A thank you from shelter pets to all who have adopted pets.

There is no greater gift than the one you gave when you said “Yes” to a pet in need.Shelter pets do not come in perfectly wrapped presents that you find under your tree on Christmas Day. They come to us with histories, often sad, or imperfections such as missing teeth or scars from their past. Some are strays with pasts that remain a mystery. Some experience behavioral issues such as separation anxiety, digging, jumping, or barking while some have medical special needs that require additional time and patience.

As you read this, please stop, take a deep breath, relax and smile. At some point, you gave a second or third chance and a loving home to one of God’s beautiful creatures who through no fault of their own were put in a position of not being wanted, of not fitting into their families’ lives. Your caring, love and generosity cannot be suppressed – you have given the ultimate gift.

On behalf of the dogs and cats who cannot speak for themselves, thank you for adopting a shelter pet.

When life becomes overwhelming, stressful and hectic, take a moment to look into your dog’s or cat’s eyes and receive the only gift they can give back to you – their unconditional love.

Here are some of the happy endings for our rescued dogs and cats!

Having got to know of SARA before we came to the island we knew we wanted to adopt a dog once we were settled. After saying we'd put it off until after Christmas of 2006 as we had to go to England, we visited the shelter just before traveling and fell in love with a little black Labrador cross. We couldn't wait to get back! Only two months on he's growing fast, he's learning, he's bright intelligent and happy - and very much a part of the family. No way would our consciences have allowed us to get a dog from anywhere else on the island other than SARA - and we are very happy we did.
Alan and Elle - March 07

Having lost our beloved miniature Schnauzer - Steffie – we went to SARA to find a replacement. We promised ourselves we’d take our time (maybe weeks) looking; knowing that owning a dog is a responsibility that requires love and devotion. One hour later, we had Phoebe. Soon after, we discovered Phoebe’s double, living rough, starving, filthy and timid. He was such a mess we called him Muttley.
Hugh and Linda - March 07