A Happy Medium

Blogging Friends.... If you have not already figured this out, I am a shameless advocate of mixed breed canines and mutt adoption on my Blog!! I'm unapologetic, really!! Why? Because I share my existence with a certain Beautifully Unique "Mystery Dog", named Rose!! And I love and celebrate her every second of the day!! Plus, based upon personal observation, seemingly nobody owns mutts!! But that is just what I have seen.... So, twice monthly, I will be expressing my feelings regarding anything mixed breed!! But do not desert me, dear Friends, because of this one Blog post. Please. There will be plenty of stories to come!!

Seventy-five percent. That is the total of mutts which enter shelters nationwide. Seventy-five percent. To me, this is a heartbreaking number.... Which experts do not tout nearly often enough!! No. They always mention the lesser, yet equally significant, percentage. In books. Online newsletters. Seemingly everywhere, this message is declared: Twenty-five percent of dogs which enter US shelters are purebreds. Well, while I feel pity toward those "pedigree" canines, what about the mutts, I always question. What about the mutts? Seriously. They are the seventy-five percent. And, which number is most likely to be unjustly euthanized, like some criminal on death row, in kill-shelters? Hmmm.... I have zero statistics for an answer, but my guess would be the seventy-five percent. The seventy-five percent. As I share my daily existence with Rose, this Beautifully Unique "Mystery Dog", that breaks my heart!! Breaks. My. Heart. It is my opinion that more people, in this case Americans, should adopt shelter mutts!! Why? For twain reasons. One: So that they can learn to love these "imperfect", yet beautiful four-legged creatures!! Mutts are not purebreds. Nope!! They are not "pedigrees". Yet mutts will be your devoted companions, same as with purebreds, for their entire lives!! Their entire lives. And two: If more Americans adopted shelter mutts, then, not only will they contribute to the seventy-five percent, but this number, hopefully, can be eradicated!! I'm an eternal optimist, I confess!! But when we adopted Rose at our local shelter, that is what I did. I contributed to the seventy-five percent!! Although I did not realize this at the time!! I was oblivious to any stats. I simply wanted a canine!! But I did contribute to the seventy-five percent!! Plus, I opened my heart to an "imperfect", yet beautiful four-legged creature!! That's right!! An adult three-year old "second-chance" little girl with a mysterious past, even!! And I'm so glad that I did!! I could not imagine my life sans Rose!! I could not imagine.... However. What would happen if every prospective owner adopted shelter mutts? Most likely the reverse result!! Literally. Purebreds would, eventually, became the seventy-five percent. Do I wish for that? Absolutely not!! So, I present my "Happy Medium" solution. That every multi-dog household, if possible, adopt one shelter mutt, and one shelter purebred!! Or more!! Some people do own several canines!! I acknowledge that. Should I ever adopt a second dog, which I'd never do, then he would be some medium-sized shelter purebred!! If possible. And he would be some rare breed, because I love all things different. If possible. He would be around the same size as Rose, too. If possible!! Then, I would experience this warm positive feeling that I'd just contributed to both parties!! Both parties. But, meanwhile, the seventy-five percent could use adopting....