Adopt a Companion Animal, Find a Friend for Life

Today is Adopt the Internet Day, an event organized by Petfinder.com to spread the word about the importance of adopting companion animals from shelters and rescue groups. This is a mission we also champion at The HSUS, especially through the Shelter Pet Project. With Maddie’s Fund and the Ad Council, we’re sharing the message of shelter pet adoption nationwide through TV, radio, print, outdoor, and online advertisements.

We’re always glad to hear stories from our supporters who have given an animal a good home by adopting. Time and again, they tell us how much they’ve gotten back in return. In a recent issue of our magazine, All Animals, we shared heartwarming stories from several readers about their adopted pets. You can read a few of their accounts and see their photos below.

Please join us in promoting pet adoption today through one or more of the following:

• If you’ve adopted a pet, send us a photo at blog@humanesociety.org, along with a few sentences about where you adopted your pet and what he or she means to you. We’ll post a slideshow of selected photos on A Humane Nation.
• “Like” the Shelter Pet Project on Facebook and donate your Facebook or Twitter status to pet adoption.
• Sign our pledge to adopt your next companion animal.
• Visit Petfinder’s Adopt the Internet Day page.
• If you’re looking to add a new pet to your family, check out Petfinder’s special gallery of adoptable animals.

Among the many supporters to write in about their adopted pets, Debbi and Jerry Zimmerman of South Carolina adopted Penelope the dachshund through a breed rescue group. They told us what a wonderful, well-adjusted companion Penelope is:

“We found Penelope through the Almost Home Dachshund Rescue Society. No one knew much about the 3-year-old except that her previous owner didn’t have time for her anymore. Their loss was our gain. This precious angel jumped into the car with us and never looked back. She was already housetrained and desperately needed someone to love her. Our 12-year-old dachshund, Maggie, has become her best buddy.

“As our way of giving back, we’ve become involved with transporting rescued dachshunds, helping to drive them from one city or state to another for fostering or adoption. We can’t stress enough the need to adopt.”

Nancy Peavy of Maine wrote to The HSUS about her rescued cat Manny, who overcame deformed back legs to become a thriving member of her family:

“At the Kennebec Valley Humane Society, where I volunteer, staff members weren’t sure whether Manny was going to be adopted. Found as a kitten hiding under a house, he had severely deformed back legs and was unable to navigate a litter box. I’m a rehabilitation therapist for blind and visually impaired people; I wanted to see what Manny was capable of with a little help and offered to foster him. He never went back.

“An extremely affectionate and outgoing guy, he quickly adapted to our retired greyhound and eight cats, one of whom has three legs and another of whom is deaf. I purchased a litter box with a low-cut front made for box-training puppies, and he used it perfectly. After an orthopedic surgeon stabilized one leg, Manny can now hop in and out of a regular litter box, zoom around the house, and even use the stairs. I encourage everyone to consider adopting a handicapped pet. Their resilience and ability to adapt will amaze and inspire you.”

And Terri Dunlap of Arizona wrote about her admirable work fostering animals for her local shelter, which led to the adoption of her dog Rocky:

“Though I’d fostered a variety of dogs for the Arizona Humane Society, I’d always been a cat person. Then I was handed a baby Chihuahua who’d just been picked up on a Phoenix street. I caught my breath at this tiny miracle, and one of the staff said, “You’ll be a foster failure” – the term they use when a foster parent can’t resist the temptation to adopt. Well, she sure was right: Little Rocky is an integral part of our family and is especially fond of the kittens I foster.

“My cats ignore the kittens, but Rocky plays and wrestles with them, curling up for a nap when they get tired. His attention is as important to their socialization as mine, preparing them for a life in a new home with other pets. Fostering truly does save animal lives!”