Our only non-rescue - but there's a reason!

Maggie - the only Dogonfunny model that was not a rescue.

Maggie's Christmas card - "All I Want for Christmas".

Maggie stayed in my home when her family went on vacation.

​
  The cute little guest-star for these and other cards was our neighbor, and sometimes house guest over a period of four years while we lived in Maryland. Her family lived just across from us and we were all good friends. The three children desperately wanted a puppy and they often found reasons to come over to play with our dogs, but one child was thought to be "allergic" to dogs. Mom, Stacey, researched "allergy-proof" dogs and found that Bichons, poodles, and a few other breeds should be safe. (This is because these type of dogs have very little dander which causes allergic reactions. Frequent bathing also helps.)

 Had Stacey talked with me first, I would have told her to try rescues for those breeds instead of buying a puppy, but I still use Maggie's story for one very important reason. Our own rescue, Angel, whose blog post (scroll down) was on 12/03/20, was a "designer "dog. Her story of being bought in a pet store (puppy mill), surrendered to a shelter at the age of 10 months, and being nearly euthanized was not a fate that would ever have occurred with Maggie. 
   In bringing a pet into their home, Stacey and John planned everything with the children. They all knew that it would be their choice when they visited the breeder and that they would all be responsible for feeding, walking and training their new puppy. Needless to say, these were excellent parents and they were raising three delightful and responsible children. So, I use Maggie's story to illustrate the way that people should go into an adoption of a pet - with their research done, their plan figured out, and their children understanding that a having a pet comes with responsibilities and commitments.
   We've had many other friends over the years with dogs and cats we've truly loved, but Maggie has been the only exception to our rule of featuring only rescues. We are deeply committed to our cause, which is to promote Adopt, Don't Shop, but Maggie's story gives us a chance to inform our readers about breed rescues and about the need to make the care and training of a pet a project for the entire family.     ​