“Adopt, don’t shop” might be one of the most used phrases among animal lovers.
According to the Internet, the phrase started as a slogan by Last Chance for Animals (LCA), a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating animal exploitation. However, it has managed to spread worldwide and become synonymous with the humane treatment of abandoned animals.
LCA, an avid believer that people should adopt animals from shelters and rescues, continued to spread the word and become an epitome of everything that animal rights activists stand for.
Now, when you’re thinking of getting a pet, finding a BFF, or adding another member to your furry family, you need to think of where you’re fetching them from. Are you going to a rescue or a shelter, or are you spending your savings on a designer dog or cat?
What happens when you buy a puppy or a kitty from a breeder? While we agree that not every breeder approves of these techniques, we do need to mention that most designer puppies and kitties come from puppy or kitty mills.
We’re talking about facilities where female dogs or cats are forced to breed and pump out litter after litter without enough time to recover.
When they’re between births, they’re kept in small cages, horrible living conditions, and they’re not allowed to set a paw outside. They’re kept without adequate veterinary care, food, or water. They’re abused and discarded once they’re unable to reproduce anymore.
When you’re adamant about getting a puppy or a kitty with a pedigree, you need to do your research and make sure you’re getting them from trustworthy, humane breeders.
However, if you are one of the animal lovers that doesn’t care about the breed, we urge you to adopt your puppies and kitties from shelters and rescues. Before you make a decision, think of the adorable animals you’d save that way.
When Hart, the littlest orange kitten that was found roaming the streets of Tampa, Florida, arrived at AnimalLuvr’s Dream Rescue, he didn’t think he’d ever get adopted. He was malnourished, weak, and beaten down. He had a bruised nose from God knows what and an upset tummy.
Nadija, a foster volunteer at AnimalLuvr’s Dream Rescue, took the kitten home with her that day, but she wasn’t sure whether she’d be able to help. He was scared of everything and everyone, and she wasn’t sure whether he’d want to eat or sleep at her home.
He wasn’t happy about the attention he was getting, but the situation took a turn once he figured out that he wasn’t under attack. He started eating better, gaining weight, and growing bigger. He had trouble getting out of bed to go to the litterbox, and he made a mess the first night he spent at Nadija’s.
He didn’t give up, though, and Nadija shared how proud she was that he was making an effort to eat, drink, and use the litter box without her encouragement.
Nadija’s Instagram page, @tiny.paws.fosters, was beaming with photos of Hart’s progress. Not to mention that Nadija captured Hart’s first-ever spa night – she bathed him, got rid of the fleas, and cleaned his filthy ears.
Hart was getting better and better with each day, but he was struggling with tummy problems that were preventing him from gaining weight.
He was given a bunch of meds that weren’t doing what they were supposed to be doing and Nadija was worried that he was going to get worse. Nonetheless, she managed to get him approved for new meds that seemed to be working much, much better.
Now, things were looking up for Hart, that’s for sure.
Hart was the sweetest kitten ever, according to Nadija. He was affectionate and appreciative, and he wasn’t afraid of asking for attention. He was happy to be around humans, but he was even happier when he was allowed to play with other kittens. He seemed to have found a BFF when he met Peyton.
Peyton arrived at Nadija’s foster home a while back, but the two didn’t meet because Hart was struggling with a bunch of health problems and Nadija wanted to make sure he was happy and healthy before he met the rest of the family. Peyton was a newborn when he was rescued.
Parker, Peyton’s brother, didn’t survive. But Peyton fought hard to get better and grow stronger, and after a few weeks of contact battle, he was out of the woods. Before Peyton and Hart met, Peyton didn’t seem to click with any of the other animals.
Hart didn’t have time to meet any of the other animals anyway, and the two ended up needing one another. Peyton and Hart became BFFs right away – after a few sniffs and growls, the two took to each other and didn’t want to depart from each other.
Hart started following Peyton everywhere he went, and Peyton started bringing toys to Hart. Nadija was over the moon to witness the birth of a beautiful friendship, but she was dreading the day that the two would have to separate.
She didn’t even think that the two would ever get adopted together.
She was wrong, though, because a couple from Tampa, Florida, decided to reach out and schedule a meetup with both of them. She was surprised to hear that they followed Peyton and Hart’s story on Instagram and decided to adopt them together before someone separated them.
Peyton and Hart were more than excited to go home with them and meet the rest of the family – which pretty much consists of a senior pup and the couple that adopted them. Nowadays, Peyton and Hart spend their days bugging and bothering their sister with their shenanigans.
