Save a life & adopt :)

I've never really been one to push adoption onto anybody. However, I will plant the seed. I'll offer websites & my own personal experiences in hopes that this will help them decide w/adoption rather than through a petstore &/or breeder. But as with any situation there's not only one clear answer. Wherever you decide to adopt or buy your next animal the root of your decision should involve love. You're not only going to receive the love & loyalty from your pet but you're also going to have to put alot of work, time & love into your new relationship. Sometimes this plan isn't fully thought out & the animal doesn't "fit" the family lifestyle or in the case of Oscar he wasn't the right fit (size) for my two younger cousins. They weren't aware of bountries & didn't fully understand that you couldn't be as rough due to his back. Thankfully my aunt was able to rehome him & didn't have to abandon or return him to the shelter. :) Happy endings for all.

On Saturday morning Paul & I went out to look at a few houses. First of all house hunting while preggo is no bueno. This was the 4th house of the day & I was already spent at 10am. Paul & our realtor Monica were inside the house & I decided to head out front to check out the full view. As I was standing outside I saw a small white dog out of the corner of my eye. Paul calls me the Dog Whisperess because of my ability to get dogs to trust me right away. Now, please keep in mind not ALL dogs trust me. I've met two dogs through my finance days that just wanted nothing to do w/me. But since they weren't in the middle of the street or homeless I didn't mind. Since this poopie was around the corner I knew if I went straight toward them they'd run away. So I made little noises & called him over gently while laying on the sidewalk. Yes there I was laying on the sidewalk babbling like an insane person. Thankfully he came over. Oh my what a sight! He's a white Maltese only a few years old. His teeth were pretty white but he was a mess! His eyes were closed shut w/gunk, since his hair was so long he had peed all over his coat & mattes galore! He trusted me enough so I could pick him up & inspect to see if he had a collar. He did! The only identification on the poop was an AVID chip. I called AVID & was informed that the chip was never registered :( but they were able to tell me he was adopted out of San Bernardino Humane Society. Oscars hometown! So I called them promptly & they took my information & released the only phone number listed along w/a name. No luck. :( Not only was the area code 714 (we were in Colton at the time) but the line was disconnected. I'm sure there was a reason why he had been loose for so long & why there was a leash tied around his hair (which can only be done if he was left tied up somewhere & he finally got loose) but at the end of the day he was malnourished & abandoned. Unfortunately with so many people loosing their homes right now it's very common for pets to be left behind. Common & heartbreaking. :(

By this time Paul already saw me w/the poopie cleaning off his gunky eyes (GAG), clipping his long bangs back w/my hair clippy so he can see & declared me crazy. :p Since, getting our new car (horrible blogger confession :( I didn't announce our new car. We bought a black sand pearl 2008 Toyota Matrix about a week before I found out we were having a baby. Coincidence or did my inner mommy know? You be the judge.) Our new car is wonderful & the gas mileage is to die for. I miss my truck but our new set of wheels is baby friendly. :) Since swapping vehicles I haven't gone through the bag o' stuff from my truck. Which included an extra dog leash. Yes, I carry an extra leash for such occasions. I also carry a water bowl but that was in the same bag. :( So I wrapped him up in our Disneyland throw blanket & kept him on my lap. He was amazing in the car! He loved hanging his head out the window & having the ac blow on his face. I tried giving him water out of a cup but for whatever reason he wanted no part of it. So I kept putting water in my hand & letting him lick it up. At some point the poor pooch got nervous & peed all over my lap :/ All I have to say it THANK GOODNESS it didn't get on the car & I'm really glad I grabbed the blanket when I did! Off we went to look at a few more homes & Moxie (courtesy of Paul) enjoyed the ride. Finally I called a co-worker who expressed interest in a Maltese. He already had a female & wanted a friend for her. Little did I know friend meant hump mate. No, no Moxie was fixed. All animals that come out of the shelter are (thankfully) spayed or neutered. So that was out. After having Carmen stay w/us for a few weeks our landlord wasn't too happy about the new addition so we couldn't take Moxie home. Honestly, I wanted him to get cleaned up & looked at asap. Since I knew we couldn't afford this right now I contacted Tanya's Inc. Tanya is amazing. I use to volunteer on the weekend for her adoption days at Petco in Redlands, Ca. It was the best experience. Week after week the rescues found a new home & it was always uplifting. In turn during those days Paul would receive several picture text Oooing & Aaahing over the newest arrival. :) Soon the responses of "aww isn't she cute?" turned into "NO BRANDY". well I never....

When I found Carmen I didn't call Tanya because I knew she couldn't take her in. Unfortunately the truth is smaller dogs are easier to adopt out. So luckily for Moxie not only was he super sweet (a little nervous) but he's a perfect lap dog. Plus he doesn't beg! Oh my a street dog that doesn't beg? Crazy. We stopped off at a gas station & picked him up a hot dog. Not the healthiest option but our only one. I was amazed how well behaved he was as I hand fed him. So patient. So after his snack we were off to Phelan! I've never been out to her house before so it was an interesting ride. After about 10 mins on a dirt road we found her house. :) Right away she gave Moxie eye cream, vaccinations, a snack & new name Boo boo. He was really nervous when we left but I know he's going to find a new home guaranteed! That's the beauty of no kill shelters. No matter how long it takes you'll live w/Tanya until your new family arrives. Unfortunately at shelters animals either have a week to find a home or if there's no room they are destroyed that day. :( Please no matter where you decide to get your new family member remember that you made the decision to bring them into your life. Pets are intended to bring you joy & sometimes companionship that you're lacking. :)

I swear he has two eyes! :) I guess he was winking for both photo shots. Boo Boo hasn't been listed as a new adoptable pet but check out the babies that are available today. They can't wait to be a part of someones loving family :) Sometimes she has goats! :) Just in case that's you're thing.