Scrolling through the internet and finding those perfect little puppy eyes staring back at you from the screen, and suddenly you realize you don’t just want a puppy, you need one. Sure, we think all puppies are sweet, but until you’ve owned a dog that’s been through a lot, you don’t truly understand it. A friend put this in perspective for me the other day when he said, “a dog’s humans are its whole world.” Anything they do, he wants to be a part of it. They are his humans - his whole world.

Take one look into a puppy’s sad eyes as he lies across the cold, hard concrete of the floor in an overcrowded, way too loud kennel, waiting tirelessly for someone to come save him and take him to a real home, with better food and a sense of stability and comfort. He waits and waits, confused about what brought him to this place. When he was younger, it all seemed okay for him to be in this world, but then suddenly, it all changed. From losing his sense of “normal” and losing his old humans, no matter how they were separated, he misses them. He misses the quiet he used to have before he was placed in this kennel. He knows they are only there to help him, but it’s cold most nights and not enough people donate enough toys and blankets to keep him comfortable while he’s staying there. He needs a forever home- today, and for always. He’s been through a lot, whether it’s because he was given up on, lost, or any other scenario under the sun, he knows he had a past, but he’s hoping his future is better. Those same, sad puppy eyes will close each night, hopeful that someone will be interested enough to take him out of his cage to play – or maybe even interested enough to come save him and actually take him home.

Make no mistake, all dogs are needy and require a lot of time and effort, but it is overwhelmingly worth it in return. You feed them, make them feel like family, and take care of them for your whole lives together. These puppies, no matter what age or breed, need love, and they need good homes. Don’t let some of their rough exteriors fool you; they love to cuddle, and although they may be anxious or even shy at first, be persistent, yet gentle with them. Help them cope and grow from that while loving them with all you have. Keep in mind they don’t always come from great places or have any good memories stories from the past, so you need to be there to create goodness in their lives. You need to remember they may act a certain way or treat someone different because it reminds them of a not-so-great time in their lives before you came around to save them. They need to know you are different than what’s happened to them before. They need to trust you so that they can love you.

Once you get them home, and they become more and more comfortable, it’ll be hard to remember a time without each other, and trust me, you will both be better off because of it. Pet adoption is one of the most rewarding acts a human being can be a part of in their lifetime. Dogs are loyal, and they need a loyal human in their life, too. If you can be that loyal human, make your way onto a dog adoption website, Facebook even, and start scrolling away. You will catch a glance with your own set of puppy eyes that won’t let you go.

Adopt a puppy today, and love them forever. They need us now more than ever.