Hello all! First off, let me say how amazed I am at the amount of support and fellow animal lovers I’ve seen since my last post! I am so happy many of you are also familiar with Best Friends Animal Society…a place that is very worthy of the attention.
I have two dogs myself, both Maltepoos. Tater Tot was my first pup. I was so determined to have a dog in my life, but I honestly had no idea how one goes about getting one. I thought online was the “new generation” of puppy purchasing. No joke. I didn’t see any risks nor did I think about the fact that Puppy Mill potential purchases are extremely high when buying online. Every kind of dog you could imagine was available and wanting a home…hmm…red flag?…Unfortunately, as uneducated as I was about Puppy Mills and pets, I never gave it a second thought.
Low and behold, my Tater Tot arrives with ringworm (something battled all during the time she should have been socialized, yet never was for other pet’s health) and ends up having chronic ear and eye infections, two ill-developed back knees (requiring double-knee surgery), weight issues, and now most recently, arthritis in her front leg. I share this not because I regret having Tater in my life, but because I wont support an industry where animals like this are suffering from mass breeding. I could have just as well adopted a dog like this from a shelter, but in that scenario I wouldn’t be potentially funding Puppy Mill breeding. I am saddened by my lack of knowledge during that time, but from that decision I own the funniest, most loving dog. And I also can turn my ignorance into something of a lesson for everyone else, hopefully righting my wrong.
Finding an organization like Best Friends has opened my eyes to so much more going on in the animal world. I am amazed at how certain simple choices would make a huge difference in the lives of our pets. For example, by spaying and neutering our pets, we are stopping the birth of animals on the streets who ultimately end up in a shelter. That combined with the choice to adopt your pet from shelters and rescue groups would literally end the era of homeless pets! It’s easy if we all make that promise to ourselves…one person at a time.
So…in support of this mission to achieve a world of “No More Homeless Pets,” I will be participating in Strut Your Mutt event by Best Friends in Los Angeles with my two lovely mutts. It’s on Sunday, September 19th at Santa Monica Pier 84. Doesn’t require much…we all walk our dogs and raise money for the cause! (Something my weight-struggling Tater will love.) After, of course, they have a doggie-themed festival for the pets…an animal-lover’s Disneyland. 
So if you are in the area, join in and let’s help the cause. If you see me there, maybe you can help me socialize Tater (better late than never!). Let’s have a good time…
Cheers,
Julie
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