Adoption Diaries: Thanksgiving Edition

Elyse’s Adoption Diary:
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you are reading this with a full belly and a furry pet on your lap. I’m about to list stuff I’m thankful for, and it is going to be mushy. Verrrrry mushy. So consider yourself warned. But if you weren’t into mushy you wouldn’t be reading this in the first place, right? OK, here I go…

• I’m thankful for you wonderful readers who come back every week to read this diary and check up on the animals of the ASPCA.


• I’m thankful for the selfless adopters who take home senior or special needs animals.


• But I’m also thankful for children who yearn for a puppy or kitten.


• I’m thankful to the staff at the A; from my friends and colleagues, I’ve learned what it means to give your whole self to protecting animals who have no voice.


• I’m thankful to—and frankly, in awe of—volunteers. To willingly devote your spare time to walking dogs, playing with cats, and the more thankless tasks of poop patrol and cage cleaning… I have no other word for that than awe.


• I’m thankful to my mom for every cute cat tchotchke displayed in our house—and there were many. My mother is the reason I grew up loving animals.


• I’m thankful to the pets in my life and the life lessons they’ve taught me. When I was a kid, I picked the most beautiful kitten at the shelter, Cosette, but I was only allowed to adopt her if I took her ugly, raggedy sister, too. That ugly sister, Eponine, grew up to be a breathtaking beauty while Cosette was pretty but plain. But who cared… what mattered was waking up to both of them in my bed with me. And now I’m thankful to my current cats, a brother-and-sister duo who perfectly exemplify sibling love and rivalry.


• I saved the best for last. I’m most thankful to the animals at the ASPCA Adoption Center for letting me into their lives and teaching me so much. Thanks to Spud for teaching me not to take life too seriously. When in doubt, get up and jump around! Thanks to Tulip for teaching me you can reside on an office floor with “important” people and still be the one in charge. And thanks to all the furry ones who take the time to hang out with me and show me it’s OK to sit, relax and cuddle for hours and shirk all responsibility.
  Actually, I didn’t mean any of that stuff. I’m just trying to get in good with Santa this year. ;)

** Be sure to check out my Flickr page to see all the photos from my visits to the adoption center.
** View available animals at our adoption center.

P.S. Dear readers, what are you thankful for today? Shoot me a comment and let me know!