Yes Princey, Blackberry is indeed my first dog.  When i was growing up, I always wanted a pet, but all we had was my little brother.  heehee...more stories on that later...

When I started looking for a dog, my parents were not thrilled at all.  We were never allowed to have an animal when I was young, mainly because of messes, fur, etc... We had some fish, which I liked, but wasn't as into because I couldn't pet them or take them for walks. 

After visiting Blackberry and submitting an application, I waited and found out soon that he could be mine!  I was so incredibly thrilled that I was going to finally be able to bring him home!  My parents were really worried, but now, looking back, they think it was one of the best choices I ever made, without their consideration!!

They love him now and consider him a grandchild!  We are going to visit them this summer again.  It will be the third time Blackberry and I have made the trip together.  I only wish he had his driver's license so he could share in the driving!  We are looking forward to a fun summer enjoying the shore!

Jen you make good points  ! Everytine I read this thread I come away with enlightened mind    It's good to see such passionate  pet owners on all sides of the issues  

 Gecko...  spoil them with Love ... you can't go wrong 

 Snowwy ~  Great story !   I'm always amazed of people taking their pets on such trips as you do   and how Brennan use to take his dog on his cross country trips .  My Asia  hated going for rides in my truck or car .  ( no Massachusetts drivers jokes please )    She would jump in there  all excited but as soon as you drove away she would paninc ..want to sit on my lap  and her hair would be shedding all over me as I was driving !  Try driving with a 90 lb GSD  crying on your lap ~~  lolol  She was  surely  a housebody dog ~~   I hope to get my new dog  comfortable with rides in the truck to the lake or to the beach. As I do a lot of boating and fishing .. would be great to have her along too    BTW Snowwy ...   take the long way and swoop into Boston ....  dinner's on me

Great input everybody !  Thanks for contributing ! 

OMGOSH newfs!!

That is such a funny story, scary, but funny!

My kitty is from a shelter. The shelter had over 50 cats and she jumped on me when I walked into the room as if to say "SAVE ME MOMMA!" and I caught her and never let her go.

OMG Irish,

that's so cool

I have one dog from a breeder, one that was rescued and another that I am fostering until a good home can be found for him.

There are so many unwanted and throw away dogs here in GA its a bloody crime!

My sister and BIL live in Blue Ridge,  NC.  Both belong to the HS up there and they have a shuttle that goes to COnn. once a month full of unwanted dogs and cats that people turn in for unbelievable reasons or that end up tied up to a recycle bin.....beautiful animals that don't have a chance unless they're one of the lucky ones that end up on the shuttle.  Conn is a no kill state and people are glad to get the animals.

Why don't people spay and neuter their pets? Do they have a malfunction of the brain? 

Everyone is entitled to there own opinions.  The only advice I ever give people who are contemplating adding a furry friend to there family, is to please first volunteer at a local rescue/shelter.  It may or may not change the way you see thing but we promise you it is something you will never regrett!

The 6 of us are all rescues.

We have a 1 yr old German Shepherd. We got her from a breeder. we have a 9 yr old GS too. We rescued her when she was a puppy. She also is a purebred shepherd. We just adopted a puppy from a rescue, to be a playmate  for our 1 yr old. We found our 9 yr old at a Circlr-K convenience store. she had been abandoned there. We brought her home to our family. We think the puppy that we got from the rescue is maybe a Newfie or Lab mix. He and our GS pup are so happy with each other. They are the best of friends. Our 9 yr old doesnt like to play. So we knew we had to get a friend for our GS pup.

Ok So I just came home from a local pet store in my neighborhood. I rarely (I've been there maybe 2 times in my life) go there but I needed food for my sons new turtle Rufus. (an unexpected addition to the family). Never did I expect to leave with my heart breaking. They had about 10 puppies (mill puppies I'm sure)  they had no food and NO water, I'm sure or at least I hope they will feed them tonight before they go home... but to have NO available water pisses me off and their cages were way to small. It was like a sauna in there with the reptile lamps and all. They had 2 adult iguanas in what I would say was a 20 gallon tank ~they looked so uncomfortable. I will not go back to buy ANYTHING there. But I will go back to follow up on the complaint I will be making with the Michigan Humane Society tomarrow. 

PLEASE DO FOLLOW UP at that pet store to make sure your complaint has been heard and acted upon by the humane society.   Those helpless animals depend on kind people like yourself to be their voices.    It wouldn't hurt to check on that store every week if needed and if necessary, call the humane society or the police and report their neglect EACH TIME.  Eventually, they "may" do something about it and provide a decent environment with food and water for their animals. 

We had a simlar situation here where I live and I, among others, called enough times that the owner of the pet store cleaned up his place and cooperated.   It will take persistance, but please don't give up on those poor animals.  It breaks my heart to hear stories such as yours.    But each of us CAN change things if our hearts and souls are determined enough. 

Thank you for doing what you have done!    You may never know how much your actions have meant to those pets.            rabbit

I wouldn't judge anyone who buys from a reputable breeder (a friend of mine just bought a boxer that I hope was from a 'reputable breeder), but, for me, there are too many homeless dogs out there being killed in shelters for me to go anywhere other than a shelter or rescue for a pet.