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| My dog "companion" SANDIE 10 yrs old |
When my husband and I "rescued" Sandie for our life long companion (not "ownership" because she is not an object, she is an animal) we did so from a kill shelter and she was scheduled to be put down and we were told she was not adoptable. We went back and forth with the shelter (which today is now a no-kill shelter, recent decision and new management) about Sandie and why she was returned to the shelter two times and not adoptable. Finally we reached an agreement with them that we would under no uncertain terms house her with another dog. She was not able to live in the same home as another dog. We agreed to that and have stood by and will always stand by that agreement.
All of the dogs that we have ever fostered or owned were rescued from kill shelters. We have never bought or been given for "free" a dog. We're allergic to cats so we've never had any of them.
Do I think that every family is meant to rescue a dog from a kill shelter or no-kill shelter. In a perfect world, yes! I am totally against animal breeding and have been my whole life as far as I can remember even as a child. I started rescuing animals from the streets since I was about 7 years old. It started with a seagull (one that was hit by a car at the beach and left to die on the street) and went from there.
My husband and I have been involved in animal rescuing, fostering and rehoming for a long time. But the day that we rescued Sandie we stopped our work in rescue and rehab and rehoming. We dedicated the rest of Sandie's life as the only companion animal in our home. My husband can tell you (and probably will as one of the comments here) that we are never happier than we are today that we made that decision. When we travel, she comes with us. We stay at hotels and motels that allow animals to stay there. If you need a list of hotels and motels where you are traveling to take your dog, just go to this organization online, Pets Can Stay, and seek help from their search engine. You can also google "hotels and motels that permit animals in ....." (and you type in the name of the city and state where you will be). All of the Motel 6's that we have ever stayed in have permitted animals. The Marriot also has a search engine of their hotels and motels that permit animals to stay in the room. I have to tell you that the pickings were slim when we first started this traveling with Sandie. We stayed exclusively at Motel 6 but we have been discouraged with some of the ones we have stayed in and are seeking other hotels with refrigerator/microwaves in them so we can bring in our own food and her food (which includes canned vegetables that need to be refrigerated after they are opened).
I'm not saying that everyone should take their animals with them when they travel, I'm sharing that it's an OPTION. I know members of my family who kennel or put their animals with friends while they travel. Those are other options. Our decision to bring Sandie with us when we travel happened when we kenneled her and she became very ill there (away from home in another town in California) but she has done well over night in our home veterinarian office. So it all depends on what works for you and your animal companion. This topic will be continued.
