Hi, there.

Are you going to submit an application to adopt me?  I would love to come to your home and be your pal.  But before you start writing, please think long and hard about the commitment you would be making, because this is not just about you.  It’s about me, too.

I am flesh, bone and fur. I may not look at the world the same way you do, but I have needs and feelings.  I shiver when it’s cold.  I pant when it’s hot.  In my way, I feel joy and pain, fear and contentment, love and grief.

My picture and bio share a few facts about me, but they can’t tell you where I have already been. Most of the time, it is not a nice place.  I may have been chained outside, 24 hours a day, with little or no food, water or companionship. OR … I may have been treated cruelly in other ways by people who could not care less what their actions might mean to me.  OR … I may have been locked in a puppy-mill cage for years, with no chance of walking on grass, running with friends or chasing rabbits. In my confinement, I may have been used to produce more dogs like me, again and again and again. OR … I may have been abandoned and left to fend for myself by the person I trusted the most, simply because I became an inconvenience. OR … I have lost my person to death.  No plans were made for me in advance.  The family didn't want me and gave me up to the first shelter or stranger who would take me.  I am bewildered and don't understand why my person won't come and get me.

If you do take me home, please understand that I am not perfect. I do not come programmed to snuggle with you on the couch or play fetch in the back yard. Contrary to popular belief, my main motivation is not to please you.  Right now, I am just trying to survive. I don't know you yet, and you don’t know me.  Please be patient.

I probably won’t instantly run to your open arms or come when you call. I might need help understanding that I should go outside to pee. I might chew stuff in your house, even if it's a prized possession. I have no way of knowing its value. I might shrink from you or even growl. I am lost. I am lonely. And I am afraid. I need time to learn what you want. I need time to learn to trust you. I need time to learn to love you. All I really want right now is food, shelter and a little kindness. Give me time, and I'll return your kindness with friendship and loyalty, one hundred fold.

Don't give up on me. People already gave up on me in the past. I didn't deserve it then, and I don’t deserve it now.

So, if you want to adopt me, think really, really hard about it. I want a chance to have a happy life, just like everybody else.  Be sure you are ready to give me that chance.

Sincerely,
The Dog

To fill out an online application, click here