OK, folks.. While we are on the subject of dogs, I am going to throw a little more information about them out there.
You see, I have a tender spot in my heart for animals, and for dogs especially.
I remember always having a dog around while growing up. My grandmother had gorgeous boxers- Lady and Bell, I remember having a lab named Blackie, (bless his heart, I went to feed him one afternoon and he wrapped his chain around my legs and drug me around in the dirt for a little bit until I could loose. LOL.. but he was the SWEETEST thing ever), I remember having another mutt around when I was about 12, we named Rufus (where in the world that name came from I have NO idea), I have even found a couple of pictures of me and my Dad with a bird dog he looked like he was trying to train, and the list could go on and on.
So Friday afternoon I come home from work, and I am resting in the living room when I hear a horn honk. I leaned up a bit to look out the window and don't see anything so I think it must have been someone that knew us go by. Not even a couple seconds later, ANOTHER person is laying on their horn. At this point, I get up and go to the front door to continue hearing MORE horns blowing and that's when I see a PUPPY in the middle of the road. I see it almost get CREAMED by a car, I make it out the door and into the yard, and it finally makes it to the driveway, I call it to "come here", and it comes galloping up to me, wagging its tail and starts licking on me.
Is he not stinkin' cute or what??!
If you haven't read any of my previous blogs, Coach and I have two dogs that are rescues.
Sox
was found on a road right down from our house by his sister and Mara was found in almost the same place a little over a year ago by me when I was headed to town.
BTW, how do you put a puppy out on the side of the road and drive away anyhow??!!!! YOU KNOW THEY HAD TO LOOK IN THEIR REAR VIEW MIRROR and see the puppy walking around or sitting there looking HELPLESS!!!!
This road is KNOWN for dogs and kittens being put out on. Coach's sister has found a box of 6 puppies on this road AND someone even tied a puppy to her porch when she wasn't home!
PEOPLE!
There are places to take these precious animals AND there are means to getting these animals spayed and neutered so that this can STOP happening!!
These puppies and kittens DO NOT DESERVE to be put out on the side of the road, left for dead, or to be picked up for someone else to start what you couldn't finish!
And what I mean by "what you couldn't finish", (a couple of scenarios come come mind), is you probably got a puppy because you thought you wanted one, you didn't really think it out, it was too much for you to handle so you decided to dump it and HOPE someone would come along and care for it, OR, you got a puppy, it was never spayed or neutered, it had puppies, you couldn't find homes for them or you thought they were worthless because they were considered 'mutts', so they were dumped.
Now please do not get me wrong.
I know there are MANY of you out there who LOVE your dogs and cats. And, I am sure there are a few of you, who did decide to get an animal, and due to things that you couldn't help, you had to find them another home, and that is GREAT! The key words here are YOU FOUND THEM ANOTHER HOME... you did NOT dump them out on the side of the road!
The people I am talking to are the people who don't THINK about what they are getting themselves into and the heartless people who put out animals without giving them a second thought!
Animals are a HUGE RESPONSIBILITY folks.
The basics they need are food, water, shelter, and to be let out to use the bathroom.
They also need to be spayed or neutered, they need to be kept up on proper vaccinations, have a heart worm prevention, they need to have tick and flea meds.
Dogs need daily exercise for mental and physical stimulation, grooming, and even dental care!
And don't forget if something happens to them there could be a number of vet bills.. just like your children would if they got sick and had doctor bills!
And they may possibly need proper training, ESPECIALLY if they are like my little Kyli-bug.
(This is her chilling beside me as I am typing this)
Ok, sooo let's get back to OPTIONS.
There are several shelters near Jackson, Barrow, Clarke, & Hall counties:
(no kill shelter)
Here are a few more in the Atlanta area:
(no kill shelter)
(no kill shelter)
Some of these shelters offer low-cost vaccinations as well.. Check out this vaccination fee list from the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia.
There is even a website called SPAYGEORGIA that provides low-cost certificates that can be redeemed at your veterinarian to decrease the cost of spaying/neutering your pet. This is what I did with Mara! To read more about the certificate and get more info, CLICK HERE!! And pass this word along about SpayGeorgia! I had NO IDEA about this until one of my friends told me about it.
See? There are more than several shelters listed above, and three of them are no kill shelters. They DON'T have to be put out on the side of the road!
And there are so many animals that need to be ADOPTED!
I have looked at several of the adoption pages on a few of the websites listed above and let me tell you.. they are SUPER CUTE and will most likely make one of the BEST companions ever!!! Sox and Mara are NO trouble at all! It's seriously like they know where they came from and they are so gracious to even have a chance to be here!!
(The sites have an "Adoption" tab that you can click on and view pictures of pets who are available for adoption.)
When it is time for a little bull terrier to join our family, (yup Coach already knows), I will be ADOPTING!!!! NOT spending $500 to even $1000+ to have one that could possibly even have come from a puppy mill!
So please, please, please really think before you get a dog or cat and know they are a huge responsibility, spay/neuter your pet, and know there are options besides dumping them out on the side of the road!
For those of you who love their pets like they are your children, THANK YOU for being such a blessing! You are awesome!
And for those of you who have adopted through a family/friend, from a shelter, or adopted from the side of the road, YOU are a BLESSING, too!! THANK YOU for that!
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