Adopting a pet is one of the most enjoyable tasks one can complete during their lifetime. Adopting pets from rescue shelters is the most rewarding way to do it. I've adopted all three of my pets from rescue shelters and I wouldn't have wanted to find my "fur-children" any other way. I don't really remember what is was like when we adopted my old dog but I remember some details and she ended up being my childhood pet. Me and her have a lot of interesting memories. When it comes to the two pets I have now, I had a strong opinion in adopting both of them and because it was more recent I remember the entire process. Here are the stories of my pets and how adopting rescue pets was the best thing that my family could've done.
Lola
My family adopted Lola when I was really young. I don't really remember the whole process but I do have one memory. I believe it was when we went to pick her up and it was the first time I was able to see her. She was laying down in her crate just looking at us. She had that look in her eyes that said "I'll give you endless love if you bring me home." Needless to say, she came home with us. Lola was a dream dog. She loved playing in the yard with her toys and would always get really excited whenever anyone came to the door. She wasn't a big snuggle dog, but loved to be pet on her belly. Unfortunately, Lola died my freshman year of high school at about the age of 11. She lived a full and happy life and we were at a peace when she died knowing she died with her family.
Luna
Not even a week later, the house was way too quiet without having Lola there so we decided to adopt a cat. We wanted to wait on a dog just because it was good to get some change in the house and we all had always wanted a cat but with Lola, it was impossible. We went to a cat shelter down by where my mom works with two specific cats in mind. When we saw one, it was a very cute and sweet cat but it was sleeping and didn't really engage with us. The second one we saw was in the play room and we knew right from when she started playing with me that she was the one. A few short days later we picked her up and she became our Luna.
Mia
Mia is a prime example of how adopting a rescue dog is so rewarding. When we realized we wanted another dog we went to the shelter I had done some community service for. They showed us a few dogs but none of them were a good fit. The lady told us she had another dog for us to see and we were the first to see her because she was still in quarantine after only arriving a few short days prior. When we went to the separate area, there was Mia. She was all curled up on the ground but when she saw us, she came alive a little bit. We went into her stall and she got up and climbed into my dad's lap. She stayed there for about 20 minutes just accepting our newfound love. She came home a week later.
Now, Mia and Luna are the best of friends and my family couldn't have asked for better pets. Adopting a pet in general is a good idea if your family is ready for it. I would recommend adopting a shelter pet because there are millions of pets in or placed into the shelter system every year and you're adopting a pet that will forever be thankful. Only adopt a pet if your family is ready for it. Pets can be a lot of responsibility-- I mean I don't call them my "fur-children" for nothing. However once you make the first step, it's one of the most rewarding things one could do.
