Animal Rescue by Alex Erickson

I have a great love for animals. I believe they should all have happy homes where they don’t need to be afraid, where they don’t need to worry about where their next meal is coming from. Every person deserves to have a place where they feel safe and at home.

So do animals.

There are thousands of animals who are still waiting to find those homes. They sit in cages, awaiting the right person to come along and take them with them. Some are scared. Others sad. But when given a chance, they can brighten your day.

My family has always looked to help out the pet in need. We don’t run a rescue, but have taken in cats left out in the cold, ones who were injured or had health issues. Finding these animals, those who need us most, is far more fulfilling than going to a store or breeder. There’s a gratification from the act that can hardly be matched.

Just look online. There are before and after adoption photographs of dogs that show how much of a difference you can make in the life of an animal. They understand you’re taking them in. They might not be able to tell you, but they sure can show you how much they appreciate what you’re doing for them.

There are people out there who dedicate their lives to saving animals, who take them from homes where they are abused, who pick them up when they are abandoned. They do what they can to find happy homes for these prospective pets, but it’s not easy. Shelters are full or at near capacity all over the country. Finding a pet owner who will care for the animal, treat it like family, isn’t easy either. Too often, people think they can handle a large dog, but find, once the puppy turns into an adult, they don’t have the ability or funds to manage a breed so large.

And that often leads to there being one more body to add to the already overburdened shelters.

If you’re looking for a new pet, go to a shelter first. Look online for local rescues. There might be an animal waiting there for you. Sure, it might not be purebred, and it might have had a rough life, with battle scars to prove it, but that doesn’t mean the cat or dog wouldn’t make you the perfect pet.

Not looking for a pet of your own? Then consider donating to your local animal shelter. Many have wish lists of items they need to help keep the animals healthy and happy.

If we all do our part, we can make the world a better place, not just for people, but for the animals who share the space with us.


Available only at Barnes & Noble until March 30, 2020!

First in a new series!

With a veterinarian dad and a pet-rescuing mom, helping animals is a family business for the Dentons—but after a shocking murder, it’s Liz Denton’s son who might end up in a cage . . .

Sadly, Timothy Fuller is too old and infirm to continue caring for his beloved Pomeranian, Stewie, who is also elderly. But finding Stewie a new home has been challenging. Fortunately, Liz Denton and her son, Ben, are on the case. With two beagles and a calico currently residing under their roof, they’re always ready to provide care in an emergency.

But a rival rescue group is already there when they show up at the Fuller house—along with a nurse and Mr. Fuller’s sour-faced son. After an unpleasant argument, they reschedule the pickup for later. But by the time she gets back, Stewie is an orphan. Mr. Fuller has been found with a knife in his back. And Ben, who’d stopped off to visit one of Mr. Fuller’s neighbors, has been collared. Now solving the mystery is Liz’s only hope for rescuing her own son . . .