I’m currently on a family vacation\u00a0in Kauai and was adamant about making sure I had my affairs in order before we boarded our plane last week because if something were to happen to me, I wanted to make sure Diamond would be taken care of. At 28 years of age, many people would say that it was crazy for me to create a will.<\/p>\n
My response: You never know if today will be your last day.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n It gives me peace of mind knowing that if something were to happen to me, there is a plan (and funds) in place to make sure Diamond lives out the rest of her life in a loving home. As if to confirm that I wasn’t being too over prepared in creating a will, I met Pumkyn two days into our trip.<\/p>\n Her owner passed away.<\/strong><\/p>\n While I don’t know the specifics of who her owner was, what I do know is that this little pup needed her owner to make a plan for her in the event they could no longer care for her. With a small island population limiting the number of homes and potential adopters, Kauai Humane Society is a high kill shelter. As a result,\u00a0this perfect dog is at risk of euthanasia.<\/p>\n Had her owner made a plan for her, Pumkyn would not be in an overcrowded shelter fighting to avoid euthanasia.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n As\u00a0I walked past her cage before choosing to take her out for the day, I could tell she When the shelter employee brought her up to give her to me for the day, she was so excited they could barely get her “Adopt Me” vest on her.\u00a0Pumkyn sat in my lap the entire time we were in the car. She made everyone she met smile. She\u00a0had no problem hopping up on a park bench to join some people she had never met for lunch in Hanalei. But the whole time we were out, I could tell she was looking for a familiar face. Everyone we walked past she made a point to get a good look at them. She was looking for her person or someone she knew from her life prior to the shelter.<\/p>\n To envision Diamond in the situation Pumkyn has found herself in breaks my heart.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n If you are lucky enough to be loved by a dog, you know that they hang on your every move and every word. Can\u00a0you imagine your pup being without you and having to fight Regardless of your age or how great your health is, you need to have a plan for your pet in the event you are unable to take care of them anymore.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"14519747_1502656343081523_2498278007055489718_n\"](\"http:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/14519747_1502656343081523_2498278007055489718_n.jpg\")
<\/a>One of the things I’ve started doing while on our family Kauai vacations is participate in the Kauai Humane Society’s field trip program where you can take a shelter dog out for the day to reduce their kennel stress, get them some exercise, and show them off to potential adopters.\u00a0This\u00a0field trip program is how I met Pumkyn, a 4 year old chi-mix who ended up at the humane society the day before we arrived on the island. This sweet, loving, social little pup does not belong in a shelter. She belongs in someone’s home because\u00a0her purpose in life\u00a0is to love everyone she meets. So how did this angel end up in a shelter?<\/p>\n<\/a>was devastated\u00a0and had no idea where her person was. When I tried to walk away from her cage, she started crying. Like I said, this dog was made to love people, not be stuck in a cage hoping that\u00a0her new family will find her before time runs out.<\/p>\n<\/a>their way through the shelter system, where just shy of 3 million animals are euthanized each year, to find a new home? That is not something I would ever want for Diamond.<\/p>\n