Are you a dog lover who doesn’t have a furry angel yet? If so, go ahead and adopt a dog NOW to fill your life with love and laughter. But before you go, we think that you deserve to know the challenges a dog owner faces while raising a dog. If you want to get an insight into how life changes with the involvement of a dog, scroll down and check out the entire post.
P.S. We don’t intend to discourage you but having a dog is not all about playing games and having fun.
Conway adopted his beloved doggo about 4 years ago
Here is what he had to say initially;
“I had seen several posts a few days prior to people looking to [give up] their dogs…The reasons behind re-homing were things like shedding, potty-training issues, hyperness, not enough space, difficulty finding rental housing, etc. All of which, in my opinion, are foreseeable responsibilities and factors that should be taken into consideration before making the decision to welcome an animal into your family. So, after seeing these, I just had an urge to create my post about my German Shepherd mix Stella in a way to spread the message that a pet is a lifetime choice.”
Here is that wonderful post by Austin Conway that will surely make you see things from another perspective
And, it doesn’t just end there!
Late night cuddles with the doggo? I’m in!
The best part of all was that when Austin met Stella, there was an instant click! Here’s what he had to say;
“I actually wasn’t planning on choosing any dog the day I went to the shelter,” Austin said. “I just happened to see a post on my Facebook about a German Shepherd mix litter that had been surrendered to a shelter close to my college. So, being the German Shepherd lover that I am, I drove over just to look, for fun. Which was a big ‘mistake.’”
Stella Mae looking as cute as ever.
Such a small little puppy she was!
“I immediately saw Stella and couldn’t put her down. She was the smallest and quietest one of the bunch and looked to be the one getting the least amount of attention. So, I went from not planning on getting a dog at all, to having her claimed and the adoption deposit paid within 1 hour of being there. Was by far the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Car rides are 10000% better when there is a doggo with you
Unlike all the other German Shepherds, Stella is an old soul according to Austin.
“She loves walks, but if it’s too long of one, she’s sure to let me know she’s not having it. She’s extremely vocal. It’s one of her best and funniest qualities. She’s needy but in a good way. She always wants to have her paw on someone and hates to be alone. She’s as close to human as I’ve ever seen a dog be. She’s perfect,”
Even when Stella is not a puppy anymore, she still used puppy dog eyes to get away with things.
Austin is not the only one who has to face an issue when it comes to renting an apartment when you’re a dog owner. Here are his views about that;
“It’s difficult but do-able. Many apartments have restrictions on ‘aggressive’ breeds. So, the few times I’ve had to apartment-hunt, my list was always extremely small because I’ve been limited to properties that accept German Shepherds.”
Is this the perfect picture or what?!
Yes, yes it is the perfect picture.
The good thing is, he was well aware of this problem.
“I’ve always done my due diligence and made sure I found any and all apartments in the cities I’ve lived in that would accept her. And from there, I began looking for the best fit after I was certain Stella was welcome.”
Such happy mornings!
“Some of the sweetest dogs I’ve been around are dogs that are labeled as an ‘aggressive’ breed,” Austin said.
I would let Stella steal from my plate all the time!
“However, I also understand rental properties needing to protect themselves from potential liability involving incidents with tenants and their pets. So, it’s an issue that’s definitely not as simple as being black and white, and until the stereotypes around these breeds are gone, I don’t see it changing anytime soon. Just thankful for the rental properties that do allow these breeds to accommodate for pet owners like myself.”
Looks like someone is bored and wants to go out.
People not only agreed with Austin and his cause, but they also had some very nice things to say about this:
