The Days of Johann, an agility dog!: October is Adopt A Shelter Dog month!

On September 3, 2004, I was adopted from the Southside Animal Shelter here in Indianapolis, and boy am I glad they rescued me so my Mum could fine me! I just don't know what my life would be like if there weren't folks like the good two-leggers at the Southside Animal Shelter working so hard, day in and day out.

In honor of Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, we want to bring attention to all the great shelters and the people who work so hard for us pups throughout the US and the World, to get us 'off the streets' and out of really bad situations to help us find wonderful, loving homes. Their work is hard work, sometimes fun, oftentimes not. But they work, tirelessly, day in and day out to help pups in need find their forever homes. They give of their time, energy, money and their hearts; and we thank them for all that they do. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today.

We also want to honor all the folks doing wonderful thing on the Internet to work in conjunction with these shelters and rescues to help the two-leggers find us pups. After the folks at the Southside Animal Shelter rescued me, they listed me on Petfinder.com, where my Mum was able to find me. There are several wonderful resources to find a terrific shelter pup on the Internet. Be sure and check them out when you're ready:

Shelter pups are amazing pups, just ask me? I have lots of pup pals that came from shelters who are now living great lives and doing wonderful things in the world. From therapy and search and rescue work, to having great careers on the big (and small) screen and excelling in disc dog, dock dog, agility and more - pups that come from rescues and shelters can be amazing 'best friends'. They just need a chance.

In her book Shelter Dogs: Amazing Stories of Adopted Strays, Peg Kehret shares terrific stories of unwanted dogs who were dumped at animal shelters by their owners. Stories like:

Tracker, who "began life unwanted and unloved, as do far too many puppies," went on to become a movie star.
Joey was trained as a "service dog" by her owner, who has multiple sclerosis. Joey performs such tasks as picking up dropped items, opening doors and cupboards, and helping her owner's mobility.
Bridgette, who was able to predict, by picking up "subtle shifts in body odor and electromagnetic fields," when someone was going to have a seizure. This allowed her owner to lay down before a seizure, and save her life.

Ever wonder what it's like to work at an animal shelter? Well these folks have great stories to tell, be sure and check 'em out.

Here's an excerpt from the wonderful book, Shelter Dogs, by Traer Scott.

The ASPCA has a whole section of their website devoted to Adopt a Shelter Dog Month - visit today, have some fun, enter contests and get in the know!

What's it like to live in a shelter? These pups can tell ya! Every person has a story, but so does every animal, and each year, thousands of stray or unwanted pets end up in animal shelters. Sheltered, a new website helps you to get to know the animals behind the bars from their perspective.

And, if you are thinking about adopting a new pup, here are some great articles to read before you make your final decision: