Yesterday the Pet Expo was happening in Minneapolis. Now, usually I am not into Expo's as it is a lot of people looking for free stuff and it gets a little crazy for me, but what could be better than a Pet Expo!
Okay, it was crazy, there were tons of free stuff and I came home with my share of new food samples and treats for the furry kids, but that wasn't what was the best part of the expo.
One of the best parts was watching Fly Ball for the first time every. I have seen it on TV a few times but never live. Fly Ball is where a team of dogs run one at a time over obstacles to get a ball at the end, check out http://flyballdogs.com/ to see some of the worlds best canine athletes. It was amazing and fun to watch. It made me want a dog that actually liked to run and play catch, something mine does not do.
Other activities that you could watch were the Dog Distance Jump where the owner throws a toy out into a pool of water while the dog flies through the air. Amazing - although the best part was the new pups who were trying it for the first time and wanted their ball but didn't want to get wet. There was Pet Dancing and Skill Training seminars. Some of these dogs are absolutely incredible.
Another part of the expo that I loved was all the animals. I petted a Boa Snake and some little white snake just to say I did and respect the owners love for them, I gave money to the Small Dog Rescue, even though I am not a small dog person, I bought samples and treats for the Furry Kids at home, and I learned about Therapy Dogs, Rescue Shelters, and a host of other agencies dedicated to helping pets of all kinds; dogs, cats, snakes, birds, rabbits, and rats.
The best part for me was actually seeing dogs up for adoption. Hard yes, but wonderful YES. It reminded me that I have a lot of love for sad eye dogs and I could have easily taken four of the 50 home yesterday as they leaned against me, looked at me with those sad eyes, and just wanted to be loved. I didn't bring any of them home as my current puppy doesn't have many years left and she deserves her space. She is also very set in her ways, so it would not be fair to any other animal to come in and not be able to be themselves right away.
So the morale of the story is if you have room in your home and time in your live, there are many furry friends out there waiting for someone just like you. If it is a cat, dog, bird, or snake - share the love. If you have kids, teach them to respect animals. The number of abused animals out there is staggering and I think we can solve some of this if we just teach respect to the next generation of owners.
Open your heart, open your home, volunteer your time, or open your wallet. There are so many ways to help both human and animal causes so remember to be open to helping, there are many other there that deserve a better life, so let's all do our part.
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