Those of you that have been following us for a while can probably recognize our personal dogs. They show up on our social media, assist us in lessons, and are generally the center of our lives! You’ve seen them competing in dog sports, modeling behavior in classes, assisting us in training videos, and going on adventures with us. Recently, Montgomery Humane Society has posted two dogs available for adoption, one of which looks very similar to my June and the other we think is the littermate of Chase’ Lewis.
Chase and I visited Agatha and Larry this week, and their stories plus the similarities between these shelter pups and our spoiled house pups have gotten me thinking about how different June and Lewis’ lives could have been had they not been adopted. It is heartbreaking to me to think about my sweet June Bug sitting in that shelter run, waiting on someone to notice her. Chase and I have talked about how frustrating it is to see just how far Lewis has come with his training to then see that missed potential in Larry just because his circumstances have been different.
When I compare the lives of our (admittedly spoiled) pets to the lives of those sweet shelter pups, I can’t help but feel despair at the state of the rescue world right now. There are so many wonderful dogs that will never get to realize their full potential. There are so many dogs that have been let down by humans in so many ways.
Please don’t misunderstand; I’m not advocating for everyone to drop what they’re doing and go adopt a dog. As a trainer, I actually spend a lot of my time convincing people to make RESPONSIBLE decisions about dog ownership, which sometimes unfortunately includes talking clients out of getting another dog that I know they can’t handle. Adopting 14 dogs that you can’t reasonably care for is how people wind up in animal-cruelty and hoarding cases. We have to adopt and shop responsibly.
However, if and when you are able to take on the responsibility of dog ownership, I’m asking you to consider a shelter pup. But even more than that, I’m asking for everyone to consider their social responsibility within the community regarding our dog population. We have another article that expounds on the problems facing the rescue world right now if you’d like to know more and do your part. You can read it here.
In the meantime, Larry and Agatha are still looking for a home! Agatha is a staff and volunteer favorite that has been well-behaved on multiple outings, including a retirement home. She is a lover and is in the sweet-spot of “middle age” that doesn’t come with all the exhausting “puppy-stuff.” Larry has some serious athletic potential if anyone has been considering dabbling in dog sports. Lewis, who is potentially a litter mate of Larry, has earned multiple titles in Dock Diving and has shown promise in agility and nose work. He is also learning some therapy dog training. Because of Larry’s history, he is naturally a little farther behind in training, but we know he has the potential to do great things if someone could give him a chance! You can find Agatha and Larry on Montgomery Humane Society’s website. If you’re looking for a new best friend, there is a literal ton of potential sitting in your local shelter or rescue right now.
