kaya : our shelter pet adoption story

This is Kaya our 8 year old mutt.  She's a little bit lab, a little bit shepherd and who knows what else.  What I do know is that she is a good dog.  A loyal dog.  A playmate to the nenes.  A great guard dog. And at times my confidant.  Yes, she will sit there listening to my mumbling, just staring at me with those sweet big eyes, never judging, never complaining, just...listening.

Kaya became part of our family a little bit over 7 years ago.  She was a puppy when I went to pick her up at a friend's shelter.  She and her litter of siblings had been found deep in the woods and taken to a local shelter.  Lucky for us.  

Our friend and owner of the shelter called us as soon as they arrived (he knew we had been looking at adopting a new dog.)  So I went. I saw.  And instantly fell in love with a timid little puppy hiding in the corner.  I called.  She came slowly.  She tapped me with her snout.  I knew I had to take her home.

Before Kaya, I had never really had pets that I took care of  (aside from a few we fostered a year earlier.) Yes, I grew up with dogs, a cat here and there and even some mice and a guinea pig, but all because my siblings asked for them, not because I wanted them.

 

Then Kaya came into our small family of two.  I did the training, the waking late at night to let her out, the cleaning up, the...I'm sure you get the picture.  (By the way, the hubby helped, but him knowing I had never really lived with an indoor pet.  He wanted me to learn and bond with her.  Good one- I DID!) 

(opening her gifts during Christmas.)

 She became our little one.  Then our little one got a sibling (sort of say).  We weren't sure how she was going to react when our first baby came home, we tried to prepare her as much as we could by letting her smell the baby's clothe before we brought him home and other such things.  At first she wasn't sure what to think, or do, especially when he cried.  But soon enough the bonding began between my sweet nene and Kaya.  

 Then there were three.  

When my spunky nena was born, Kaya was use to the tugging and pulling of a toddler.  She was use to the crying and screaming of a baby.  We knew she would be okay.  And we knew our new baby girl would also be okay.

Today the three of them play together.  She still listens to my mumblings and sometimes screaming (what you thought I didn't scream?)  She still has the energy of a puppy and is happy if you run around the house or back yard with her.  She will greet you with such excitement it makes you feel special (and sometimes annoyed because she wants to greet everyone she knows first!)  But if she doesn't know you- you better watch out, because she will always protect what she loves the most.  Us.

If you are thinking of getting a dog or giving someone you love a dog as a gift this Holiday season, do consider adopting from a shelter.  There are so many dogs that sadly get put to sleep yearly because there is no one to take them home and love them.  

If you would like more information on The Shelter Pet Project you can visit any of the following links:

 

The Shelter Pet Project Web Page

The Shelter Pet Project Facebook Page

The Shelter Pet Project Twitter Page 

The Shelter Pet Project's YouTube Channel 

Do you have a pet?  Where did you adopt him/her from? Share with me.

 I was selected for this campaign by Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are my own.