The girl who stole my heart, Ramona Flowers

On Friday, we found this adorable, sweet and loving dog wandering the street in Avondale. We discovered that she wasn't microchipped, was extremely skinny, had crude stitches on her back by her tail, and was scared of everything. After a few hours, we also discovered how loving she is! (She thinks she is a lap dog and will wiggle until she is, at least partially, in your lap.)

Most everything was closed on Friday because it was New Year's Eve day and so we held her for one night and then Ryan's cousin, Scott, and his fiance, Sam, took her for two nights. During this time, we all tried every pitbull rescue and animal shelter with no luck. Even a Craigslist ad and numerous Facebook postings couldn't find her a home. So it was with tears and great sadness that I brought her to Animal Control on Tuesday morning. That whole day I was a wreck...crying on and off and depressed and without hope.

By Wednesday, I had resigned myself to the fact that she would probably be euthanized, but at least we had all given her a good couple of days. Then, Wednesday evening, my sister Dani, a former dog trainer, offered to foster her and train her so she'd be more adoptable. (She is still a puppy and very rambunctious. Also, we don't know how she will be with other pets)

A bunch of pieces were needed to make this puzzle complete: 1. My sister had to offer to take her, 2. Sam and Scott had to agree to let us borrow their crate because Dani doesn't have an extra one, 3. Ryan and I have to pay $100 to get her out of Animal Control (With spay/microchip/heartworm test) and that's why we created the "donation" button on the side, so help offset the costs of getting Ramona, and the money it will take to feed her while she's at Dani's and any vet visits. If we raise more than we need, we'll donate it to Lotsa Love in Orlando, 4. My landlord, a saint, had to agree to tell Animal Control that it was okay for us to "adopt" Ramona. Even though we're not adopting her, that's just the way they have to do it. If you don't own your home, you need permission from your landlord.

Thank you everybody for helping us save a life!!

After she has been trained, Dani will either find a home for her through Lotsa Love or bring her to the SPCA in Orlando, which is no-kill unlike Animal Control. (Wish I had known that earlier!!)

All of this brings us to a point: Please adopt animals from shelters before going to a breeder or pet shop. Also, please spay/neuter and microchip your pets! There are too many good dogs and cats being put to sleep because there are not enough homes or funding to keep them alive. With proper training, dogs and cats can be a true asset to your home and if you really need a "pure bred" dog or cat, you'll often find that they end up in the shelters too.