Adopt, Don't Shop

All dogs and cats want is a loving, caring family, and nothing makes humans’ hearts break more than reading a happy-ending adoption story. I had read some stories that, at their finest, restore your faith in humanity, thoroughly demonstrate the transformative power of compassion, and serve as a reminder that we do not choose our pets nearly as much as they choose us. I had recently been diagnosed with a heart condition and I believe that having a pet would be better for me so as to help me with the condition.

One day while I was browsing the internet, I came across this post, “Could you please look after my dog? He is a wonderful puppy, but I could not hold him. Lee is his name. He will pay attention, bark, and not bite. Please do not euthanize him; I adore him but cannot afford to hold him. I have not shaved him yet, I apologize, but please care for him and find him a house.”

Lee’s hair was matted and coated in feces when he was eventually saved. Thankfully, the Harris County Animal Shelter in Texas found him, cleaned him, and spread the message. I decided to visit the animal shelter where I met Lee. After all the documents were processed, I was allowed to come home with him. I spent around three weeks observing the dog, giving it food and learning its habits in order to gain its trust. The dog usually gave me this look like he was terrified, but I perceive that the dog was thinking and it was debating whether to trust me. After the three months the dog finally begun warming up to me. Two months after being with the dog, it came across some ducklings in the area. The ducklings were discovered roaming the grounds by themselves, and our dog took them in. Sadly, their mother had vanished. You, on the other hand, do not need to feel sorry for them. Our dog is doing a fantastic job as a parent of some sort. He lets them ride on his back, takes them swimming in the castle moat, and even shares his dog basket with them. They do everything together including eating, sleeping and exploring around the neighborhood.

I usually take Lee out for walks. At times we even go hiking. The dog also likes going to the beach. The funniest thing that I actually came to realize is that Lee knows how to swim. It is normally very relaxing to have him in the pool with me while I am at home. He actually likes to splash around so much while in the pool. He likes to swim but when it comes to taking a bath is where he usually draws the line. It makes me laugh almost all the time. I usually have to bribe him with treats so that he can get into the bathtub.

I was trying to teach the dog not to make a mess in our home, specifically not to take toilet paper off the roll. I was not sure if I was making any progress until one day, I returned home to find that about two feet of toilet paper had been unrolled and then sloppily rolled back up while I was out. All I can think of is Lee happily playing with it, hearing me at the door, thinking, ‘Oh, I have been caught!’ and frantically trying to clean up his mess. It was very impressive.

Every time we opened the freezer door, Lee would lick the accumulated ice. On a daily basis, his tongue became stuck. I was still coming back for more. But that is not the most amusing aspect. He was so happy the first time we took him to a lake that he just jumped in without knowing what it was. ‘Oh, water!’ he must have thought. Okay, I am not bothered. Continues to sprint toward the middle. We expected him to begin swimming. At the very least, float. I am still baffled as to why he did not. But he dashed along the lake’s bottom and vanished underneath the surface. I had to go in and bring him out of the lake. A roll of fly tape was once found in a kitchen cabinet by Lee. We walked in the door to find him practically hog-tied in the middle of the room, and we are not sure how he did it. Long gray fur protruded in giant tufts between the strips of tacky, gooey tape he had managed to wind all over himself, crimping his tail in two places. We felt bad about laughing, but it was such a ridiculous sight that we could not stop laughing even as we cut the tape away and double-checked that his tail was not broken. He was a little shaken, but it was a hilarious scene

My dog wanted to be a daring explorer and run out the door one day after we had received seven or eight inches of snow. He knows he despises snow, but he still does it. He dashes outside, leaps into the snow, and vanishes. I am sitting here, waiting for him to finish his class. As he slowly raises his head above the snow, I hear a muffled growl-scream. His mouth is wide open, and he continues to growl at me before I come over and pick him up. Companionship, a common stated reason for pet ownership is regarded as theoretically distinct from social support in that it offers intrinsic satisfactions, such as mutual enjoyment in leisure, relaxation, and uncensored spontaneity, all of which contribute to overall quality of life. Companionship may therefore be beneficial in promoting good mental health on a daily basis, while social support may be particularly beneficial in buffering threats to mental health and wellbeing from actual or perceived stressors.

Lee, my dog, drives with me to school to pick up my kids, and she knows exactly when we go. I had to pick up the kids an hour later than normal because they had an after-school program. He started moaning at me when we didn’t leave at the scheduled time. Then came the barking. Then he swatted my shoe with his paw, causing it to fly through the air and land on top of me. My shoe was thrown at me by him. We had a pretty bad hail storm the first month I had my dog, Lee. I went outside as soon as it began to summon him. He raced around trying to avoid the hail for the duration of the storm, ignoring my order to come inside. He just ran around for ten minutes, yelping every time a hailstone hit him in the right spot. He refused to come inside even after it was done. I couldn’t decide if I should laugh or cry.

Our dog, Lee, had been suffering from a skin infection for the past two days and was receiving treatment. We didn’t let him go outside because he wasn’t feeling good. He had been weeping for the past 15 minutes, begging us to open the gate and let him out. We were heartbroken because he was sobbing uncontrollably. I calmed myself down and told myself and the Universe that my dog was feeling very happy and joyful. His skin later changed to be very healthy. He was feeling sleepy and he loved to sleep peacefully. I also imagined all of this, as if it was a simple task.

Pets are wonderful animals that offer many health and social advantages. Studies show that when pets are present, a person’s anxiety and depression reduce. A pet can alleviate loneliness and provide a sense of security. Companion animals of all types, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, and hamsters, enrich our lives. In a survey conducted by the American Veterinary Association, nearly half of respondents considered their pets to be friends, while only 2% considered them to be property. There are many advantages to having a pet, including improved health and social outcomes. You are missing out if you do not have a cat. Pets put so much joy into our lives without even trying. Apart from the disadvantages of keeping pets, there are many reasons why anyone should consider raising a pet. Pets are magnificent animals that help humans enhance their mental and physical well-being. It encourages people to exercise more, live happier lives, and battle diseases. Furthermore, a pet that is a friend brings along several new friends, resulting in a broadening of the relationship between people. Having pets is also a good way to raise awareness and teach responsibility to men.

Nonetheless, when it comes to pet ownership, people should focus on the fact that pets should be vaccinated to stop disease transmission, and that they should be watched carefully to prevent pets from having a negative effect on other people, such as proper waste disposal and noise control. Ever since adopting Lee, my life has changed for the better. I believe that my health is much better.