Puppies are pretty much the cutest things ever, right? (If you thought, "No, I'm pretty sure it's babies that are the cutest things ever" you are probably reading the wrong blog...) Sometimes you see a friend post a picture of their adorable new pup on Facebook or they email you a picture, and you think, "Oh, I'd love a puppy! They're so cute and cuddly!"But then you come to your senses, because you know that puppies = chewed shoes, chewed furniture, chewed wires, inappropriate puddles on the carpet, middle-of-the-night trips out to the yard, etc. etc. etc. Let's face it - they make puppies that cute to take the sting out of what little pains in the butt they are.
But... today for Blog the Change for Animals, I wanted to let you know there's a way you can get a fix for your puppy addiction without the chewed shoes!
You can volunteer at a local animal shelter!
That's right - for the low, low price of nuthin'* you, too, can experience all the cuteness, all the cuddliness, and all the belly rubbing joy that a puppy brings - without the hassles!
Here are some examples of recent puppy cuteness at the shelter where I volunteer:
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| Adopted! |
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| Adopted! |
I was really tempted to bring this next little sweetie home. He was SO mellow. (Probably a ploy...) But I knew someone else would snap him up and he'd find a furever home with no problem. Sure enough, he was gone 2 days later.
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| Adopted! |
Okay... I admit, there's still a lot of poop-scooping involved, but at least it's not on your carpet. And I also admit... sometimes you do still end up with a chewed shoe.
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| Yes, even the shoe eater got adopted! |
If you don't have the time to volunteer on a regular basis, be aware that sometimes shelters have special events for fund-raisers, so maybe you can volunteer once a year at an event. Or if you don't have time for that either, monetary donations are always welcome. Of course, there are tons of worthy charities out there, but you can also donate stuff - even just a big bag of old towels and/or bedding will likely be greatly appreciated at your local shelter. You can also call and ask if they need old newspapers or newspaper bags. (Our shelter collects these to send home with foster pups.)
* Since it's tax day here in the US, I thought I'd add that not only does it cost you nuthin', but you also get a tax deduction for the mileage driving round trip to the shelter. Just a wee added bonus, that I thought I'd mention as a nod to April 15!
Remember there are fun and easy ways to help pets in need!
ALSO... Don't forget - the next Give Cancer the Paw hop is coming on May 6th. Hope you'll join Pooch Smooches and Peggy's Pet Place for the hop! (Grab the bag on the right sidebar!)
Thanks to Team BtC4A (Be the Change for Animals) for hosting the hop!
What a wonderful post! These are such great ideas. After I had sworn to never again have a puppy, the paths of life lead Jason and I to raise three puppies in five years and I have doubly (or is it triply?) sworn to never again have a puppy. But puppies are adorable and funny so getting an occasional puppy fix in is a great plan and your suggestions are the best! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWowza - 3 puppies in 5 years! That's a lotta teething! :)
DeleteWe agree great post and we absolutely salute all those who help out at shelters. We sadly do not for time reasons and logistics and because we know we'd find it emotionally really hard. However we do donate. Bravo to you and all those that do. Have a terrific Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes Molly
Yes, logistically it can also be hard. I thought I'd find it hard emotionally, but it's really not. Now that I'm there at the shelter, I see how much love the animals get from all the volunteers. I couldn't volunteer at a kill shelter though... that would break my heart. Luckily our shelter will keep the dogs until they find a permanent place.
DeleteWe participate in several fundraisers for shelters and donate to the rescue Bailey and Katy came from. Being there in person would be really hard. Every time I visit the rescue page for Bailey and Katy's rescue I find myself wanting to bring home another dog. Being there in person would make in next to impossible.
ReplyDeleteI thought I would be like that too, but I'm really not. In the 7 or so years I've volunteered there, there have really only been a very small handful of dogs (maybe 4) that I REALLY wanted to bring home. The rest of them all eventually find a home - and if it's not the right home at first, they get returned. That used to make me sad, but it doesn't now. It just wasn't the right fit, so it's good that the folks brought the dog back so it can have a chance to find a truly great fit.
DeleteI love raising a puppy! I can't imagine skipping that phase of a dog's life. However, your idea is a great one for someone that either prefers an older dog but still wants to smell puppy breath, or someone not ready for the commitment of a dog. Not much beats rolling around on the floor with a bunch of puppies!
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a lot of up-side to raising a puppy - wish we'd had Rita from puppyhood. Maybe she wouldn't have so many hangups then...
DeleteWonderful idea to get a puppy fix!
ReplyDeleteLove their little round bellies. Although I mostly spend time with the older dogs on my volunteer day (cuz the puppies get adopted out so fast), I do like to at least get a wee puppy fix every time I go!
DeleteThat is a great way to get a puppy fix!
ReplyDeleteI definitely enjoy it!
DeleteI am such a sucker for a puppy face. I would want to bring everyone home with me.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel that way - but they get adopted out so quickly, that I know they're going to find a home. Sometimes I say, "Okay, if this puppy's still here next week when I come back, then I'll REALLY think about bringing it home." They almost never are there more than 1 week.
DeleteGreat advice! I often hear the argument that people like to go to the pet stores for their puppy fix (when the pet stores sell commercially-bred dogs), and I don't understand why hanging out at a shelter isn't a better option? And if people say they're 'depressing' places to go, they probably haven't been to one in a while!
ReplyDeleteOh, didn't know people were getting their puppy fixes at pet stores. Yeah... the adoption pups definitely is the better option in my book! And I know there are some depressing shelters out there - but not the one I volunteer at.
DeleteI got all of my dogs as adults so it is a long time since I had a puppy fix. A while back a friend asked me to puppy sit. I had visions of all of us puppy playing, but my dogs took one sniff and left us alone. It was a long day for me but I learned that I was not suited for puppydom any more than for a return to diapers, formula and those tiny barbarians masquerading as humans, I am content just to see pictures of other people's puppies and babies.
ReplyDelete"tiny barbarians masquerading as humans" - ha! Too true!
DeleteOk, I'm convinced. Puppies are much cuter than those dumb babies...
ReplyDeleteHeehee! Yes, I'm glad we agree. :)
DeleteMom told us in the last 4 years they have had 4 puppies and one grown up dog in their house, no wonder she is going gray!!!
ReplyDeletestella rose
Wow - yeah, that's good reason to go gray. :)
DeleteYay for volunteers! I sometimes go out to the shelter we adopted Faolan from, and if they have puppies, I get to love on them. Ahhh, puppy breath!
ReplyDeletePuppy breath, puppy feet, puppy bellies! So much to love!
DeleteWhat great advice! Why didn't you suggest that before we went out and got a puppy? LOL.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the old days when I still thought I wanted children and one of my sisters in law suggested I become a foster mother for a short time to get it out of my system! Turned out I didn't need to, the desire went away and we got a dog instead!
Haha - don't pretend you don't love every moment (okay ALMOST every moment) with that adorable little Luke!
DeleteI never had that desire for a kid - it was always the pups for me! :)
We've been getting that puppy fix for months now...not complaining, but Mom did forget all the work a puppy is. It is no wonder so many folks return puppies as you need a lot of patience.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I love, love, love puppies but when I'm ready to get another dog I will probably adopt an adult dog. Probably a senior, actually! I just don't have a lot of patience for the extra stress of a young dog. But ... I volunteer at a shelter too (Rancho Coastal), and one great thing about that is I get my puppy fix.
ReplyDeleteI volunteer almost every Saturday, and I love it!
ReplyDeleteWe're still recovering from Küster's puppyhood! You left out the fact that they have to check to see if you taste like chicken on an hourly basis and can howl endlessly. We drove home with Küster on the weekend after Thanksgiving, a two and a half hour drive, and the only thing that stopped him from howling was listening to The Jingle Dogs bark "We Wish You A Merry Christmas." Yes, we listened to it the entire drive home!
ReplyDeleteFantastic suggestion!! This has to be the best way to get your puppy fix on anyway, since you also get that warm and fuzzy stuff from knowing you're doing something great for little "someones" in need. Volunteering rocks, right up there with puppy breath!
ReplyDeleteThank you for blogging the change for animals,
KimT
www.btc4animals.com
Great post, volunteering is the way to go, the shelters could always use a extra pair of hands.
ReplyDeleteWhat an uplifting post. Thanks for sharing the dogs that were adopted already (I can only read a few of the posts on this hop at a time because I get so depressed). I've always been too much of a chicken to volunteer at a shelter - could not stand to play with a dog and know it was euthanized. Maybe if there was a no-kill shelter I could do it.
ReplyDeletePS> I swore that Toby was our last puppy. He was a maniac for a while. Puppies are so much work (but so worth it once they're trained of course)
I absolutely LOVE this post. I agree that volunteering at an animal shelter can be a great way to get your puppy fix... or your kitten fix... or just your need to snuggle additional adult animals. (After all, your own pups need a break sometimes, right?) I really enjoy the time I spend with the animals at a no-kill shelter near me.
ReplyDeleteA.J.
Team BtC4Animals.com