Forever humans

“He might only be here for a part of your life, but for him you are his whole life.”
Today I volunteered at Humane Society of Charlotte for the second time in a three-week period. As I helped distribute food, clean indoor and outdoor cages, and let dogs back in their kennels, it dawned on me that there were quite a few dogs present who had been there two weeks earlier. At the same time, some of those who had been there before were gone, replaced by dogs I’d yet to meet. It breaks my heart to know that many dogs (and cats) will never find their ‘forever humans,’ whether it be due to appearance, breed, behavior or anything else.

I just want to encourage any of you who may be thinking about getting a dog or cat: check your local animal shelter. If you keep your mind open, it’s absolutely worth a shot. There is potential for you to fall in love with an animal there, changing its life forever! Plus, you may find that you’ve rescued your new best friend and protector. My dog Scooter was a shelter dog, and he’s been one of the most loyal, loving, playful dogs I’ve ever had. I love him so incredibly much—I’m very thankful that he was given the opportunity to live his life with us.
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The neat thing about rescuing animals from shelters is that the relationship is mutually beneficial: not only do you change their lives forever, but they will change yours, too. Some may be shy or skittish at first, but never underestimate the power a little TLC can have on an animal.
Even if you aren’t sure about your feelings towards shelter animals, I would just like to really encourage you to check your local shelter. Keep your mind open to the idea of looking into adopting a dog or a cat. As I said, even just a stroll through the kennels could blossom into a new friendship and love with man’s best friend.

Scooter, our dog who was rescued from the shelter as a puppy. He just celebrated his 11th birthday on the first!