Meet a Few Special Pets Waiting for You

According to the Humane Society, 63% of American households have pets, but only 10% of owned dogs and 18% of owned cats are adopted from shelters. So many great companion animals need you. If you’re looking for a new pet, I highly encourage you to visit your local shelter. If you want to research online first, there are plenty of resources.

Where to search online for shelter pets:

• Shelter Pet Project, a fun site that asks you questions before revealing your matched pet results.
• Petfinder, a valuable resource utilized by many shelters and rescues.

As you may know, I’ve been featuring special needs pets this week in honor of National Shelter Appreciation Week. Why? No pet should have to live for years in a shelter before finding a forever home. Plus, the space that pet is taking up may be preventing other pets from being accepted at the facility if space is limited. While special needs pets are often overlooked because of medications, special diets or physical disabilities, they’re so very deserving of homes too.

Please take a few minutes to read about these special pets looking for homes. If you know someone who might be interested, pass along this post to them.

Annika gets along well with other cats and loves to play hide and seek.

Annika lives in Raleigh, NC at Second Chance Pet Adoption. As you can tell, this black-and-white beauty has long hair, and she’s quite sweet. Her caretakers report that she loves to be held. She even performs belly flops for extra attention. Annika was found near a dumpster as a kitten, and she’s been living at Second Chance for two years now. Her only special requirement is that she needs daily eye medications for an infection that had not been treated properly before she was rescued. Her vision may be a little impaired, but those who take care of Annika say that you’d never know that by the way she plays! To adopt Annika, visit secondchancenc.org or call (919) 851-8404.

Leo loves toys that squeak, and falling asleep on the sofa next to you.

Leo will certainly melt your heart. He is a loving Pekingese in need of a good home. Leo is with CARE NJ now, but he was found roaming the streets of Jersey City, NJ. Leo’s right eye had to be removed because of severe damage suffered before rescue. Leo went through a lot. Yet, his left eye is going to be fine despite some scarring. He just needs a few eye drops — that’s all! Leo is in a foster home right now where he gets along great with other dogs, as well as cats. He’s been described as a “big time kisser.” He loves to play, and would be very happy to have his own home at last for the holidays. To adopt Leo, get in touch with CARE NJ by calling (201) 436-6595.

Baxter longs for a home with a nice big yard!

The next two pets are with Homeward Trails Animal Rescue in Arlington, VA. Baxter is a two-year-old Australian cattle dog mix. His previous owners shot at him with a BB gun. Understandably, he gets stressed when confined to small spaces as he was during the abuse. If he gets stressed, he may attack his tail, but he hasn’t done that in a couple of months. His caretakers can teach you special ways to help Baxter avoid his tail-chasing outbursts. Baxter isn’t aggressive, but he needs a home without other animals or small children. For more details on adopting or fostering Baxter, or donating to help him out, visit Petfinder.

Sunny was rescued from a high-kill shelter, but he's often overlooked at adoption events since others seem to want kittens instead.

Sunny, a long-haired orange tabby, is also with Homeward Trails Animal Rescue. Sunny is five years old, and he’s there at the door to greet his foster dad returning from work each day. Sunny is very friendly! While he gets along well with dogs, his relationship with other cats may be a little iffy. Perhaps he could share a home with a laid-back female kitty. Visit Petfinder to learn more about adopting Sunny.

(All images are courtesy of shelters linked above.)