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Thank you for your kind words. Makes me feel better.

Indeed, shelters and rescues are the way to go. With the exception of our beagle Bradley (1989-2006), who found us one wintry day in 1990, all our dogs have been adoptees, and of those only one was young.

It’s just a fact of life that the old dogs we adopt are with us for such a painfully short time but we enjoy every moment of their company.

As you note, most of the dogs in the shelters and under the care of rescue organizations are there through no fault of their own. I was told by the vet this morning during an office visit that there are increasing numbers of abandoned dogs and cats as a result of the economic situation (thank you, Obama, you worthless POS).

Honey came from a group that had rescued her. Her owner, a druggie, among other things, had given up his house and just left, leaving poor Honey there. A neighbor found her and turned her over to a rescue group.

Dogs of all ages are in danger of losing their homes due to bad economic times.

Our Chow mix was abandoned in the apt. from which his “family” (using the term loosely)was evicted. They had decided they “didn’t need a dog” and planned to call the pound. In the end they just left him and my husband found him there when he went to check that they had gotten everything (We had helped to pack them up as the husband was a colleague of my husband’s at the time). We got him before the pound arrived (had already been called by the management). He has been a jewel and has never given us one bit of trouble. It’s been 3 years and counting... and he’s five years old now. We vetted him, had him neutered, got him on a good diet and loved him. That’s all he needed and all he wanted. He would “door dash” with his other family and run off. Never goes anywhere but to the car to greet us in the driveway and hasn’t since he got here.

I agree the economic situation is causing some to abandon their pets, but those who love them and want to keep them will find a way and those who never really wanted them will use it as an excuse. I’ve seen homeless people with their dogs and I’ve seen those who have fallen on temporary hard-times give up before they even try to keep them. Where there’s a will, etc...