So as I write tonight’s post, my little rescue puppy, Minnie, is curled up next to me. My other tad-bit bigger rescue pup, Lucy, is lying peacefully, warmly and safely on the other couch.

The little kitty I rescued – the last kitten in a cold cage that I stumbled upon at this pet supply shop in Crystal Lake Illinois eight years ago, is sound asleep under the Christmas tree. She is there under that tree every Christmas season. I think she loves the warmth of the lights and the seclusion of the tree’s branches. And I Iove seeing her there so peaceful and safe.

Earlier this week I logged on to a local shelter’s website. I do this sometimes just to see the dogs and cats, puppies and kittens, out there waiting for homes….Waiting for people to snuggle up against on a chilly night and someone to provide warm shelters to lay under, or a home where there is a safe, familiar nook to climb into – food, water, the basic comforts of life…….

I don’t know why I  visit these sites, as I know I cannot bring anymore pets into this home.

So to make up for it, I care diligently for my own rescue pets, give money freely to animal rescues like PAWS and the Humane Society of America. Whenever I am in Petco or PetSmart, I give money to local animal shelters.

I often tell my husband to sell our beautiful home in this lovely, manicured  subdivision and buy me a crap, floppy house out on a large lot of farmland so that I can provide a home to all the dogs and cats in shelters, in desperate need of a loving home.

Aside from all of that, here is why I am writing this entry tonight. When I adopted  Minnie from Help A Pooch rescue in Algonquin Illinois there was another puppy there….I hate to even write this….It was Minnie’s sister, Winnie. I already had a dog and a cat at home.  Further more, I was told that Minnie and Winnie, who each were rescued from a “hoarding situation” had already been in separate living situations for months. I was told that Winnie would be adopted in no time and that I should not feel bad about adopting one, and not the other.

That was in February 2012. Now in November of 2012, I was looking at animals up for adoption with the McHenry County Animal Control……I saw Winnie.

My heart aches. I do not write this just for the sake of this post ……. I feel horrible.

I read once that if you rescue a pet from a rescue, adoption or animal control facility you actually save the lives of two pets. You save the life on the one you take home and the one that you make room for by bringing the one home.

Adoption/rescue groups get their animals sometimes from “kill shelters”… This means if you adopt a dog or cat from an adoption group, you are likely saving that dog or cat from death.

Please give a Christmas gift to one who truly does not have many options.

Picture yourself or a beloved family member, even your adored family pet, in a cold cage…innocent, waiting, wondering, hoping, wanting to curl up against someone or lie peacefully under your Christmas tree.

So please, I beg, someone adopt a pet rather than buy an expensive designer pet from a private breeder or puppy mill.  And, really, if you want an adorable, loving, sweet, kind, “Malchie” go see Winnie at http://www.petfinder.com. I can tell you firsthand, she comes from a good family! 🙂

Please comment, like and share your stories of pet rescues with me!

See you next week!