The Beginning...from Street Urchin to the Rescue

Nearly two years have passed since I was found on the street by the County Animal Care and Control ( a nicer name than dog pound!).  I was tired, hot, matted, hungry, very dirty and  nearly two pounds lighter than I am now (7 1/2 lbs. soaking wet).  I was really skinny!  I had to be kept there for 72 hours to see if my family would come and get me.  I waited and waited, but no one came.  I didn't know if I had been bad, if they didn't love me any more or what.....I can't remember...in fact, I think I may have purposely blocked that part out.  It probably really isn't important to my life right now anyway, but at the end of today's blog, I do have some advice for all of you. 

It was very scary on the streets  - and dangerous, too.  Cars, cats, coyotes, snakes, poison, and BAD people, really bad people who hurt animals....It was scary in the shelter as well.  They  try to do a good job; but everyday hundreds - no thousands - of animals are taken in by them - and they are the lucky ones.  At least they are off of the streets and getting food and water....until.....until....well, until the lucky ones, like me, get adopted!

I was adopted by a rescue group called Finding Fido* and lived there with my foster mom, Pam and my foster brothers and sisters.  They were all nice to me, especially my foster mom!  I didn't really play with the other dogs; I just stuck really close to "mom" ---she named me Kia, but I didn't really get used to that name because within 7 days, I was cleaned up, groomed, micro-chipped and spayed.  That's a great deal to go through, and on November 13th, 2010 I was taken to PetSmart and watched people get ready for the "event"!  Little did I know that the "event" would lead me to where I am today, with my "furever" home - adopted--- legally FOREVER!  More about that later.....

So, here is my advice for today:
1.  Make sure that you get your pets micro chipped, spayed or neutered.
2.  Help support your local humane societies, county animal control, and rescue groups
3.  Adopt from a rescue or animal welfare group instead of buying a pet from a breeder or pet shop - or worse yet - a puppy mill.
4.  Vote for political figures who fight animal abuse.

*Finding Fido was reorganized about a year after I was adopted, but my foster mom, Pam, started her own rescue called Ruby Ranch  Rescue and Sanctuary.  Look at Ruby, she looked something like me! Maybe that's why she thought I was so special.