Sunny and Belle
“Do we really need another pet? We already have five dogs.” This is the question we asked ourselves last June when we were trying to decide whether to adopt a kitty. But here’s the thing – we don’t have pets because we need them. We have pets because we love them! And so we agreed to adopt a cat, and my husband left the details up to me.
My first inclination was to find a cat for free in the newspaper or through a friend, and I saw dozens of ads for free pets. Then, I heard about HELP. I was intrigued by the fact that HELP is a true, no-kill animal shelter, so I decided to drop by and have a look. I was hooked! The problem was, I loved all of the cats and left that day having a really hard time deciding which one to adopt. There were adult cats and little kittens and everything in between. There were both males and females, and there were so many personalities – how would I choose one? There were so many beautiful little souls in those rooms, and I loved them all.
After much consideration, I went back to HELP and adopted not one, but two kittens. And so Sunny and Belle (formerly Zoe and Jason) became part of our family. My husband left the decision up to me, right? I ended up deciding on four-month-old kittens because I have three small children, and I knew that kittens or very young cats would more easily adapt to the activity level. When my children are older, I would love to go back to HELP and adopt an older cat too.
HELP is an amazing organization. They work so hard for the dogs and cats that are entrusted to their care. They don’t work for the people – their clients are the pets. I was not allowed to simply stroll through the doors and whisk up two cute kittens. HELP personnel checked my references and called my veterinarian to ensure that my other pets were well cared for! They did everything they could to ensure that they were sending Sunny and Belle into a home where they would be not only loved, but also cared for responsibly. And what’s even better -- your adoption fee does not cost you any more than getting a “free” pet – it simply pays for spaying/neutering and vaccinating your new pet, which are things any responsible pet owner would do!
Sunny and Belle have brought us so much joy. They were most definitely the right kitties for us, and we love them so much! I now donate monthly to support HELP. My donations are not very large, but I hope they make a difference. You don’t have to have a big budget to support HELP, just a big heart. If everyone donated even $10 to $20 per month, we could all make a difference. Thank you to all the staff at HELP for everything you do to provide a loving and safe home for so many deserving pets.
Rebecca Smith