It was the weekend and while scrolling through some Facebook posts, I come across an animal rescue’s FB page. I got so addicted to watching these and crying over poor animals being labeled “vicious,” especially those a part of the bullied breeds: German Shepherd’s, Pit Bulls, Rottweiler’s, etc. It was then that my friend and I came across two Germans that had been labeled as “aggressive” and were due to be put down on the following Tuesday. My heart broke and I researched these dogs. In videos of them it was clear that they were NOT aggressive, just misunderstood and in the case of Hunter, a young dog, had been cooped up and was therefore super hyper. The video of hunter showed him wagging his tail and playing catch all while having a beautiful smile on his face.

We had recently lost Rocky, a senior Shepherd, that had been severely neglected in his life. In his last year we did everything possible to give him a warm, loving, and accepting home. He had his moments, but we are very understanding because you can never know what an animal has gone through and they can’t know that you won’t treat them the same way. He slowly warmed up to us and by the end he knew he was loved and wanted. It was as though we were letting go of an old friend.

This now meant that we were able to give a home to another soul. On Monday we learned that a shelter had rescued the older of the Shepherds. However, Hunter was to be put down the next day. We called shelters and the pound Tuesday morning trying to get him saved. The rescue said that they would rescue him but they had no more room in their facility and so we volunteered to save him by fostering him in our home.

I want to make a fact known: when a dog has had a bad past, has been abandoned, and locked in a cage at the pound they might show some signs of aggression because that is traumatizing for them HOWEVER it does not mean that they are aggressive dogs.

Case in point: our Hunter was labeled Aggressive and I swear whoever labeled him as such should be ashamed. Hunter is a four-year-old German shepherd with a heart of gold that we were able to save by fostering him. We failed at fostering because we fell in love with him and adopted him, giving him his forever home with us. He has been with us for many months, almost a year now, and we couldn’t be more thankful for such a loving boy

Hunter has showed signs of “aggression” such as being super playful and nibbling (which we believe is a past time habit), but he stops when instructed to, he has been “aggressively” loving to his adopted brother and two sisters despite having difficulty being accepted by his brother at times, whom I will add is two feet shorter than him. He has “aggressively” loved his new mom and myself and has been a beautiful light for us these months.

Hunter loves to run and still has puppy in him, in fact he needs to run and play constantly as that energy is always there. If you can’t handle a puppy, handle their need to be outgoing, and full-of-life-attitude, then you should not be responsible for them. An animal requires the same love, attention, and dedication and even more patience than you must have to care for a child. They are like children: they are not always able to communicate or be understood, but they need to be with people who can dedicate their all to them and give them the best care. They are not accessories and as much as you might want one, they need constant love and attention. If you cannot take care of yourself then you do not need to neglect another soul and then abandon them later.

I will add that any dog requires being able to have a home suitable for their needs, being able to exercise them constantly, buy the right foods, pay for medical bills, and have the time to be home with them and feed them. They are a companion and require constant love, exercise, and attention. Be willing to sacrifice your time, plans, and money for them. If you can do this, then you are worthy of their companionship.

There are thousands of dogs that die everyday because people don’t research the breed before they get the dog generally ending up in neglect and undeserved frustration and/or not being able to care for them. These animals deserve to have forever homes and deserve to be loved. People might think that not every dog is right for their home, but the truth is not every person is right for these animals. All pets deserve those that can give them what they need.

I would like to mention that while senior dogs are older, they need homes as much as younger dogs do. They might already be trained and you will be able to see their personalities. They have beautiful hearts and just want to be loved and deserve to be. Also, all breeds are worth loving. Forget what you think you know about breeds! Every animal is worth getting to know and being given a chance. They might not all be for you depending on what you are able to handle; yet, they should all be given the chance. If you keep an open heart you might strike gold!