When Is It Right To Get A New Pet? Options

[MissingRuby]

My Ruby has been gone now for 6 days. My 4 year old daughter wants a new dog like now. She is an only child and our Ruby was her companion and "dog sister". We were thinking about adopting a dog from a shelter instead of buying another pure bred dog. What is everyone's thoughts on this?

Also, Thanks for the support. I did have another bad night last night but this board is truly helping me. -Nicolle

[LouAnn6]

Hi Nicolle,

Everyone is different when it comes to time before they get another fur baby, after they have loss one. For me I find I must open my heart up to a new animal soon after I have loss the previous fur child, as I have no two legged children of my own and just not having them there to take care of is to much to bare for me. When my old dog Jacob died May of 1999, it was just a month later when I found a dog at the pound that just needed my love, as he was scared to death of people and would hide in the back of his cage when ever someone walked close. With the way he was no body was even looking at him and I just knew that he was the one that Jacob wanted me to take home , as he was going to need lots of love and patience and he would help me heal. I must say he will never be a "normal" dog, but he loves me and now he is not as scared about people and so I thank my Jacob for bring him into my life.

It was about a month after my old cat Smokey died that I got another kitty, again can't stand not having them to take care of, but the funny part with Smokey, is now instead of being a (2) dog, (1) cat house, I still have (2) dogs, but I have open my home to a total of (3) cats now and I just know that my old Smokey is just laughing at the dogs, thinking ha!ha! you are out numbered now. Again it is a very personal choice when the time is right and no two people are ever going to be the same on that.

The other thing is over the 23 years that I have had my own fur babies, 4 of them have been from the pound. My old Jacob, Smokey, Quinton and Tyler were all pound babies, but I also fell in love with a pedigree bred cat, pixie bob and so (2) of the cats I now have are from that breed and my oldest dog at home, Ziggy, was born to friends of ours and we loved both the parents and so that is were Ziggy came from.

Again it is always a good thing to give a loving animal a second chance at life and at the least support your local pound and if all possible try and find a dog there that just tugs at your heart strings. But there is nothing wrong with wanting a purebreed dog, though you would be surprised how many purebreed dogs end up at the pound, so again that is something you have to decide on and just know to trust your heart. Who knows your Ruby may do as my Jacob and just point your heart in the right direction, as I truly believe that is how I found my Quinton.

I will be keeping you and your family in my thoughts and prayers and just remember there is no right or wrong answer to your questions, just a matter of what your heart tells you is right.

LouAnn Needham

Mother to: Jacob - doggy angel (08/1982-05/1999), Smokey - kitty angel (12/1987-09/2004), Ziggy - doggy (12/1993), Quinton - doggy (07/1998), Phoenix - kitty (03/2003), Tyler - kitty (04/2004) & BobCat - kitty (07/2004)