Last semester my roommates and I made the spontaneous decision to adopt a dog. In the beginning, I thought adopting a dog would be easy and simple because of my experience with having dogs back at home, but I underestimated how hard it was. Because I was going to be the one who would be his legal guardian, it was up to me to choose a dog for all of us to take care of, but boy did I underestimate how difficult that decision was going to be. As much as I wanted to take all of the dogs at the shelter home with me, I knew that I needed to choose one that I connected with. It took two visits to the shelter for me to fully commit to one dog that I will have by my side for the rest of his and my life. Little did I know that the second visit would be the day I took home my sweet dog, Yorick. It’s been four months now with him and I can wholeheartedly say that he’s changed my life for the better.
I’ve never adopted a pet before in my life, but since then I have recommended anyone who desires to own a dog to adopt. There are so many local shelters and organizations that help dogs and cats find their forever homes. Here are some of my favorites:
Aggieland Humane Society
- Aggieland Humane Society is the place where I adopted my dog. Their mission is to provide humane care and placement for homeless and abandoned animals. They ensure that before an adoption takes place, the owners are fully capable of adopting/fostering one of their animals. They have a variety of cats and dogs to choose from and even have volunteering services. If you aren’t quite sure you want to adopt, they also offer fostering services as well. They provide everything needed for the animal such as food, bedding, and medicare for the animals so long as you provide a temporary shelter and care. If you just want to provide your time to help out their animals, they have a service called “Dog Day Out” where you have the chance to take one of their dogs out for the day. They often have a variety of adoption events around the Bryan/College Station area with special adoption fees. You can view all their adoptable animals on their website.
Zois Animal Rescue
- Zois is a rescue group that is supported by fosters based in the Bryan/College Station area. They have several adoptable events throughout the year and consistently are located inside a PetSmart on the weekends to help get their animals adopted/fostered.
Seven Kitten Rescue
- If you’re more of a cat person, then Seven Kitten Rescue is the perfect organization for you. They are an all-volunteer organization that is committed to reducing the homeless, abandoned, and abused cat population in the Bryan/College Station area. They also have to foster services as well. Those who apply to foster will be provided with all needed supplies and necessary medical services as long as you provide a loving, temporary home for the kitten. You can view their adoptable cats on their website.