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The Dog Days of Summer
Last spring, our beloved dog died of old age. At first, no one would consider getting a new dog, but a few months after she was gone, we decided that it was time to start looking for another companion, but where?

We have never been a pure breed type of family, preferring a dog of mysterious, unknown origins. We acquired our first dog when we found her wandering around in a local park and no one called to claim her. Our son was just a small boy then, and is quite the man now.

A good friend told me about the website petfinders.com Anyone can go on the site and do a search for adoptable dogs in their area. It's as simple as putting in your zip code, and choice of animal.

We were pleasantly surprised by the variety of dogs available within a short distance of our home, but we ran into some snags. We wanted a dog that we would keep outside. Being a family on the move, it was hard to imagine all of the paper training and fur that would accompany a new canine in the house. Many shelters in Kentucky do not want a family to adopt their dogs if they are not planning on keeping them inside.

It made sense when they explained that dogs are social animals and for them to be trained and respond to you in the ways that you want, they should live day to day within the family unit. We decided we would keep a new member to the family in the house.

After much searching, playing with pups in the hot July sun and visiting places within one hundred miles, we adopted our own pound puppy from the humane society in Louisville. Now, almost a year later, she's living the dog's life most would envy.

Learn more about this author, Becky Kelley.
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