Post by leslie

Did you guys know that today is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day? And since it is, I want to talk about my own rescue dog up there, Magda. (That photo is from the first month we brought our girl home.)Before this girl, I've always ended up with rescue/shelter dogs. Not really out of conscious choice, but that's just what kept happening. Magda was my fifth dog, and she was a rescue, and I mean she was a R.E.S.C.U.E.We were the fifth family to adopt her, and later I spoke with her foster mom who told me she was just waiting for the call from us to return Magda as well. Why, you ask? Well, Magda was hyper. She barked. She jumped. She was 4 mos. old, and she was strong, and she needed training badly. And she woke us up at 5 am each day by small puppy bites to the face.Instead of giving up on her (which was tempting that first month, let me tell you), we buckled down and worked hard on teaching her to be a good dog. We walked her multiple times a day and socialized her like crazy. We taught her to sit and stay. We taught her to slow down a little with her food. We taught her to approach children slowly (for her).Now, don't get me wrong. She's still a little nuts (especially when company comes over). But outside of that, she's a wonderful dog. She is so patient with Ezra, she's a great walker, and she's an amazing snuggler. She sleeps in like a champ (yay! finally!) and, frankly, she's just sort of hilarious. And I'm so glad we took the time she needed to welcome her to our family. It was 100 percent worth all the work.But, in case you have a very busy life with kids and cats and whatever, there is a rescue dog out there for you. One that might not be as much work as Magda. Maybe you'll end up with a Merlin (the best dog on the planet right out of the gate). But I will tell you that putting that much work into a pup and ending up with a great dog is amazingly satisfying.And that's why today I'm celebrating National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, and it's why I'm so proud to tell you about this personal project I've been working on. I'm calling it Adopt A Stray In May.For the entire month of May, I'll be blogging only about one thing: dogs that are being fostered and who need to be adopted. I'll be showing you portraits that I've been taking of these dogs (!!!) and sharing their stories and what kind of homes they need. And I'll be sharing the contact info in case for when your heart is melted and you decide you need one of these animals in your family.Some of these dogs have been living on the streets of Puerto Rico. Some have been shot at and still have bullet fragments in their skin. Some are missing ears and have multiple scars from their time as a "bait dog". Some are just sweet dogs who were surrendered for no real reason and who are so funny and sweet. And some are blind or deaf or both. Many are simply black dogs, which are the hardest to adopt (don't get me started). I guarantee there will be several that would be a great match for you. The hardest part of this project so far is not bringing several of them home to my own family!So please come back to this place every day this month and check out the dog I have listed. I promise, it will be a lot of fun. And please share this info with anyone you can think of who might be thinking of welcoming an animal into their home. The more of these dogs that get adopted, the happier I'll be. Cheers.