There has never been a dog in my family that has not been adopted. These pups have the biggest personalities and even bigger hearts. Saving a dog’s life has always been more important to my family than receiving the exact dog we imagined from a breeder.
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   Don’t get me wrong, I understand why people get puppies from breeders. You really do get the exact dog you wanted. They may have just as big personalities and hearts too, but you are not saving them like you do when you adopt.
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   According to ASPCA Pet Statistics, 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized every year. Dogs in specific, 670,000 are euthanized each year. There’s plenty of dogs for everyone to adopt and they need us to. They need homes and families to be a part of. I would say my ultimate goal after I tell you my personal story with adopting a dog is that you’ll really consider rescuing over buying when you get the chance to make that decision.
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   My dog, his name is Gunner and he is 2 years old. Gunner was adopted by my family when he was 8 months old. My parents had absolutely no intentions of adopting a dog that day, but here we are, and we’re more than happy with him.
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   My parents walked into PetSmart on Saturday morning when pet adoption agencies used PetSmart to gravitate a bigger audience. Unfortunately, these adoption agencies for dogs do not use PetSmart anymore. My parents walked into the building, made their way to the very last aisle, right next to the adoption agency. There was one dog left at this time and he was shaking in the back of his cage. My mom walked up to pet him and she mentioned that in that moment she saw the saddest eyes she has ever seen. My parents asked the agency leader if there was someone coming to adopt that dog. The agency leader explained there was a family that put this dog on hold and was on their way to come visit him for the first time. My mom was thrilled he would have a home. My parents made their way through the store, grabbing what they originally came for, and went to checkout at the registers. As they were moments away from walking out of the store, the agency leader came running down the main aisle. She ran right up to my mom and asked if my mom was interested in the dog she was originally asking about. My mom was very confused considering she thought he was about to have a home that day. The agency leader explained that the family did come, they saw him shaking in the back of his cage, and decided he wasn’t social enough for their family. My mom decided that dog was getting a home that day, and that home was our home.
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   My parents brought home the dog and to my surprise I had a new pet. I was confused, surprised, but so incredibly happy. I named him Gunner, and he was not an easy puppy. He was scared of everyone and everything for months. It broke my heart seeing him like that and not knowing if he would ever feel comfortable and safe.
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   We worked with him every day. We would pet him a little more every single day until you could give him a huge hug and he would be comfortable with it. Gunner was not an easy dog to build an immediate bond with but he is the most gentle, sweetest, huge hearted dog I have ever met. He knows who his family is and shows great amounts of love to us.
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   Rescuing is important. Rescuing will give you a best friend. Rescuing literally means you are saving a life. Please rescue.
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