Missy's Homestead: People I admire

I have a lot of great people around me.  My family, my fabulous friends, the ladies I work with at What You Can Do, the crew members of the theatrical shows I work on, the list goes on and on.  But today I want to talk briefly about two people in my life who are making a difference in the lives of a homeless or shelter animal:  My mom Karen and my boss Alicia.  Both of these women are strong and wonderful women who always encourage others to to their best and always practice what they preach.

When it comes to pets there are many different reasons to either adopt a shelter animal or buy a puppy direct from a breeder.  Sometimes circumstances make it hard to adopt from a shelter.  You may need a certain type of breed etc. that unfortunately prevents you from being able to adopt any animal.  However, if life allows you to adopt a pet that truly is a beautiful gift that you can give to that animal.

These two fabulous women whom I mentioned above have recently in the last several months found a place in their homes and hearts to adopt pets in need.  My boss Alicia was looking for a new pet and took the time to consult the shelters in her area for some kitties in need.  After a long search through the New York shelter system, she was able to find two little kitties who needed a home.  While Alicia originally set out to adopt one kitty, circumstances being what they were she refused to break up two little brother kitties.  And now these amazing little guys are happily living the urban kitty life in her NYC apartment. 

Mr. Jabez

My mom Karen has a very different adoption story but a great one non the less.  My mom actually already had a dog that she adopted from a family in town.  This family had too many dogs and could not care for all of them so several years ago my mom adopted Mr. Obie, a small white maltese.  A couple weeks ago when my mom was out talking with her neighbor a scrappy and dirty small black dog ran into their yards.  This poor little guy looked like he had been on the streets for a long time and had no collar or microchip that could identify him and the owner.  My mom contact her local shelters and put the word out that she had found this little guy to see if anyone was looking for this lost little dog.  Unfortunately she was unable to find the owners of this little guy.  So she took him to the groomer and had him checked out at the vet.  Turns out he is very healthy and cleans up very nice.  At this point my mother and father decided that fate had brought them another dog and they have adopted this tiny black dog into their home.  Now they have Obie and Jabez.  

Making the choice to have a pet is a large one and should not be taken lightly.  Pets should also not be considered as gifts unless you and that person have discussed and decided on getting a pet.  So many animals end up homeless and living in shelters that anytime you can find it in your life and heart to adopt a pet I believe you help to make the world just a little bit better.

For more info about adopting a shelter animal you can check out www.petfinder.com

Until next time Consume More, Buy Less, Consider Pet Adoption.

Missy