Helping Hand: Adopt a Pet
If you are in the market for a new pup I’d suggest bringing your search to your local pound. There is nothing greater than rescuing an animal…
I adopted my first dog, Chloe, just about 4-years ago. We’ve had a lot of fun together but now that I am working more than ever, I thought it would be nice to get Chloe a little companion to keep her company. Enter: Fitz! (By the way, Fitz is short for Fitzgerald, in honor of the author of my favorite book, The Great Gatsby.)
I adopted Fitz (breed unknown) from a high-kill shelter just outside of Los Angeles. I mean, look at this face…
I obviously couldn’t resist him and adopted him right there on the spot (even though I was in the midst of my book tour for Lauren Conrad Beauty and Starstruck). The first few days while I was finishing my book tour ended up being a bit of a scramble, but Fitz was well worth the stress. He is a wonderful, well-mannered, sweet little guy and Chloe has already warmed up to him.
Here is their first meeting… Chloe isn’t so sure.
And now they are besties!
Although Chloe does like her space from time to time… Look at that lean!
Since I don’t know exactly what Fitz’s breed is, it will be a surprise to see how big he grows. I was told he will be 30 pounds max, but we will see about that. When I got Chloe, the pound said she would be 40 pounds max…and now she is pushing 70!
I am really excited about my newest addition and encourage all of you to consider checking out your local shelter (or researching a local high-kill facility) when you decide to welcome a pet into your life. I’ve found that the best animals come from these places and it is also very satisfying to know that I have in essence saved a little life from being taken too soon :-)
Why You Should Adopt from a Shelter
I think a lot of people have misconceptions about shelter dogs (and cats). Many think they are sickly, really old, have loads of behavioral issues, or that they are all mutts. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While a handful of animals may fit those stereotypes, most of them are just little loves who are down on their luck. (Fun Fact: According to the Humane Society, most shelters are made up of 25-30% of purebreds!)
Adopting is so important because there is a massive overpopulation of sweet, adoptable animals in shelters that desperately need homes. Sadly these great prospective pets are euthanized so shelters can make more room for new homeless animals. And this cycle continues… On average, 3 to 4 MILLION cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters every year. So sad. And sick. So when the time comes, I really urge you to check out a few shelters. It might take a few stops, but I promise it will be well worth the time.
If you are looking for a shelter near you, check out the ASPCA’s Shelter Finder to get your search started.
Have you ever adopted a pet?
If so, share a photo of your furry friend and leave the image link below with a comment about your favorite story about your pet for a chance to be featured in a Member Spotlight post.
Click here to learn how to upload and share your photos and videos!
XO Lauren
173 comments
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Ok.. I remember my lil bird "i was calling him KoKo" when i was five.. at that time i had to leave him away at some relatives because we found out that my my lil brother had asthma allergy..
As i remember very well i was silent at the moment of leaving!.. I realy loved my bird but i also loved my brother and i couldnt see him suffer from asthma anymore! So.. My reaction as a 5years old kid was silence! Now i'm 24 years and i'm able to bring any pet i like but still never do that! I'm right now studying at medicine college which doesnt leave much of time to care of a pet.. I dont think it's fair to hold a pet if u r too busy, or may be cuz i'm afraid to b in a situation that force to leave what i love.. Any way! I always like to look for ur topics abt pets and i think u lauren did a great job with chloe and fitz! They r so cute.. lol -
http://laurenconrad.com/user/photo/3967835/my-baby-shiloh-and-i
Earlier today I saw a bumpersticker on a car of a paw-print that read "Who Saved Who". This is so true of me and my cat, Shiloh. My family and I got him from a local shelter about four years ago. He had been placed in their lost and found, so we knew nothing about him, not even his age. Now, I can't imagine our lives without him. He has appointed himself guard cat- staking out the front door and growling whenever the doorbell rings. He LOVES butter and avocados, and is happiest running around outside or watching birds out the windows. He's a lover, and can always be counted on to be on your lap the second you sit down. His poor play mice don't stand a chance when he's on the hunt either! He's the greatest gift I've ever received, and the fact that he was rescued makes him that much more special to me. -
http://laurenconrad.com/user/photo/3967795/my-furbabies
I have one dog and three cats. I adopted Samson, my 80lb Boxer mix lap dog, from Pound Buddies this past summer. He is four, and was surrendered by his family. He is the best dog I could've asked for. Daisy and Oscar were both from local rescues, and they are the sweetest, cutest kitties ever. My old man kitty, Gidgy, I brought home when he was just a few weeks old. He was taken from a friend who was going to bring him to a shelter, so technically he is my only non-shelter pet.
Thank you so much for highlighting how great shelter pets are. -
This wednesday i adopted a little Powder Puff dog called Candy! It's my first dog and he seems to like his new home very much! Candy and my 13 year old cat has just became close and well what can I say? Success!
I saw a photo of candy at my facebook wall last week and immediately got a feeling in my stommach that just felt right and said "just go for it". So i texted my dad a picture and a message and asked him to call for Candy and he acutally did! When we arrived he immediately fell asleep just because i was stroking his back.
I'm so glad to finally have a dog (been waiting all my life for this moment). A few days ago i heard that his former owner was an sort of alkoholic and didn't feed him well. He didn't really care about him at all. In my opinion "Why get a dog if you won't take care of it?". It gets me really upset because Candy is so small and skinny, like its just bones. I'm go glad that me and my family got him, I really hope that he'll get more chubby! -
http://laurenconrad.com/user/photo/3967681/lucy-and-linus
Lucy and Linus are the best of friends. We recently adopted Linus from the Humane Society on Black Friday, where their special was- FREE CAT FRIDAY! Not only was Linus free but we saved him from being put in their Barn Cat program- where they felt he was not suited to be a house cat. Boy were they wrong! Linus is they most loving and attention hogging cat this side of the Mississippi has ever seen! I'm glad we rescued him when we did. -
http://laurenconrad.com/user/photo/3810278/cricket
Rescuing is the only way I would ever get a pet. My baby Cricket had been through so much before I got him. He had an owner that fed him only scraps of what she was eating and he ended up weighing roughly twice what he should. She also kicked and abused him. When she eventually got sick and gave him up, unfortunately things only got worse for him. When he was in foster care from the shelter one of the foster's other dogs attacked him and he lost his eye. He was turned down for adoption repeatedly because he was so aloof and scared because of everything he had been through. I've had him for almost a year now and he has made a complete 180. It took a long time to get him to trust me but he is just the best and I couldn't imagine my life without him. -
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http://laurenconrad.com/user/1016135/photos
I LOVE that you are encouraging people to rescue and adopt these innocent, lovable pets! I rescued little Walter Jose almost a year ago and we think he is a Corgi/Pomeranian mix. He is the cutest little pup! He does get temperamental at times, but when you adopt a pet, you never know what they have been through. He is definitely teaching me patience =). My favorite moments with him are when we are driving in the car and he is sitting on my lap, so excited and happy as can be. His little tongue sticks out and curls up and it is the cutest thing! He just gets so excited to be on a drive! Probably not the safest way to drive, but it's quite adorable. Everyone should save a pets life and rescue an animal! -
I had a dog named buick who was a Staffordshire bull terrier he wasn't from the shelter he was from a farm and when we first got him his ribs were visible but he quickly gained weight when we had him he lived a long and happy life with us
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You can also do a DNA test on the dog to see what all she is mixed with, we would like to do that with Buffy because all we know is she is Am Staff mix. -
http://laurenconrad.com/user/photo/3623281/buffy
I actually just adopted my first dog this Sunday and I pick her up today. I am so excited! I named her Buffy because she is strong, blonde, and a survivor. She has recently given birth and was thrown out of a car and bullied by the neighborhood feral cats. But she is the sweetest thing and just wants affection. I felt a connection with her and when I walked away she would just stare at me like "don't leave!" So I thought about it for a week and when I had decided I wanted her, there was a sale at the shelter for the superbowl! 49% off all adoption fees! They are a really great shelter too. They nueter/spay the animals, chip them, register them, give them meds and help them socially interact with the others, and evern give you a collar, leash and name tag for them; all inclusive! There were so many I wanted to adopt, it's so hard to see them and not be able to rescue them all. But for now I can't wait to bring my Buffy home! =)
-Jenna -
http://laurenconrad.com/user/photo/3565791
Hi!
I have rescued two cats so far (I would love to have a dog as cute as Chloe or Fitz! So maybe one day soon...) I got Milo (the orange cat) from the ASPCA when I was in college. He was all alone in his cage and was left to be euthanized because he was the runt of the litter and nobody wanted him. Every time I passed his cage, he stuck his paw out at me, like he was waving for me to save him! So I did! And I got Little Kitty (the black cat) when I worked for a short time at an animal hospital. Someone brought her in because they couldn't keep her. Nobody could foster her, so I volunteered. She was only supposed to spend a weekend at my house, but I kept her. I am so happy to have these two kitties in my life and glad to know that I saved them =) Thanks Lauren for your inspiration on practically everything! I am a huge fan of your writing, fashion and style ... and I hope to be successful like you someday <3
~Jamie
http://beautysleepblog.blogspot.com -
I definitely think adoption is key. I have 2 kitty rescues from the streets & they are the absolute best! I urge everyone to think about how many lives are senselessly lost because people are selfish and breed without caring what ends up happening to millions of animals every year. ADOPT!! RESCUE!! :)
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Hey Lauren, Fitz is half weenier dog and half chiquaqua. I have the same exact dog and their pictures are so identical its insane. I think Im looking at pictures of my dog Kiwi!
Anyways, hope this helps! Love your blog, keep doing what your doing, and I'll keep reading :)
Best, Nicole -
http://laurenconrad.com/user/photo/3274041/shelter-pup
This is Scooter, who we adopted from the Helen Woodward Society in San Diego a couple of years ago. She was (approx.) a year old when we got her, had just had a littler of puppies (such a young mama!), and was very skinny and malnourished. However, we fell in love with her sweet personality and her soft ears! Within weeks her fur coat had become thick and glossy and she was fattening up a little bit. Now she is the love of my family - she is so well-behaved (we have never heard her bark!) and loving. We couldn't ask for a better dog, and she came right at the best time to heal all of our hearts from the loss of our previous puppy to a blood disease at only 5 years old. Adopting a pet is the best thing you can do - I don't foresee ever getting an animal that is not a rescue.
P.S. The hot dog pic of Fitz and Chloe makes me die of cuteness. -
Orh that is so cute! I would LOVE do adopt a dog someday! My boyfriend and I love dogs, but right now isn't the right time. But someday, we will have our own, and i can't wait!
Your dogs are SO cute. <3 -
http://laurenconrad.com/user/photo/3189998
I adopted Samson this summer from our local Pound Buddies. He is a five year old boxer mix. He is the best dog I could've brought home. I just love him. The funniest story is that my friends have a huge cardboard cut out of Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom from Pirates of the Caribbean for their pirate themed wedding. Samson and I were at their house, sitting in the living room, and after about ten minutes, all of a sudden Samson leaps off the couch and goes over to the cutouts and starts barking at them. It took him ten minutes to notice them, but once he did, he just kept barking at them, waiting for them to move. It was hilarious. He's a great guard dog, a personal heater (80lb lap dog) and my sanity. I just love him and can't imagine my life now without him. Adopting is truly the best. -
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twos company xx
last year my family lost our first dog buster he was a very old cavalier king Charles and his death took a toll on my family ours dogs are our family we were hysterical.
Our four year old cavalier was heartbroken he lost his brother as an epileptic dog we always worried that we wouldnt have him for long but lucky for us a year later his heart is mended and his epilepsy is under control.
While out looking for a new car to buy my parents stumbled across pets first our local dog pound in our town of enniscorthy, ireland i dont think they expected to come across a beautiful but very hyper and lovable 3 month springer jumping up at my mother. We adopted abbey ( full name abbey road after the famous Beatles album cover) at just 3 months she was abused and starved her ribs were visible she was weak and afraid just three months on shes a very healthy and beautifully strong puppy full of love once i have my own place il be adopting my own dog. although we bought bailey adopting abbey was the best decision she didnt replace buster we merely opened our heart to her. if she wasnt adopted after two weeks she would of been put down :( adopting a dog saves the poor animals lives and fulfills your own ... sorry for the rant your new puppy is beautiful lauren! x -
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I've had these adorable little brothers since this summer, they can be a handful but when Melvin(the little one)curls up next to me at night I couldn't care less. Mufasa(the "fluff") tries to be a big man most of the time but tonight he had to hide behind mom when it was stormy out. Every time I think I'm going to lose it on them they do the most loveable cute things, what can I say I'm smitten!
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AWWWW!! Because of cute faces like Fitz, that's how I ended up with my three black labs!! Story here: http://peachypains.com/2011/10/04/a-letter-to-puppyville/
I'm hosting a GIVEAWAY on my blog today: THREE Pilot Pen’s Dr. Grip Center of Gravity and 3 handmade Holiday Cards made by yours truly.
-Kelby
http://peachypains.com -
I technically didn't adopt Rocky from a shelter but a woman's dog in my town had puppies and parents brought home Rocky for me as a graduation present from college. If we hadn't have gotten him when we did he could of wound up at a shelter. He is the love of my life, and I often bring him into work with me and he runs around my store and plays with all my co-workers he stands on his back legs and tries to paw them and it looks like he is boxing.
http://laurenconrad.com/user/photo/2928924/meet-rocky
https://pinkgoeswitheverything.wordpress.com/2012/07/13/puppy-problems/ -
Just adopted a puppy named Ringo from the RSCPA in Australia. My boyfriends parents vowed they'd never get a dog but now are upset if there ever far from him. -
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