Adopt, Don’t Shop.

As pet lovers, we are already acquainted with this campaign slogan that promotes adopting pets from shelters rather than buying from pet stores or breeders.

As an established service provider in the pet industry, DCDS upholds the same values and advocacy that the slogan entails.

For the longest time, we have wanted to speak with our clients who have gone through the experience of adopting a pet with hopes to be able to, when client permits, share their story in this humble blog of ours.

Thankfully, after a random and casual conversation over Instagram DM, our client Emily said yes to sharing their adoption journey.

How did you get into the idea of adopting / rescuing cats and dogs?

Emily: I've always loved animals - the first thing I wanted to be growing up was a horse veterinarian. I started thinking about adopting a cat in a challenging time in my life after school, and adopted Bear not long after from the Humane Rescue Alliance (nearly 9 years ago). She made me want to be a better human; she was a little over 2 lbs when I took her home and was sick, and now she's thriving with her canine brother and sister and loves being at the top of the hierarchy in our home.

Vinnie came into our lives by accident - we met him at my brother's house when he was a foster with another family member, and we knew we had to adopt him. We'd long dreamed of finding a brindle, mid-sized family dog, and he was a perfect fit for us.

Mollie was a foster fail - we got married and bought a home, and a month later decided we had enough space to care for animals who needed a loving home. I got a call the day after applying to be a foster that Lost Dog needed a foster for an 8-month old puppy, and the rest is history.

What’s the best thing about adopting pets?

Emily: We're fortunate in the DC area that most shelters are no (low) kill, but that's not the case everywhere. Seeing our animals take on a new personality when shown love and given a home makes a real difference in their lives. It's the most rewarding thing in the world. We try to give back to shelters where we adopted our animals, as well as a shelter in rural Maryland we support to improve the lives of animals waiting for loving forever homes.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced when bringing a rescued pet into your home and how did you overcome them?

Emily: Bear and Vinnie were both very easy; Mollie was not. She nearly didn't come home with us, as she growled at Vinnie the first night she met him outside the rescue facility! It was important for us to acknowledge that she may be more difficult initially - we taught her how to go up and down stairs, I don't think she'd ever seen them before.

She was terrified of new people and terrified of abandonment - she also couldn't be touched when asleep or tired, as we think she was attacked at some point in her sleep. Taking her to training and giving her lots of positive reinforcement made her a different dog - I'm not sure she really wanted much to do with us at first, but now she loves meeting new people and animals and is thriving in our home. She learned to trust us humans, and it's been incredibly rewarding - she's a different dog than the day we brought her home.

Describe how different Mollie, Vinnie, and Bear were from when you brought them home vs. how they are now.

Emily: Mollie was really afraid when we first brought her home and very, very tired. I don't even think she knew how to play, but she learned and now loves nothing more than belly rubs and playing with Vinnie and Bear.

We didn't think Vinnie knew how to bark when we brought him home - Mollie's taught him how to bark; we also thought he was a quiet, introverted dog who was happy being an only dog - he's leaps and bounds happier with a canine sister. I don't know how they ever lived without each other.

I thought Bear would be happiest forever as an only animal, but she's thriving with two dogs to entertain her.

There are so many benefits of adopting from a shelter, but the most rewarding is that you get to actually SAVE A LIFE.

Most rescues come with loads of baggage due to past experience and have to be loved back to health.

If you wish to this cause, you may do so in several ways.

• Donate to support the mission to protect and defend homeless, abused and abandoned animals.

• Adopt a pet and create a loving and nurturing space for them.

• Foster a pet for a week, month, or even more to help animals in need.

• Volunteer to distribute food to shelters, assist medical staff that tend to sick and injured pets, and train and care for pets in shelters.

To know more about how you can help or if your heart is for adopting pets, feel free to visit Humane Rescue Alliance to help you in your journey.

*Special thanks to the Randels for sharing their story.