Adopt a Pet – San Diego Style

If aliens saw us walking our dogs and picking up their poop, who would they think is in charge?

Anonymous

We live in a society where many of our beloved pets rule the roost; and so they should. If we’re lucky, at one time in our lives we’ve had a truly spectacular pet. Mine was a tricolour collie named Satan, who had a nose that resembled my father’s and a heart as big as the great outdoors. Satan had no idea he was a dog and we did nothing to discourage that notion. He was extraordinary in every way, smarter than my brother and me, and all these many years later, he’s still missed. Satan was our perfect dog and I know that many of you have similar stories about your pets.

Not all pets are so lucky and there is the never ending challenge of finding homes for many wonderful animals who only want to love and be loved. There are television commercials and print literature with pathetic shots of animals in cages to encourage us to open up our wallets and our homes. While I was in San Diego early in the year visiting my friends Marlene and Stefan and their very adored white, fluffy dog, Andy, I witnessed the most fantastic idea for getting people to adopt dogs. We were on the Coronado Beach Boardwalk when a group of San Diego Humane Society workers/volunteers walked along the boardwalk, each with a dog wearing a coat that said ADOPT ME. Isn’t that the most wonderful idea! You have the opportunity to see the dogs in a lovely environment, walking proudly along the boardwalk, instead of cowering in cages. Their personalities really have the chance to shine. And this works; friends of Marlene and Stefan adopted a dog they saw walking along the boardwalk.

Why don’t other Humane Societies and SPCAs learn from these kinds of success stories and do similar things? We could do the same in Toronto and I’m sure every other city has multiple locations where they could take their dogs out for a walk to meet and greet the public. Why don’t we try Adopt a Pet San Diego style?

I never married because there was no need. I have three pets at home which answer the same purpose as a husband. I have a dog which growls every morning, a parrot which swears all afternoon, and a cat that comes home late at night.
Maria Corelli

Make someone smile.

Geri