adoption
Our guide to animal adoption; learn why, where, and how to prepare to adopt a cat, kitten, dog or puppy from an animal shelter or rescue group.
Fizzi's First Valentine
Fizzi is my little seven-pound applejack, meaning he is half apple head chihuahua and half Jack Russell terrier. I brought him home when he was eight days old. Right away he had me wrapped around his tiny paw. Having Fizzi is like having a baby that will never grow up and I spoil him just as much as I did my two children when they were babies.
Kristen ReneePublished 2 years ago in PetlifeMy cat
I had always wanted a cat. I begged my parents for years, but they always said no. They said that we couldn't afford it and that we didn't have enough time to take care of one. But I never gave up hope. Finally, on my 10th birthday, my parents relented and we went to the animal shelter to pick out a cat. I was so excited when we walked through the door and saw all of the cats running around. There were so many to choose from! But then I saw her. She was a small black kitten with white paws. She was so cute and I immediately fell in love with her. We took her home and named her Simon.
Black Beauty
Pets are a great blessing in anyone’s life. They are the only ones who love us unconditionally. Pets always offer us everything they have without asking for anything in return. The main aim of any pet’s life is to make its owner happy. Nowadays, even the term ‘owner’ is changing. People prefer their pets as kids and themselves as parents. This is how the relationship between pets is evolving. People treat them no less than humans. For instance, they celebrate their birthdays; get those matching outfits, and more.
Companion Calamities
It's been fifteen years since my dog passed away from old age, but I still have the memories. In 1993, my Aunt's Border Collie, Aurora, was pregnant, and she offered us first pick of the litter, once they were weaned. We also got to stay up late one weekend while they were born, but our parents hauled us home at around midnight.
Natasja RosePublished 2 years ago in PetlifeMy Lucky Penny
Pictured above is some therapy parts-work I had done with my my E.M.D.R. therapist in July of 2020. To anyone unfamiliar, in a nut-shell, these images represented the different parts of myself ranging from my self-destructive self to my care-free/ joy- like self. This daunting task of evaluating what makes up, well..me, was difficult and made me realize there are many more parts to me than just the self-destructive patterns I had learned and been taught. This was the point in my recovery journey where everything started to make more sense, and as much as I wish I could tell you that was a relief or made life easier, it didn't, however what life had in store for me just around the corner was going to be one of the best parts yet.
Amanda OlejniczakPublished 2 years ago in PetlifeHow Rocky Got His Name
I come from the desolate, thickly wooded back roads of Jackson County, Ohio. My house sat atop a slightly sloping hill among the wispy fields of weeds and the crunch of gravel roads. I was tucked in between two small towns, with a lonely two lane interstate connecting them (and me) to civilization. Fireflies and stars were the only sources of light on the road. No street lamps around there.
A. L. SimpkinsPublished 2 years ago in PetlifeHands
Hands. The ones I know are mean and rough. Hands that grab and shake and hit. Hands that pull on my tail and ears. It is so cold and dirty where I am. The hands throw things at me that are supposed to be food, but someone else always gets them first. So cold. So hungry. We are so crammed together in here but each one alone.
Margaret LewisPublished 2 years ago in PetlifeThe Way of the Range
“Why do you always wear black?” “I’m in mourning for my life.” —Masha The Seagull *** To be alive is to mourn. Beds where we once rested our heads, people we once rested beside, animals we’ve loved, family we’ve lost, our bodies. We mourn what has been, what can never be again, hopes dashed, love soured, spring flowers that cannot last. Some days I mourn my 20 year-old knees, my grandmother’s ability to drive a car after dark, cities where young love dripped from me, my child-feet standing on my father’s surfboard, his head still full of hair. Memory, a sweet grief, exquisite and excruciating.
Jen Parkhill “JP”Published 2 years ago in PetlifeMy Soul Mate Has Four Legs
The last few years have been pretty tumultuous for a lot of people, for a lot of different reasons. Between a Pandemic impacting heavily on both my home life and professional life, a relationship breakdown and life in general doing what life does, it has been a busy and stressful chapter of my life. I know I’m not alone in this, and even though that is comforting to know I’m not the only one struggling at times like these, it can still feel like a very lonely experience especially when we are separated from the people we love through no choice of our own. Simple things we might have coped with before become compounded and feel insurmountable.
Lilly CooperPublished 2 years ago in PetlifeLucky Penny
The story of Lucky Penny is one that maybe a lot of people wouldn't want to hear. Most stories about dogs are about how good they are - Red Dog, Bolt, A Dog's Purpose - all movies about man's best friend. But this story about Lucky Penny challenges our ideas of what makes a 'good dog'. My partner has referred to her as 'one of those dogs that you just know would drink from the toilet bowl'. I couldn't agree more.
I Was Chosen
I will forever have the memory of the day I met my Carter, etched into my mind. The day my life changed, unapologetically and un-regrettably.
Donna Fox (HKB)Published 2 years ago in PetlifeA Clinging Shadow
The year was 2015. My girlfriend (now wife) and I had been talking about getting a pet for a few weeks now, and we were considering a cat, since we lived in a rather modest apartment at the time.
Georges-Henri DaiglePublished 2 years ago in Petlife