Giving Back in 2018 – Lauren Adams
As someone who grew up with purebred Doberman Pincher’s my entire life, I didn’t know or realize that dogs from animal shelters live with a pretty unfortunate stigma. They often aren’t purebred, they often aren’t puppies, and they often have some baggage. This usually doesn’t fit into the box people create for themselves when they decide they are ready to get a pet. And because of this, rescue dogs often get overlooked.
As a young adult in Los Angeles, I learned about animal shelters, as well as rescue organizations, who advocate for dogs that end up forgotten, abandoned, and discarded. Los Angeles, in particular, is full of dogs who need homes. And that’s where Reno enters the story. I adopted Reno when he was two years old. He was a skinny white fluff ball who was often mistaken for a wolf when we walked around the city, although in my mind he is more like a polar bear. He didn’t bark or wag his tail for the entire first year he lived with us. It took a decent amount of time and patience to get him adjusted to life as a normal dog, one that had experienced the comfort of a real dog bed and a kind hand.
As someone who has worked from home the past couple of years, I get to spend every day with Reno. And while he is now 11 years old, and most of his time is spent napping while I work, I couldn’t ask for a better companion. I’ll be honest, rescue dogs sometimes require more work, but you often create more of a bond knowing that you did the work together.
When Philly Marketing Labs gave me the opportunity to donate $500 dollars in any way I wanted I knew I would use it to support the Women’s Animal Center. WAC is the only open-admissions Animal Shelter in Lower Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They accept all animals found or surrendered to them, regardless of age, breed, size or health. They take in about 3,000 animals a year and also run a low cost veterinary clinic to help the surrounding community. Most animal shelters, WAC included, can only continue to operate with the help of volunteers and donations. I’m using my $500 dollars to purchase food, toys, bedding, and other supplies for the animals at WAC who were given a second chance to find a family and a home. I hope each animal there can eventually become a best friend for someone and mean as much to their human as my dog means to me.
written by Lauren Adams
