Today, my best friend turns three. He is the most precious soul I have ever come upon. He waits to eat his dinner until I’m home. He knocks off all the pillows from the couch. He chases flies and he brings a “bedtime toy” to bed every night. He’s an adventurer, explorer, and expert napper. He cuddles, kisses, plays, fetches, and basks in sunshine. He can run faster than I can, love bigger then I’d ever hope to, and he’s a fearless protector of our tiny apartment. He’s there for hugs and to kiss away my tears. He’s there for Friends marathons and is always up for hikes to the Hollywood sign.
Needless to say, he’s everything. He’s my everything. You can say I rescued Scout but really, we rescued each other.
I look back on what has changed in my life over the last 3 years. I graduated from college, moved to California after landing a job for Disney Animation, made life long friends, had heart breaking and lonely days, nights, and afternoons. I’ve been to Australia. I’ve bonded more than ever before with my family and I’ve leaned more on people I didn’t know 3 years ago then what I thought was possible. I’ve fallen down 8 times but I’ve stood up 9. A lot has changed over the years but Scout has remained my constant. He’s what best friends are made of.
Rescuing Scout is the best decision I’ve ever made. If you’re thinking about adopting a pet, I urge you to go to your local shelter. If you’re in LA, No Kill LA (NKLA) is a great resource. Their mission is to make LA a no kill city. Since its founding (2012), the killing rate has decreased by 66% in LA. They dream to have a country where no pet is killed because they don’t have a home. Adopting your pet means giving them a home, keeping them out of shelters, and most importantly saving a life.
Below, I’ve compiled a list of resources I used when looking into rescuing. I hope you find them helpful. If you have additional resources or organizations, please feel free to leave a comment below.
ASPCA – Don’t forget to sign the pledge!
Petfinder – How I found Scout! They linked me with Second Chance Rescue, a foundation based out of Colorado
Sunny:
Sunny is Scout’s brother. My brother has Sunny. The way these two react when they see each other is priceless. Everything I said about Scout echos for Sunny. Sunny is what his name describes. He is the happiest, most loving ray of sunshine I’ve ever seen. How did we get so lucky?
Happy birthday, Scout! -Ellie