Butters is Two!!!
A Birthday Blog for our very special girl
Maybe one day, if I have human children, I'll look back on these little blog posts about our precious puppers and think that I was absolutely nuts. But, she is our whole world and our greatest love - our first baby.
And today she is two!
We spoiled her so very much for the holidays that we actually decided that celebrating having Butters in our lives should look a bit differently for her birthday. She of course will get lots of playtime today (she is a play motivated dog and will take throwing a ball over a treat any day of the week), a homemade cake treat from mom and lots of snuggles.
But instead of toys, we decided to make a donation to help homeless pets through the York County SPCA and their Second Chance Fund.
Butters was rescued from a high-kill shelter in Alabama and brought to Pennsylvania where she was diagnosed with giardia. Luckily, it is an easily treatable intestinal parasite that Kyle and I were more than capable of handling at home and she got to come home to us! Some stray and surrendered animals arrive at shelters with serious medical complications and conditions that need immediate attention.
The YCSPCA Second Chance Fund exists to pay for the veterinary care for animals who need medical care that is more extensive than what can be provided at the shelter. Whether there is an injury from an accident or the animal has been cruelly mistreated, the Second Chance Fund helps cover their medical care and get them into a home where they can be loved and snuggled. You can read more about that fund HERE.
I'd say that I have always had a soft spot for animal causes and adopting Butters has really driven us to want to make a difference even if it's just educating people on adoption and getting them aware of their local shelters and rescues. As our little girl turns two, we are just so thankful to have the opportunity to give her a warm home, active socialization, lots of exercise and tons of treats.
On her second birthday, Butters wants you to know:
Where we live butts up to a rural area of Amish country and has some of the worst puppy mills in the world. The Amish community are very well known for their milling and Butters and I are here to tell you that the cute little farm with the sweet family you visited in Lancaster County who just breed one dog to supplement their income... are lying to you. Puppy Mills are large-scale breeding facilities where dogs are kept in unsanitary, inadequate and overcrowded spaces while being under-fed and lacking totally in any socialization. Puppy millers very rarely ever have customers visiting the actual facility/farm. Instead they move mom and puppies to a different, clean, cozy, welcoming home in order to do those meet-and-greets. You can read more on puppy mills here but our bottom line is: friends don't let friends buy dogs. Adoption should always be your first option.
Yes... rescue groups and shelters often have puppies and specific dog breeds! Butters was 15 weeks when we adopted her from our local SPCA. Again, adoption should always be your first option.
It is cold out here in the northeast. Very, very cold. Friends, if you see dogs left out in the cold, call your local humane officer or your local police to report it. You could save that dog from freezing to death. Libre's Law is protecting Pennsylvania animals by making some cruelty crimes a felony charge and changing tethering conditions.
VACCINATE YOUR PETS. This one became so real for us this year after our rabies-bat-scare. Thankfully, because we are so obsessive about her healthcare and vaccinations, we didn't have much to worry about but had we slacked off, we could have lost our girl over just a small incident. If you don't have a veterinarian, call your local SPCA to ask for resources on affordable vaccines. Most have periodic free or low cost shot clinics that are first come, first served. Rabies and Distemper are the two most important ones but your vet can educate you on what your pet needs.
Spay and neuter your pets. PLEASE. I probably sound like Bob Barker on The Price is Right but the only way we will reduce the homeless pet population dramatically is being proactive about spaying and neutering our animals. Again, if this is financially out of reach for you, most SPCA's offer spay and neuter services for anywhere from $10 - $50.
Finally, microchip your best friend. I can't tell you how many posts I see with lost dogs who are not microchipped. Brandywine Valley SPCA offers microchipping at their clinic for just $20. Seriously. $20 could be the difference between getting your lost pet home to you or losing them forever. Additionally, you should also have your pet wear their license tag on their collar because your local county treasurer (who handles those licenses) will be able to look up your dogs license number and then locate you!
Thank you for letting us share our love for our little smoosh with all of you. She is our best friend, our first baby, our favorite snuggler, the best sloppy kisser and my favorite work-from-home office buddy. We hope you will go adopt your own four-legged best friend, make a donation to a local pet rescue organization, educate others about the importance of adoption and just love on your fur babies so much today and always.
Baby Butters, we love you so very much. We are so honored to have the opportunity to rescue you but truly, you rescued us. Even on the worst days, you bring us smiles. You are our sunshine.