Putting my money where my mouth is

This is Dexter, the newest addition to my kennel. A few years ago I rescued a little mutt named Oscar from the Corona, CA animal shelter, and for some reason I had it on my heart to save another. Oscar was in eminent danger because he was older, kind of ugly and in poor condition. Dexter is a Miniature Pinscher that was in the hands of IMPS, or Internet Miniature Pinscher Service when I found him. IMPS had rescued him from a kill shelter and placed him in a foster home where he was being loved and cared for by a kind-hearted soul named Susan. She relinquished Dexter to me with great difficulty and only after a complete background check including a phone call to 2 of my vets. IMPS was very thorough and good for them.

As you can see, Dexie is a little roach-backed, but what you can't see from the photos is how small he is. He weighs 5 pounds and is just a little bit longer than my TV remote control. I am mindful of hawks and owls when he is outside with me, and did one time see a Redtail circling above checking him out. He is about the size of a cottontail rabbit. I can easily pick him up with one hand and lately he has taken to sitting on my chest when I do sit-ups. It's like using a free weight to add resistance. He also has a horribly undershot jaw, which looks to be about half the length that it should be. Does any of that matter to me? Not a wit. He is a lovely little dog and another blessing in my life.

On this blog and in my life, I talk a lot about the vast number of dogs that are killed in this country each year from over-population caused by unconscionable breeding practices. Arguably, the numbers range between 2 and 3 million. The solution to that, of course, is to promote sensible, responsible breeding practices, STOP tacitly approving puppy mills by licensing them, STOP buying puppies, and to rescue. So that's what I did. I rescued and then fostered Oscar and placed him in a loving, forever home, which took all of about 1 hour. And now I have adopted Dexter and placed him in my loving, forever home. There are untold numbers of dog rescue operations all over the country. Just Google your desired breed to find one. Most are registered charities, like The Mid-Atlantic Border Collie Rescue, so your good deed is rewarded at tax time. PetFinder is a good place to begin your search, or you can adopt from a humane organization like the ASPCA. Referring to all animals, their slogan is "We are their voice," so you can let them put your money where their mouth is.