Pets are an irreplaceable part of our lives. They are there for us when we need someone to talk to, they are not afraid to show affection, and no matter what, they never stop loving you. Right now, my family and I have three pets: a Maltese named Lily, a Chihuahua mix named Lucy and a calico cat named Leah. We got Lucy from our cousins a few years back and Lucy and Leah came from a local ASPCA. All of them are invaluable members of our family, but Lucy and Leah show us love in ways that Lily doesn't. We have had Lily her whole life, so she is very comfortable around us and only shows us affection at times she feels the pleasure of doing so. However, because Lucy and Leah both spent time in an animal shelter, they seem to appreciate us more. Pets from the ASPCA and other animal shelters can give you love in ways that not many other animals can. Two of the best examples I can think of to explain why I feel this way are Lucy and Leah.
I took that picture of Lucy on the first day that we met her at the animal shelter. However, before we knew her as Lucy, her name was Cindy. When I first saw her in her pen, I knelt down beside her and she came right up to me and started sniffing my hand and licking my fingers. I fell in love with her immediately and called my mom to come to the shelter so she could do the same. Once we got her out of her pen, she ran around the room and started getting toys out to play with. The carrot she is pictured with was her favorite at the shelter. As I had imagined, mom and my brother quickly grew fond of Lucy and we brought her home that same day.
This was the picture of our first car ride with her and as you can see, she is pretty happy to go along for the ride! When we got to the house, we let her inside and she immediately started exploring. Lily wasn't sure how to act around her at first, but they quickly became friends. It wasn't long before we learned that Lucy wasn't potty trained, but with some time and effort, she learned to go outside to use the bathroom. To make her feel more at home, we bought her toys to play with. Ironically, her favorite toy was a monkey stuffed animal that was almost thrown away!
An issue that Lucy really struggled with in the beginning was separation anxiety. If nobody was in the house with her, she would whine and cry out in pure desperation for affection. What we learned at the ASPCA was that she had been seized from her owner and had been at the shelter for months. Just imagining all of the hardship she had to have faced in those months puts a pain in my chest even to this day. She still deals with some separation issues, but overall, she has been doing a lot better!
Lucy is truly the sweetest dog that I have ever encountered and everyone that has come around her feels the same way. In all the years that we have had her, she has never bitten anyone or even growled at them. All she wants to do is lay on your lap or if you're eating something she wants, to look up at you with her pitiful face until you give her some of your food. I don't know how she went so long without someone adopting her, but now that she has us, she has a home for the rest of her life.
A little after we adopted Lucy, my brother and I kept begging to go back to the animal shelter. We knew we couldn't have another dog, so we tried to sell mom on getting a cat and she finally caved. When we got to the ASPCA, we asked to go and look at the cats and after awhile, narrowed it down to two candidates. Once we got both of the cats out, we just sat back to see what they would do. The first cat just ignored us and explored the room, but the second cat came right over to us and rubbed against our legs. Feeling like I was pushing my luck, I sat down and the cat immediately climbed into my lap and laid down like she had been with us for years. We took that cat home and named her Leah.
Now, I'm not used to a cat showing affection, but Leah was different. She wasn't afraid to jump up on your lap if you were watching TV or to follow you up the stairs and rub against your leg until you gave her food. In fact, I feed her a bit too much because she just has a soft spot in my heart. She lets me hold her and I have taken so many pictures of her that she could have a whole album on my phone, but I just can't help myself. If I am feeling particularly down or have just had a hard day, I can count on her to jump on the couch and just lay with me, purring softly. Again, I don't know how she was in the shelter as long as she was because she is such a sweetheart.
Both Lucy and Leah have taught me a lot about being a loving pet owner. They have helped complete my family and we have loved them since the first day we adopted them. If there is one message I want you to take away from this article, it's this. Before you go out and get an animal from a pet store or from a breeder, consider adoption. The pets in animal shelters deserve a second chance at love and a happy home. If you open up your home to them, they will open up their hearts to you.
