Why buy a pet when you can save one?  Most of my beloved pets were rescued from situations of abuse, neglect, illness, and injury. They all have a story to tell. A child abandoned my sixteen year old cat, Nugget, at a veterinary hospital where I worked when he was less than a week old. My fifteen year old horse, Roman, lay abandoned, injured, bleeding, and dying in the middle of a remote farm road one cool April night. My dogs Frodo and Flash had loving homes but needed to overcome some obstacles with behavioral training and medical treatment. My pygmy goat, Perseus, suffered from mild neglect and had never been handled by human hands. Apollo, a retired hunter/jumper quarter horse, needed some special handling and care for an injured hoof.

I challenge you to rescue an animal, too. Many animals, even purebreds, find their way into shelters. Thousands of horses and other livestock need homes as well. Be sure and vaccinate and microchip, too.