“…weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5
We shed many tears over the loss of our old lab Freckles last week, but on Saturday we pulled ourselves together and started looking at shelter and rescue dogs. I really don’t know how anyone chooses, because I’d take them all. Somehow, though, my daughter found an eleven-week-old chocolate lab mix that seemed to be ours from Disaster Response Animal Rescue. Our joy in the morning came in a package we named Lucy. She’s a handful(did I mention I only slept three hours last night?), but she sure makes us smile. Her reception from the felines in the house was initially chilly, but undaunted Lucy continues to pursue them. She and Isabelle at least seem to be making friends. I think Misty still misses Freckles.
According to their website, Disaster Response Animal Rescue formed just after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Since their beginning efforts of pulling cats and dogs from the murky waters engulfing New Orleans, they have rescued and found homes for over 8000 animals. At the time we took Lucy home, her brother still remained available for adoption.
At our house, we try to do our part in taking care of creation. Through the years I've reminded myself while cleaning up after an animal that the family memories we have with the dog or cat are far more important than keeping our carpets and floors pristine. I have a lot of wonderful stories about our animals. I don't have any about our floors. If you feel you’re not doing your part in caring for God's creatures, there are plenty of shelters around who’d love to talk to you. Maybe you can’t handle a puppy, but there are lots and lots of older dogs who need homes, and they’re much harder to adopt. In our search we found a dog that had just been surrendered to the Oconee County South Carolina Humane Society (www.oconeepets.com) by an American serviceman who was being shipped overseas. Sherri from the shelter called me a couple of days ago and said the dog was so sad. I made a phone call, and Thor now has a fabulous new home. I’m sure you’ll hear more about Thor later, but in the mean time this shelter and many others like it have dogs that are earmarked “urgent.” That means they need immediate homes to avoid being euthanized.
Please, if you feel your family is ready for a pet, call a shelter or rescue organization. Give a cat or a dog a chance at a wonderful life. And you, too, can find some of the joy we’ve had.
According to their website, Disaster Response Animal Rescue formed just after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Since their beginning efforts of pulling cats and dogs from the murky waters engulfing New Orleans, they have rescued and found homes for over 8000 animals. At the time we took Lucy home, her brother still remained available for adoption.
At our house, we try to do our part in taking care of creation. Through the years I've reminded myself while cleaning up after an animal that the family memories we have with the dog or cat are far more important than keeping our carpets and floors pristine. I have a lot of wonderful stories about our animals. I don't have any about our floors. If you feel you’re not doing your part in caring for God's creatures, there are plenty of shelters around who’d love to talk to you. Maybe you can’t handle a puppy, but there are lots and lots of older dogs who need homes, and they’re much harder to adopt. In our search we found a dog that had just been surrendered to the Oconee County South Carolina Humane Society (www.oconeepets.com) by an American serviceman who was being shipped overseas. Sherri from the shelter called me a couple of days ago and said the dog was so sad. I made a phone call, and Thor now has a fabulous new home. I’m sure you’ll hear more about Thor later, but in the mean time this shelter and many others like it have dogs that are earmarked “urgent.” That means they need immediate homes to avoid being euthanized.
Please, if you feel your family is ready for a pet, call a shelter or rescue organization. Give a cat or a dog a chance at a wonderful life. And you, too, can find some of the joy we’ve had.