This is Lola. She was just a pup when her and her brother were abandoned in a park. They were taken from there to a kill shelter. And then from the kill shelter, they were pulled by our local non-kill shelter. Her brother was adopted first. We came along a couple of days later, fell in love, and took her home to add her to our already crazy household. Our lives have been hectic since then. It's very hard bringing a puppy (who grew quite quickly and large) into a house that already had two older dogs. The older dogs were settled into a nice, lazy, diva-like routine. Then....Along came Lola.
And we haven't regretted it. At least not on a daily basis. Having a puppy is hard. I'll admit it. Having dogs in general is hard. HUGE responsibility. And there are moments where I'm like "WTF was I thinking??? THREE dogs??? (and a cat...two turtles...two fish...two kids...and a husband...that's a lot!)" But, then Lola curls up with me on the couch, her head resting on my leg, and becomes the PERFECT Movie Junkie Companion. And I am so grateful for adopting her and having her be a part of our home.
So....in honor of my Beautiful Lola, let's look at Dogs. Movie Dogs. Some dogs have a small scene, some dogs steal the scene, and some dogs are the star of the movie. Take a look at the pictures. Play a little game with me. Can you name what movie each dog is from? Some are so stinking easy....but some might be harder. If you sign up and become a follower, you can post your answers in my comments section!! Have fun.
I'm going to get on my soapbox now. Many movies cause a trend in dog breeds. After 101 Dalmatians, everyone wanted a Dalmatian. Beethoven bought on the St. Bernards. And the Chihuahua craze is still going on from different movies. Yellow Labs, Pit Bulls, Collies, Jack Russells...all have become "trendy" breeds. And when the novelty wears off, many of these breeds end up in the shelters. Unfortunately, because of the economy, many other dogs are being left at shelters too. All these dogs, purebreds and mutts, are at an increased chance of being put to sleep before they even see the adoption room because there is just NO ROOM...NO MONEY. It's a horrible time for all of us.
If you decide that now is the time to add a dog (whether your first or your tenth), please research the breed to see if it is the right breed for you and your home. And then, if you decide not to go through a shelter or rescue, please, please PLEASE make sure you research your breeder. There are too many shady breeders out there. It's a quick buck, not a family member to them and many of these dogs end up with either medical issues or behavioral issues. I have seen where getting a dog from a breeder has worked. But I have seen where it went horribly wrong and in the end it was just heartbreaking.
And please make sure YOU are ready. If you are not ready, but would love to be a part of a dog's life, look into volunteering at a local shelter or even becoming a foster. And if you still can't do that, maybe you can donate something to your local shelter. If you don't want to do money, they are always in need of crates, food, toys, treats, blankets, beds, and so forth. Many of the items can be found at garage sales or Craigslist for a fraction of the retail price. Call them and ask them what they need. I promise they will be grateful.
And don't forget the cats and kittens too!!!
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