PET ORHANS FUND

Cats are easy, unlike dogs. Leave a bowl of food, water and a litter box and a cat can figure out what to do. Self-sufficient, independent and yet affectionate when they want, cats are low maintenance and capable of staying home alone without a baby sitter, right? Well, when Tag decided he wanted full-time company in his apartment shortly after we started dating, this was the bill of goods I was sold.

Several mutual friends recommended a local pet rescue for our cat finding needs. Pet Orphans of Southern California is a rescue organization located in Van Nuys with an actual brick and mortar facility unlike many other rescues. Set up as sort of an upscale shelter, Pet Orphans takes in all kinds of cases, houses them, provides training and walking and the ultimate in care for animals in need.

We found Lucy in a ray of light in one of the two well-appointed cat houses and after all trial runs with Gracie the Dog complete, we brought her home to Tag's studio apartment. And then we brought her to my apartment. And back to Tag's, and back to mine...And then to my parents' house for the weekend... and another weekend. Turns out cats are low maintenance. But when you love one as much as we love Lucy, you always want her by your side.

During our experience with Pet Orphans, all of the staff were committed to us finding the right animal to match us and our lifestyle. The process requires a certain amount of paperwork and counseling, but having visited the facilities of and communicated with a variety of other rescue organizations over time in my hunt for dear Gracie, I found Pet Orphans requirements to be reasonable, thoughtful, and thorough without being invasive or prohibitive.

As we visited Pet Orphans several times in the years following Lucy's adoption -- always keeping our eye out for a potential new pooch to add to the family -- we discovered that puppy training was a mandatory requirement in the adoption agreement for a puppy... a standard that may seem daunting to some, but to me, seems an absolute necessity. If a potential pet parent is not willing to commit up front to training especially for a puppy in need of socialization, that reads as a red flag.

In building a better community for animals and humans alike, the goal of Pet Orphans is to put animals in homes for life and to keep animals from being sent unnecessarily to shelters. Shelters serve a valid purpose in our society, but lightening the burden gives shelters the opportunity to do the good intended. There is no perfect system for sheltering and rehoming animals, but in our experience, Pet Orphans is certainly trying its best... and for that, we are thankful... and so is Lucy.