#adoptdontshop

When I started this blog, I wanted to write about things that I was passionate about or felt deeply about. I wanted this to be an outlet for me to pour out my thoughts and my heart. Something I have learned more about and changed my perspective on completely are rescue dogs. We rescued our dog, Lula Belle Padilla (follow her IG account at lula.cholula) a little over 2 years ago. She is half American Stafford and half American Shepherd. This is our first pet that is our own, not a family pet. She was 9 weeks old when we got her from the Dumb Friends League. We couldn't be happier with the experience we had with them and the support they gave us to help Lula overcome worms and giardia. The Dumb Friends League shelter is amazing! Pets come spayed and neutured. They even gave us food, a leash and toy for her when we picked her up.

I had never adopted a dog before. My family had always bought pure bread Labrador Retrievers, which they used as hunting dogs. My husband grew up with pure bread dogs, but his family never bought 2 of the same kind. I had friends who adopted and loved it! I knew that I wanted a puppy and my husband had always wanted a Pitbull. He would scan adoption sites and show me pictures but I was hesitant. We tried to find a breed that we both wanted. We had thought about getting a dog for over a year when we landed on a Bernese Mountain Dog because we knew we wanted a large dog. We started to see "berners" everywhere as soon as we decided we wanted one. We were sold on a male named Moose. We had reached out to breeders and were waiting on a litter. We were stunned at the $2500 ticket price for this dog that would literally bring no skills, just be a pet. We weren't into show dogs or breeding so it seemed a little steep. So Sam went back to scanning the adoption sites. I told him we were NOT going to the pound because we would come home with something and I did not want to make an impulse buy. If he found a dog that we both thought was cute then we would consider it. So on a a random Friday Sam texts me a picture of a dog from the Dumb Friends League in Castle Rock. As soon as I saw her, I told him to find out if she was still available and go see her. He called, they confirmed and he headed to Castle Rock straight from work. As soon as he got there they told him that she had just been adopted...but that she had a sister who looked exactly like her. Sam said he would see her and he got into a private room with her. He face-timed me and I got to see her while I was at work. She was so timid and scared! She peed on the floor from being so terrified. Her stomach was swollen from the worms and she was shy. I fell in love with her right away and knew it was meant to be. I saw her face and just knew it. I headed down to the shelter to see her myself and it was official. We named her Lula, which is my childhood nickname. It's odd, but my mom called me Lula my whole life. Not sure where she got it, but it stuck and fit our new puppy perfectly.

Since then, we started learning more about rescues, stray dogs and Pitbulls in particular. Having a Pitbull has made me look at the breed completely different. I never judged them before, but I just didn't know anything about them. There are so many dogs on the streets that are literally thrown away. It's heartbreaking. Pitbulls are frequently dumped and abused. People use them to fight and they keep them chained up because they want them to be aggressive. They are even used as bait for other dogs. It's disgusting! I was literally crying from looking at a post I saw on IG before I started writing this. It is truly disturbing that this happens all of the time. I think we all know it happens but it's different when it's in front of you. I would encourage you to see it firsthand and educate yourself on what is happening out there. It's eye opening.

Myth: Pitbulls are aggressive, not good with kids, not good with other dogs or people, mean, scary, viscous...the list goes on! These accusations could not be further from the truth! First of all, it is dependent on how they are raised. When did we start blaming dogs for human actions? Where is the accountability? Humans are treating dogs terribly and then they end up in the shelter and have to hope they get adopted before they are killed. I don't get it. Couldn't be a more messed up situation. If they are abused then aggression is to be expected. If they are neglected then they don't trust. If you show them a loving home, then you build that trust back and they are forever changed. There are things in their nature that may never change, but being protective is not a bad thing. Aggression and protection are not the same thing. Dogs are territorial by nature. Name a dog who isn't is some way, shape or form. Protective doesn't have to mean barking or guarding. It can simply be that they don't want any other dog to be on their pillow or near their food. They are dogs, after all. Lula is protective of our house, but when she is barking and growling, she is wagging her tail at the same time. I wish so badly we could know what they are saying!!

Myth: If they are from the shelter that they could be damaged. Shelter dogs aren't used goods. Their lives were ruined by a selfish person who didn't love them enough to take care of them. Now these dogs could definitely have trauma, but most of the time, they can work through it with some TLC. There are some cases when it is a DNA issue, and that won't change unfortunately. But most of the time, trauma can be a thing of the past when they find their forever home.

Myth: Everyone should get a dog. This could not be further from the truth! If you aren't ready for the responsibility then you should NOT get a dog. This is a huge reason why there are so many dogs in the shelter in the first place. Don't be part of the problem! Don't get pets for people as gifts! Don't get your child a "puppy from Santa," unless you were already planning on doing so. Dog's lives matter and shouldn't be a phase.

Myth: I have to adopt to help the problem. Not everyone is meant to have a dog. Your money can go far as well! There are shelters out there that are struggling to keep the dogs they have and can't take in any more due to lack of funding. Fostering is also an option. It takes a special person to do this but it is so helpful for the rescue foundations that are maxed out and can't keep them.

I have looked at breeding completely differently now as well. I know that I may offend someone through this post, but I believe in it so strongly and if I can influence one person, then it is worth it! I really don't like the idea of people buying from a breeder when there are so many dogs in the shelter who will never get adopted and will die. There are pure bread animals in the shelter too, so if it's the pure bread part that is holding you back, that's not a problem! There are rescues who specialize in specific breeds as well! Unless you are using a dog to hunt or for a specific purpose, like a service dog or therapy dog, I think you should adopt. It's cheaper too! There are so many dogs that need a second chance, especially adult dogs! They are usually the last choice and they live their lives in a cage. I don't see a reason to bring more puppies into the world when there are so many out there who need help! It's like overpopulation. Breeding is also hard on dogs bodies and they can't speak up for themselves, which is so sad to me. Adoption is the only option for my family. I can't imagine a world without Lula in it and I can't wait until we can adopt another dog in need!

I hope that this is educational to you in some way and helps you look at things differently than you did before!

More to come!

xoxo,

Kaley