I love dogs! During my adult life, most of my dogs were rescued and adopted. May 20 is recognized as National Dog Rescue Day, a day set aside to highlight the plight of dogs that are awaiting adoption. And, as you can see, I put the photo of an adorable puppy on today’s blog to underscore the plight of so many rescued dogs.
Pets are wonderful additions to families and I have written before about their profound impact on children. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 3.3 million dogs enter shelters each year with approximately 670,000 of them having to be euthanized. Those are shocking statistics!
Children’s author Lisa Wiehebrink established Tails That Teach, Inc. to teach about the importance of rescuing dogs. She has a series of books regarding how to love and take care of a dog. She stresses that dogs can teach children compassion, empathy and kindness. Her books are wonderful teaching tools for your children and would make great gifts. The link to her website is provided below.
On a more personal note, my youngest son James just adopted a rescue dog from the island of Puerto Rico. That island has suffered greatly from hurricanes and recent earthquakes. A rescue center there partnered with one in the Washington, DC area and brought several dogs to be adopted. James had been looking for a compatible dog for many months and immediately fell in love with Leyla! He is a single young man and Leyla has provided him with affectionate companionship during the quarantine.
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