Adopting your pet

We got our three dogs three different ways. All of which were perfect at the time. The oldest dog was listed by a local veternarian on a radio program as a dog that needed a good home. The yellow lab was owned by an elderly lady and she wanted her to go to a home with kids. She has been a wonderful dog. The next dog we found on a country road, we truly thought he was lost. Chichuahuas are not usually found on country roads, he was alone and scared. We read the missing ads, called the same local vet to see if he was lost. Finally we figured out he had been dumped, he is a wonderful dog very tame for a chichuahua. Our final dog was one that the breeder was trying to get rid of, rat terriors are wonderful additions to any active family. They are very loyal dogs. All in all anywhere you find one, they are easy to love. It is hard to understand how anyone could give up any dog! We have no local shelter, but our vet does do a matching service.

I always like to hear of people being responsible and doing their research before choosing a pet. Your local Humane Society or Rescue group is a great place to go, after you make the decision on the breed, sex, long hair or short. Get to understand the maintenance and health related care of the breed you choose. If you have kids you will want to know as much history about the pet as possible. Does this breed do well with children? Mixed Breeds are adorable and can be a great companion. Try to stay away from the local pet shop, like in the malls. We had wanted a Golden Retriever. My son was out with friends at the mall, saw a sweet little Golden Retriever and begged me to just go see her. Silly me, just happened to be at the mall the next day, popped in to see this little pup. Not ever wanting to get a dog from one of these types of puppy mill places having heard the terrible stories of sick and dying animals. One look at that little Golden girl and I had to rescue her! You can't negotiate price with these people -they know you-Your a sucker (meaning me of course)! Got our little girl home and had to take her to the vet within 2 days. She was sick and had hip problems and she was only a puppy. So my choice was to return her to the pet shop and break a bond or pay the price of a sick pup. $3-$4 THOUSAND dollars later, we have a very sweet dog and I learned a very hard lesson in choosing a pet. Our Golden girl has her own Storybook, my kids do too, of course! If you want to document your pet adoption story go to www.iloveyourstories.com Story Teller

Go to PetFinder.com. It's a nationwide listing of rescue organizations that rely on foster homes because they can't afford a shelter. You can search based on breed, size, age, sex, etc., or you can type in your zip code to see all the pets available in your area. I just got a dog from there this past weekend, and I have to say, he's great. A 6 month-old Rotti/Kelpie mix named Tyson. Housebroken, neutered, all shots, and everything. He's like the perfect man, only better because he's a dog.

There is a great agency called All Fur Love, which is located in San Francisco. They really take great care of their pets and they only ask for a $300 donation, which is great because the puppy and/or dog already has his/her shots, is neutered/spayed, and is microchipped. A lot of the dog are also housetrained. You can find more information about them on petfinder.com. I highly recommend them!

The Humane Society is a great place to go too, with locations all over the country. Just be careful, because you'll want to adopt every dog you see!

The SPCA is a great place to adopt a dog or puppy. Just find a location in the city you live and visit them to find a dog at their shelter. I think it ends up costing about 200 dollars to adopt a dog from there because you have to pay for shots and doggy training classes. Its a great organization!