We’re back furry fans!! When we last left you, I enlightened you all on the extreme case of Willow meows. Or as my family likes to refer to them, “the drama queen’s show”. This post, however, is about three lives my boyfriend and I were lucky enough to help save.

The boyfriend’s house is located on a large part of land and there are usually a lot of strays and feral cats in the area. But one in particular caught my eye one morning. I assumed it was his aunt’s dog, since they liked to run into his front yard in the mornings. But this little dude was not in pet shape. That evening, he approached the house as my boyfriend put food out for him. Once he trusted him enough, my boyfriend was able to inspect him. His face was covered in ticks and his collar, which had not been adjusted for quite some time, was digging into his neck, causing him to wheeze when he ran.

Despite all this, he was still friendly and trusting. After he was cleaned up and checked out, we waited to see if our local non kill shelter had room for him, but they were full, as so many shelters are these days. As the days passed, the little dog managed to endear himself so thoroughly with everyone that the shelter plan was never really carried out. He related well to all the other dogs in the family, even Thor (who is usually very suspicious of other dogs, especially little ones). We named him Jon Snow (my boyfriend pointing out that “he was someone’s bastard” as a joking reference to Game of Thrones. We have a strange humor sometimes.).

Next came Bogie, named by me for Humphrey Bogart. After a about a month after we found Jon Snow, we were walking behind hig grandmother’s house when we noticed something in a bush near the street. What we thought was a cat turned out to be a puppy- a lab mix about 2 1/2 to 3 months old. He was too shy to come out with us, but the little stray Jon Snow saved the day. He crawled into the little bush, slowly showing the puppy it was ok to come out. He helped the puppy be comfortable among people and soon he was playing and socializing with the other dogs. He stayed with us about a week before we found a good home for him, where he now has two new sisters, a boxer and a Jack Russell terrier. His new mommy kept his name.

Lastly was a feral kitten we dubbed Cosette. She actually stayed with my sister, then me before a stroll in the neighborhood found her a new home. Which was good, because Willow, Tiberious and Princess were not happy about our temporary guest.  It was never a question for us to leave them without a home or a chance. The sad truth is that while we did go to our local shelters, there simply isn’t enough room for all the strays. They end up living on the streets or picked up by animal control, where they have very little time and chances for a new life.

The reality is that all three of these strays became loving and grateful members of the families that took them in. Jon Snow is one of the sweetest dogs, who I would now say was fat if I didn’t remember how skinny he was when we found him. Remember that next time you think about adding a new member to your family; while any type of dog or cat will be a great addition, consider giving a shelter dog a chance for a new life. Even donating to any of these top ranked animal charities will help make a great difference to animals who deserve love and a family. Remember, if possible, adopt, don’t shop!