may be nice, but it's the love of
a pet that is forever.
Courtesy
of ARA Content
Happy
Valentine's Day!!!
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