This poem was written by Marie Goodavage, Dogster Blog, to honor her dog and Petfinders Adopt The Internet Day. I thought it is so pretty that I have to share it. Jake is a Lab that she adopted 7 years ago from a shelter and is currently living the good life in CA. It made me feel happy and sad at the same time.
The Rime of the Adopted Dog (With apologies to Samuel Taylor Coleridge) The cops found me alone and lost In a bad part of the city. I had had a decent home But now things were quite gritty (I dont swear!). They put me in a wire cage And took me for a ride. If not for my wagging tail I think I might have cried. In a loud room filled with barking dogs I had to wait and wait For my family to come claim me But that would not be my fate They never showed, they never called They didnt seem to care. How could they let me stay in here When they were right out there? The shelter had so many dogs It would crowd up and then One by one would take a walk And not come back again. One day a lady stopped and stared And asked to take me out. Would this be the final walk I had so worried about? Would this be the end of me? The mellow yellow pup? With love to give and life to live Was my number already up? We started walking down the aisle Past dogs with eyes so pleading I could not bear to think Of all the homes that they were needing. Why were they here and not out there? Did they really deserve this? Where were their homes, their families? No wonder they looked nervous. Down the aisle with head hung low I slunk to face my fate But then she took me in her arms And walked me through a gate. We played and snuffled for an hour At last she said to me, How about I take you home And find you a new family? As we walked out that cold fall day I had to wonder why I had gotten so lucky when So many others would die. She found me a forever home Its been eight great years since then But every so often in a bad dream Im back in the shelter again. And so I ask you humbly, To help end all this strife, To adopt, to rescue, not to buy In short, to save a life. Barked By Jake, (Marie Goodavage-mommy)
