Save a Life - Adopt a Pet from a Shelter/Rescue
Many unwanted pets are taken to county shelters where their life is in danger as soon as they enter the door. All the animals here have either been abandoned or abused/neglected or surrendered. When considering adoption, please make sure you are ready to give an animal a loving and forever home. If you are planning on moving home, ensure that you are permitted to have pets in your new home BEFORE signing a contract. If you are planning a vacation and cannot take your pet with you, please be sure to have someone available to temporarily take care of it. These animals are NOT disposable, they have feelings and also grieve when they lose you, therefore it is of the utmost importance that you consider this before adopting a pet. Most of these wonderful animals end up on 'death row' when surrendered to the pound, or remain homeless for months and even years and may never find another home. PLEASE take adoption seriously!

Many County Shelters are full and need to make space for the stray dogs that they are required to take in. Please save a life by adopting a dog or find a rescue that will take one of these dogs.

See Dogs Needing Homes in Florida by clicking here

What happens when you dump your dog
You are not setting them free - you are condemning it to death!

• Many wandering dogs are run down by vehicles.
• Some wandering dogs are attacked by other animals.
• Some wandering dogs can be infected with Rabies and will die.
• Most dogs are not able to hunt for food/water and will starve or die of dehydration.

If your dog is picked up by Animal Control that does not mean it is safe. Animal Control have a limited number of kennels so if the Pound is full they have to make space. 'Making space' means that a dog has to die. This may be a 'stray' or a dog that was surrendered by it's owner. When you dump your dog you are not only responsible for its death but also the death of another dog that has to die to make room for it.

WHY DID YOU HAVE A DOG IF YOU ARE GOING TO DISCARD IT?

Please remember to keep your dogs microchip contact information up-to-date. It may save its life!


I Rescued a Human Today

by Janine Allen

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today. Janine Allen is a dog trainer and has granted permission to share her essay.

It Does Not Add Up!

The pound takes in one hundred dogs a day. How many dogs do they find a home for? Ten dogs a day would be good! That means that 90% of the dogs brought into the pound are destroyed. Before you take your dog to the pound ask them how many dogs are adopted each day then how many dogs come in. You do not have to be a genius to figure out what the chances are that your dog will find a home. If the pound has space for 300 dogs and there are 100 coming in every day, then after three days there is no more room and the 100 dogs that are arriving have to go somewhere. Ten of the lucky dogs are adopted or rescued so 90 dogs that have been at the pound three days are killed to make room for the new dogs. This happens every day, in your city, in your county, in your state. OK so maybe your local pound only takes in ten dogs a day and it has space for 70 dogs but they may only save ten dogs a week so everyday 8 or 9 dogs are killed to make room for more discarded dogs. The majority of these dogs are young, healthy and friendly but time is not on their side. A lucky dog will be taken in by a rescue and they will try to find it a home. Rescues have a limited amount of space so they can only rescue a dog when they have found a dog a home. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that the number of cats and dogs euthanized by shelters in the USA each year is 3-4 million. That means one pet was deliberately put to death while you were reading this paragraph. How many more will die while you read the rest of the page? See more HSUS facts and figures here.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated" - Mahatma Gandhi

Save a Sanctuary Dog

Sanctuary dogs usually fit into one of two categories. The first type is the adoptable dog that is constantly overlooked by people searching for a dog. This may be because they are older, or young and lively, or maybe they just look like an ordinary 'mutt' amongst the many other dogs needing a home. These are dogs that still have so much love to give and have sat waiting very patiently for a home to call their own. They may have spent many months, possibly years living in a kennel so will need some time and attention to fit into a home routine. It is possible that such a dog may be better off being moved to another rescue that receives more visitors. Many national rescues will move long stay dogs to another area in the hope of finding them a home. The second type of sanctuary dogs are the ones that will live out their days at the rescue. These dogs tend to either suffer from health problems, behavioural problems or are just too old. The rescue will care for these dogs until it is their time to cross the Rainbow Bridge. Some of the lucky ones live out their days in a foster home, others have to live in a kennel and thus have less human contact. Most small rescues will be very grateful if you can sponsor a long stay dog, even if you just contribute to buying them food or medication.

"People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life - like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right? Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long." A six year old boys explanation for why dogs do not live as long as people, prompted by the death of his dog.

Save a Life - Adopt a Dog!