Plethora of Everything

    Revised 1/3/18     Chachi arrived at Animal Services with her mother in late October, 2013.     I didn't, and still don't know, if I can do these 2 dogs justice with words alone.     But I'll try... simply by telling their story. A Bonded Pair     Have you ever seen 2 dogs so bonded... so bonded they sleep together, curled up, one using the other as a pillow, they eat together, with one always just a step behind the other, ready to play, to gently jump on its buddy, to mouth, roll around and have a lot of good ol' doggy fun?     This is how Chachi and Chichi were, extremely bonded .     Chachi, the daughter, was always gently bouncing on her mom to provoke play, and her mom delighted in the love and attention of her daughter!     I'll never forget the first time I saw them- they were sleeping together in a kennel about half way down the long row of full large-dog-runs, Chachi using her mom...

    For sterilizing neighborhood cats through a local non-profit (Alley Cat Advocates) I'm eligible to receive free cat food through a pet food bank.          I hadn't prepared myself for the food bank experience; I hadn't been aware I needed to prepare myself.     It was similar to walking into a food stamp office, which I have done, once in my life; when we first moved back to Louisville, Ky with a 6 week old baby, my spouse nor I had a job, so we received food stamps (an EBT card technically) for 6 months, til' we got on our feet.      Back to the pet food bank, I circled the block 3 times before slowing down enough to identify a shabby warehouse as the No Kill Louisville Pet Food Bank (even though the GPS kept insisting it had the right spot and, of course it did!). The food bank was in what most would consider a lower-class neighborhood; lots of little liquor stores, bus stops swarming with awaiting passengers, s...

Updated 01-04-18        If you're not involved in pet rescue you may not understand the title of this blog.     So read it, so you can understand.     Over the years I've heard about friends of rescue friends buying a dog from a breeder oppose to adopting . Over the years I've heard about this action breaking up friendships or driving a wedge between people.     I've also experienced this on a personal level and it has converted once-lovely-friendships into an abyss of separation a time or two.     A few years ago while working at Animal Services I had a girlfriend that wanted a dog, a puppy.     On various occasions I showed her pictures of adoptable pets, I spoke to her about how rewarding adoption was , how she had the power to save a life and asked her regularly, "When are you going to adopt?!" Adoptable dog, municipal shelter     The next thing I know she's posting pictures on facebo...