We recently got a second dog. Our first dog came from our local RSPCA shelter a year ago, when he was 8 weeks old. He is a Kelpie cross - his mix has been the blue plate special mystery - as he grows we think it could be Greyhound. I have spent weekends over the last month driving to the RSPCA shelter at Somersby to see if they had anything suitable. The first visit I was stoic and desensitised myself to the fact that many of the dogs could be euthanised if they couldn't find a home. The second visit was not so easy. My partner was no help - he is so soft he had to wait in the car. We wanted a female puppy - there were none, but there were so many dogs that for whatever reason had ended up there: stray, unwanted or injured. My heart bled walking away leaving them potentially waiting on death row if they were not reclaimed or rehomed. Just over 34% of all dogs taken in last year were reclaimed, 27% were rehomed. A staggering 29% were euthanised.
My third and final visit was more focused - I was a woman on a mission. I had looked on the adopt a pet website the previous night and seen a listing for a 6 month old Border Collie/Kelpie cross. I arrived at the shelter as soon as they opened in the morning and found her. She was full of beans and initially a little annoying, but was so pretty and the fact that our dog loved her sealed the deal. I had forgotten my phone (accidentally on purpose) so had to make the decision alone. I couldn't bear to leave without a dog and the thought of returning again just killed me, so I filled out the paperwork, paid her adoption fee and sat her in the back seat of the car. She has worked out very quickly that she has landed on her feet in what is equivalent to canine heaven on earth. Aside from the retraining we will have to do, the mess she adds to my floors and the hassle of taking a holiday and finding a babysitter for two dogs instead of one, we adore having a new family member.
If you are considering getting a new pet, visit the RSPCA as one of your first options.