Friday, June 2, 2017

Adopt, don't shop



Today on Lightstyle I would like to talk about something that's very dear to my heart. ARF animal shelter in Walnut Creek is offering free adoptions through June 11th. We adopted our fluffy love at Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation over a year ago and couldn't be happier with the service and the entire adoption process they offer. 

Let me tell you why you should go take a look for yourself, by telling you a little story. 


I have always been a cat person. All my childhood I remember asking my parents for a cat. My mom, who also adores cats, has always been on board. My dad however hated them with a fiery vengeance. Cats were a nuisance to him since all they would do in his eyes was dig and poop in his so preciously maintained paradise of a garden. Sadly, my dad passed away when I was 16 years old. It wasn't long after that my mom and I decided to fill the hole in our heart with a new friend, Beer (bear). In early 2005 Beer was born and when we met him He was this pathetic little ball of fluff that could fit in the palm of my hand. At three weeks old of course we had no idea he would turn into this meter long monstrosity of a cat... 
Long story short, when I moved to California to marry the love of my life, I left Beer behind in the thankfully very loving and caring arms of my mom. Though once again leaving a hole in my heart, just big enough for a little fluff ball.

Lucky for me my husband wasn't against cats roaming around his paradise of a garden like my dad was. As a matter of fact, he welcomed the idea of a feral and nimble little creature hunting around our yard, keeping squirrels away and fighting off the raccoons and other rodents threatening to eat out so carefully grown vegetable and fruit harvest each year.
We'd been talking about getting a cat for a while and actually visited some breeders looking at full breed cats. We both knew however that we wanted a cat that would be able to live both indoor as well as outdoor. Finally a good friend suggested we visit ARF in Walnut Creek. She had great experiences visiting ARF for work occasions and told us that it was a very good organization and the shelter is nice, modern and very clean. So one Sunday morning we decided to pay a quick visit.


And that's when I saw him. Hiding in a corner, terrified and shy. But so so fluffy. He was everything I had always wanted and I had to meet him. I think my husband knew that we wouldn't leave ARF without him the second I laid eyes on him. They told us that in the shelter they don't use names for the animals as they want to offer them a clean slate with their new owners, who are free to name them. On his chart however, his name was Bocce.

The shelter representative warned us that he was very very shy and scared of people, so far he hadn't taken a liking to anyone and that's why he was still there. But the second I stepped up to him and let him smell my hand, he snuggled up to me. It was that fateful moment that books are written about, movies tell the story over and over, songs describe the moment in all genres. It was love at first sight. 

We brought him home with us and he is a dear part of our family now,



Lucius Gonzalez

I'm hoping that with this story I can inspire you to pay a visit to ARF and find your furry soulmate like I did. These animals deserve a second chance in a loving home, with someone who will take care of them and love them unconditionally.

Look for the latest adoptions and address on their website:

Good luck and may you find love just as we did! 

#adoptdontshop

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