Where to Find the Perfect Pet

After thinking long and hard about getting a dog while living in a busy city like New York, I decided that I had the time, space, financial resources and commitment to finally get this dog that I had been dreaming about since I moved to Manhattan six years ago.

At first, I was going to go to a reputable breeder to find my perfect pooch but then reconsidered when I realized how many dogs and cats were sitting in the pound waiting for someone like me to adopt them. 

A good friend of mine who is as passionate about animal rights and welfare as I am suggested that I try looking on www.petfinder.com  This excellent website allows you to search for specific breeds, sex, age and location so that you can find a pet that is a perfect match for you and your needs. 

I immediately signed up for thier email alerts which sends out an email every time there was a dog, cat, bird or other animal of your preferece available for adoption in your area according to the criteria that you set.

It took me 2 whole months but I finally found the dog that I had been dreaming about in CT.  Her name was Tawny and she was a 2.5 year old sable fawn colored long coat Chihuahua who had been rescued from a puppy mill in PA.  I saw her pictures on the petfinder website and knew she was the one for me. 

The petfinder site is good because the people who have the animals seem genuinely concerned about the pet's welfare and did a rigorous screening procedure with me before they would even let me come see Tawny.

After passing the test, I immediately set out on a train to go pick up Tawny and could not believe how lucky I got with this sweet little girl who weighed all of 3.5 pounds.  She was extremly timid as she had been abused and had horrible breath as he teeth had never been brushed and many of her teeth were decayed.  This did not deter me though as I could see that all she needed was a lot of love and some vetrinary care and she would be a beautiful sweet girl. 

A lot of people prefer puppies, but I was so glad that I had gotten a young adult like Tawny whom I renamed "Dauphine-Bijoux" which is what they called Marie Antoinette before she became the Queen of France and Jewel in French (I thought she deserved a royal name to go with the royal treatment she would receive from now on after spending the first two years of her life in a filthy puppy mill!)

Most people do not realize that although puppies are adorable, they are so much work!!  It is like having a human infant where you must get up every few hours all through the night to potty train the pup.  Dauphine-Bijoux had already come trained on wee wee pads and already knew what she was allowed to chew and what not to chew like mummy's expensive Christian Louboutin shoes and designer purses she leaves laying around her room...what a relief!! 

Dauphine also did very well with my two adult Persian cats who sniffed her and observed her carefully, not knowing if she was dog or overgrown mouse!  Dauphine never barked at them and respected thier space, what a good doggie! 

I soon trained Dauphine with basic commands such as sit, stay and come and trained her to walk on a leash with a harness.  Some people may think small toy dogs such as Chihuahua's do not require a lot of exercise but my pup loves to go on 1 hour+ walks with me every day in Central Park. 

She is not aggressive towards other dogs and never barks except at the house where she is a bit territorial and likes to bark when someone comes to the door.  All in all my experience with adopting a dog from petfinder.com has been very rewarding and I am so happy to have such a wonderful, sweet, loving and not to mention beautiful dog to cherish for years and years to come.

If you are thinking of getting a dog, please consider rescuing one from www.petfinder.com or your local shelter and remember NEVER buy from a petstore or puppymill.  You won't be sorry and you will be saving a life!

P.S. Don't be afraid to get a dog that is already several years old like I did.  Dogs can live up to 16+ years now and your older dog is likely to already be trained, obedient and easy to take care of.  I'm just delighted that I got Dauphine-Bijoux even if she was already considered an adult.  Good luck finding your perfect pet!

Is a Persian the Right Breed for You?

Have you ever watched a "Fancy Feast" commercial and thought to yourself "I want a beautiful Persian kitty!"? I for one have always loved cats and grew up with several different cat breeds as a child.