First, happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I know it’s a very commercialized holiday but I find that celebrating love is a pretty wonderful thing. Whatever kind of love you have in your life, I hope you are honoring it today.
Last year, I wrote about the most important kind of love… love for yourself. Today though, I wanted to share a different love story, my love for rescue. Sure, by now you can guess that I am fairly obsessed with this whole animal thing rescue, but why? The simple answer would be to say because I am obsessed with animals (true), but that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface, so let’s dive deep, shall we?
In high school, I worked at a local veterinary office. I was mostly responsible for cleaning up after animals but I would also assist with vaccinations, blood draws, x-rays, and lab tests. Occasionally, they’d ask me to help with a euthanasia. By far, this was emotionally the hardest part of my job, but it was also what forever changed the way I viewed pets.
When people would come in with their animals to say goodbye, I saw how deeply we are bonded with our pets. Those final moments and the love I witnessed between human and animal have stayed with me. It is this bond that will forever push me to find a home for every homeless pet.
I know the feeling of finding the animal that completes you, an animal that makes your life whole. I am passionate about sharing that feeling. When I adopted Roni and Cheese (aka failed miserably at fostering) my life became more colorful. Having raised them from a very fragile age, I forever cherish their quirks and antics. Rawlings added a new layer of love (and ridiculousness) to our crazy household.
Besides my husband, these three furry creatures are the most important thing in my life. As someone who has experienced depression and anxiety, my pets are a source of comfort for me. They’ve calmed me down from a panic attack, they’ve soothed stresses, and they’ve kept me active. They’ve helped me through some really tough times. And while this may sound silly to some, just know that pets have been shown to lower blood pressure, increase oxytocin, and help with depression treatment. So when people tell you their pet saved their life, they may not be stretching the truth.
In fact, I can’t tell you how many times people have messaged me telling me how their rescue pet really rescued them. It’s a common theme among those that adopt. They find that the pet was the one who saved them. I truly believe that by helping animals, we are helping ourselves as a society to be kinder, more empathetic individuals. In the end, saving animals saves us, and don’t we all need that? We could all use a little saving in today’s world.
There is no greater feeling than seeing people adopt a pet and then seeing how much joy they bring to their new family. I know that the adoption is just the beginning of a new bond, that same bond that I witnessed more than 15 years ago. Whether or not adopters know it, their new pet is rescuing them. This is why I love rescue.
A big thank you to Two Birds Photography for capturing this beautiful shoot. Two Birds is a husband and wife team that donate a portion of their proceeds to Second City Canine Rescue! Also thank you to Salvage One for allowing us to shoot in their space. If you’re looking for a unique venue or some vintage pieces for your home, check them out!
THE RESCUE:
Oswald – Man, oh, man. I am not entirely sure the pictures fully capture how massive this boy is. At 150 pounds (and gaining) this dog (small horse) is one of the coolest dogs I’ve ever met. He’s about 3 years old and as sweet as they come. He is extremely friendly, good with other dogs, and housetrained. I hope his new family has a very large couch because he will dwarf any regular sized furniture.
Oswald is available for adoption through Second City Canine Rescue. Those interested in adopting him should fill out an application and then meet Oswald this Saturday at the PetSmart in Schaumburg. I recommend getting there early or right on time because somebody will scoop him up quick!
THE STYLE:
I received this top for Christmas and am just now finally getting around to photographing it! I paired it with my favorite Aritzia skirt and ASOS booties. You can shop a similar (and much cheaper!) skirt and the rest of the look below.
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3476857″]
xoxo,
Christine
