You are here ~~> Canines Corner~~> Topics ~~> Rescue Success Stories

My name is Christina  (Chrissy for short) and I'd like to share the story of how I got my rescue pet.

It all started when I was little girl. I wanted a puppy so badly -- a companion that I could play around with and would greet me the same every day when I walked in the door no matter how awful my day went. But my parents didn't want another dog. We had one named "Missy" that was not that wonderful with children, thus the longing for a pup I could befriend that would love me as much as I loved them.

Many years later I met my husband. He had moved from Hancock (Maryland) to Baltimore just to be with me. We had struggles initially finding him a job in an overpopulated area like Baltimore.  But finally success was achieved when he found employment at the local theater supply company. He didn't make much - just enough to get by. But I will never forget his first paycheck!

I was fresh out of high school and he just gotten the job, so walking was our only means of
transportation. On this particular day he took a different route than usual and we ended up at the Maryland SPCA just blocks from our home. He had just $200 in hand and took me into the nursery.

There were many puppies their in need of a home but none of them seemed to fit the description I had always dreamed of. Then my husband called me over to a particular cage where a small black dog cowered in the corner. She looked alone and timid, underweight and was probably unappreciated by her former owners.

All the emotions I had felt growing up and being the outcast in high school allowed me to connect immediately with this dog. She was shaking and obviously afraid of all the commotion of a Saturday at the SPCA going on around her. As soon as she was handed to my husband, her shaking stopped. She licked his nose and then my hand when I petted her.  My husband said, "This is our puppy!"

We rushed to ensure that we could get her and my husband spent his entire paycheck on our new family member. That was just part of the reason I had married him - his internal feelings of sensitivity and love towards me.  He understood how important it was for me to find the perfect pup -- and I knew I would much rather save a poor outcast puppy then one from a store or mill.

We took her home and I named her "Boo Boo" because she would steal sandwiches just like Boo Boo stole picnic baskets from Yogi (besides. it is a really cute name that seemed to fit her!).

"Boo Boo" is 2 years old now and we love her more and more each day. Buying a dog from your local SPCA is far greater than purchasing from someone who sells animals for profit. Adoption is the greatest gift these animals will ever receive. A lot of their lives depend on the kindness and love from a family searching for the perfect pet. Adoption will not only save a life, it will provide you with a new friend, not to mention a member of your family for life.

Please find it in your heart to adopt and support the adoption of rescue pets. It is the best decision we have ever made and I hope that one day you can say the same!

Chrissy