Opt to Adopt!

I'm a huge dog lover. I haven't always been - of course, I always liked dogs but my interest in them really sparked after Dan & I made the decision to adopt a dog.

It was a really quick decision but one of the best we've made (aside from you know, the whole sharing a life together thing...)  Back in January 2010, a couple weeks after I'd moved to Pennsylvania, Dan suggested we go check out the animal shelters and we ended up at the Abington location. And from then... it was love at first sight.

I mean, how could it not be?

Adopting Max is one of the best things we ever did. He is not just our pet but rather part of our family. He runs the show and he knows it. He had been at the shelter for a couple weeks and was going to be euthanized if not adopted soon. I couldn't let him stay there after hearing that and if it had been up to me, every single dog there would have come home with us too. (In fact, I can't even drive past a shelter without my heart hurting. Dan and I have stopped by one other time and I left in tears... as much as I want to adopt another we are afraid we just don't have the room).

Of course, adopting from a shelter has its ups and downs. We love Max and he has grown very attached to us but adopting an animal from a shelter can be hard work. They could have health problems, behavioral problems, and separation anxiety and while these can be hard to deal with at times the love and friendship we developed with Max trumps it all. You are saving a life and giving an innocent animal a home and a family.

While I believe those puppies in the pet stores need good homes, so do the ones in the shelter. No, they may not be puppies but a plus side is the dog (or cat!) you choose to adopt is probably already house broken and trained. And don't believe the crap about pit bulls. They are adorable and the ones with aggression and problems are due to how they are raised and NOT because of the breed.

The reason I chose to write about Max and adopting an animal from a shelter is because an animal shelter in Sayreville, NJ is sadly closing their doors due to financial reasons (from Sandy and just the economy in general). They still have many animals that need to be adopted and if they are not, the animals will be euthanized. The shelter is not going to be charging adoption fees because they so quickly want to find good homes for each animal.

 I suggest you consider it if you are in the NJ/PA area (Sayreville is not that far of a ride from the Philly area - my aunt lives there, I know).

Adopting a dog or cat may be the best thing you do this holiday season. So think about it.

Sayreville Pet Adoption Center
1400 Main Street Sayreville, NJ 08872
(732) 727-3895

Also, hint hint Dan. While our apartment may be small, I think we can make it work...   ;)