My dog, Maddie, is terrified of brooms, rakes, and anything with a long handle.

I remember discovering this when my twin and I were probably around eleven, when she first came to live with us. It was fall, and we were raking the leaves in the backyard. Our new dog, who was normally a blur of black fur as she raced around the yard wanting to play, was crouched low to the ground, watching us with wary eyes.

We realized that she would only approach us once we had sent the rake down and moved away from our respective tools to go pet her. She did not trust us when we held anything resembling a broom handle in our hands. To this day, although she has gotten better, she is still skittish around mops, brooms, and rakes. My family has a theory that she is so afraid because when she was living on the streets, people would scare her off their porches or out from under their houses with brooms. She has come to associate long-handled objects with pain and fear.

Of course, we have no way of confirming this story, but I think it is a plausible explanation. The only thing I know now, is that Maddie will never have to be afraid of brooms again, because we rescued her from a life on the streets and gave her a home.

In fact, three of the animals who currently live in my house are rescued. My oldest cat was left at our vet’s office in a box with her littermates. We found my younger cat abandoned on the side of a highway overpass. Maddie came from a shelter.

I have seen the phrase “adopt don’t shop” tossed about in conversations when a person is looking to add a furry, four-legged member to their family. While I certainly do not have a problem with someone finding their dog from a respected and established breeder, I have found the experience of rescuing an animal to be incredibly rewarding.

According to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s website, “approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year and…. 2.7 million animals are euthanized.” Those are incredible numbers. In rescuing your new pet from a shelter, you are not only providing them with a new loving family, you are also saving their life. Seeing my own dog’s fears of brooms gave me a new appreciation for her life with my family. I have no way of knowing what her life might have been like if she stayed on the streets. The shelter told us that they found her running along the side of a road. She was a stray dog, and probably would have been killed by a passing car if the shelter had not picked her up. She brings so much joy to our family, and I know she loves us.

My two cats were also rescues. My youngest cat we found clinging to the fence of a highway overpass while on our way to a funeral. If we had not stopped the car and grabbed him, he certainly would have died. Now, he is an integral part of our family and keeps us laughing everyday with his antics.

I am not writing this article to condone those who purchase their pets from a breeder. My dog who passed away last year was a collie, and we bought her from a local breeder. There is nothing wrong with buying your pets from a breeder as long as they are responsible and the breeder is reputable. Rather, I am writing this article because I am inspired by the love of my three rescued animals and grateful that my family could save them from lives of fear, abuse, and neglect. I am writing this article in the hopes that my dog’s story and my own, albeit brief personal stories about my cats will encourage others to find their pets at shelters. There are literally millions of animals who are abandoned at animal shelter’s every year, who are desperate for love and affection.

So, when you are considering buying your next furry friend, consider stopping by your local animal shelter.

You might gain a new member of the family, who will be eternally grateful that you found them a new home.