Guest guest Posted April 5, 2000 Report Share Posted April 5, 2000 howdy. i developed RA l.5 yrs. ago. i was a basket case. a dog has helped me get my mind off it and got me walking the streets. i work for the local humane society, and this is what you need to do: go to the pound. look for a dog you can manager, one that is perky, not sickly. ask to allow you to walk it on a leash. this will tell you if you can handle the dog. this is what i did. the first 2 pulled me down the road (they will do this some initially after they come out of the cage) and never stopped. it was horribly painful to my shoulders and NEVER would have worked out. anyway, the 3rd one walked right beside me and listened to my voice. this is how you can find the " right " dog. good luck and it really helped me feel better and push my bad feelings out of my body ... so to speak! the pure breed rescue league is great but these animals will not be put to sleep like the animals at the shelter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 5, 2000 Report Share Posted April 5, 2000 ......Just putting my two cents in to say that I also volunteer at my local Humane Society and there are certainly some wonderful pets, both dogs and cats, for adoption that not only give these animals a second chance at life, but act as mental and emotional therapy for the owner. It's amazing how one's attention is diverted away from oneself (and health problems)....the fun and laughter of their antics and cuteness helps you forget about the stiffness and pain. However, very importantly, and to reinforce what was already mentioned, a person needs first to be sure he/she can and will live up to the committment of an aminal (it's not ALL fun and games), and secondly, handle the physical part, ie, big dogs that pull, dog not previously trained or disciplined, etc. The difference is ususlly keeping the pet for it's lifetime OR returning it because the owner didn't do his homework. My personal experience at home this passed week was that our dog of eight yrs, Mandy, had to have stomach surgery and since she's been home for the last 4 days, believe me, I haven't even thought of my RA (except for taking minocin!....CAN'T forget that, LOL) ...just giving her all the love and attention she needs to return to normal. She's doing great! Have a good day everyone. Judy (Keels) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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