Last Sunday, after the Vikings' excellent win (go Favre!), Matt and I headed out to the Humane Society with one of his friends. We went to one up in the cities. His two friends are humane society nuts; they got their dog at the humane society, and they look forward to adopting more pets when they have something bigger than their one bedroom apartment. We tagged along because we've been thinking about getting a cat (one of my 101 things!) and are taking baby steps.
The cats were fine. I didn't fall in love with any of them, but there were definitely some cuddly creatures. Mostly, I felt bad. A lot of cats were in smallish cages without much room to roam. On the plus side, the humane society did have these awesome "visiting rooms" where a few cats at a time could hang out. The rooms had perches, climbing posts, and scratching pads for giving the cats a workout.
Who I did fall in love with was an awesome dog. He's all black and a collie mix. I pet him through his cage, and then he brought me his ball and we played a very small game of catch.
I wish I could tell you that he is my new puppy, but it's not meant to be. We just don't have the space for such an active job, and I don't think it would be fair to adopt a dog and not give it the treatment it deserves. I'm sure he's already been picked up by an awesome family, as he was so friendly and sweet.
In the future, I'm really looking forward to having a family, a dog, and all that good stuff. After growing up with pets, I really miss having an animal companion.
Edited to add: When I do get a pet, this list of eco-friendly pet tips will definitely come in handy. My vet friend frequently backs up the food recommendation; better pet food will cost you more in food, but it will probably also cost you much less in vet bills. I love that "get your pet from a shelter" is their first tip.