I recently learned about Blog the Change, and decided to participate today.  On July 15 (and three other times throughout the year), pet bloggers write about animal issues that are near and dear to their hearts in an effort to inspire others to get involved.  (For more info, go check out Be the Change for Animals.)

When I was deciding what to write about (and there are some really touching and interesting posts out there today), I found myself coming back to the issue of pet adoption.  As you may have noticed, animal rescue is a topic that pops up on this blog fairly regularly.  I can’t help it – it’s genetic.  My family is full of animal lovers.  As I was growing up, adopting pets in need was a regular occurrence.  Our rescued pups came to us from many places – neighbors moving away who couldn’t take their pet with them, owners who no longer wanted their pets and were considering getting rid of them, or the odd stray who loped into our lives and became one of the family.  Each of these pooches was a blessing, and I am happy that so many of them turned around three times and curled up in my heart.

While thinking about this topic today, I immediately thought of one rescue in particular (aside from my Bella, of course, whose rescue past I’ve shared before).  When I was a teenager, a stray named Romeo appeared in my aunts’ neighborhood.   Poor Romeo was malnourished, and at one point had suffered some injuries.  He was scared to let anyone near him.  It was a slow process, but day by day he made his way closer to the front porch and the people waiting to love him.  I found it so inspiring to hear about his progress, as well as the time and effort my aunts and uncle devoted to convincing Romeo that he would be safe with them.  I remember sitting on the front porch and trying to feed him so that he would see he could trust me as well.  Each time he took a step closer, it was a little victory.  When you looked in his eyes, you could see that he wanted nothing more than to have a loving home.  He just needed to overcome his fear of people in order to let himself be loved.  Lucky for Romeo, my aunts and uncle were patient and kind – accordingly, Romeo became a member of the family long before he ever set foot on that porch.  He was in need, and they were there to help.

For a variety of reasons, many pups (and other animals) end up homeless.  If you have love to give, I urge you to consider rescuing a pup in need.  Your love is a wonderful gift to give to a homeless animal, and the love you receive in return is priceless.  To find more information about pets in your area that need homes, please visit Petfinder.  (It’s how I found Ms. Bella!)

Can’t bring a pup home right now?  Consider donating your time instead.  There are many wonderful rescue organizations out there (including HART, the group that saved my Bella), and many dogs who want nothing more than people to love them.  The individuals who devote their time to these rescue groups are my heroes.  I hope you consider volunteering – maybe you will be able to help a lucky pup meet his match and find his forever home.  Finally, even if you can’t give your time but would still like to help, there are many other ways you can make a difference.

For more inspiring rescue stories, I encourage you to check out Last Chance Highway on Animal Planet.  These inspiring stories of rescued pets will tug at your heartstrings and help you clear those tear ducts out on a weekly basis.  You can also find many other inspiring tales at the Petfinder.com Foundation site, and at countless other locations on the interwebs.

In closing, I have one final argument in favor of rescuing a pup:  Bella.  You know she’s awesome.