By popular request, this week I am featuring a shelter dog AND a shelter cat!  I’ll admit – I’m more of a dog person than a cat person.  So I guess I was naturally leaning towards doggies for the first two weeks.  But that isn’t fair – cats are great, too, and need our help just as badly.   All of these cuties are located in Pittsburgh.  Please consider opening your heart to one of Alamo’s beautiful puppies or Mercury the kitty. 

 

This Thanksgiving, give one of these precious animals the best gift of all:  a forever home.

 

As a side note, Amy from Seeking Amy is running the Pittsburgh Half Marathon as part of the relay team that is raising money for the Western PA Humane Society, where she worked for over a year and a half.  Amy says, “There are so many pets being surrendered every day, and here isn’t enough money to take care of them all. Last year, I raced for the shelter – and raised $600.   Our goal this year is to collectively raise $2500, but I would love to shatter that goal!”  If you can’t adopt but live in the area, please consider donating just $10 (enough to care for an animal for a day) to Amy’s fundraiser.

 

First up:  Meet Alamo’s little puppies.

puppy 5

Alamo is a pit bull terrier who was rescued just hours before she was to be put down in a New York City shelter.  Pulled from death row at the last moment, she was saved by a wonderful woman in the Pittsburgh area, who opened her heart and home for Alamo.  A series of pick-ups and drops-off from New York to Pittsburgh were coordinated and then Alamo arrived safe on a Saturday. Monday morning, Alamo’s new foster mom woke up to a crate full of puppies!  Alamo gave birth to seven puppies total, six girls and one boy.  Alamo has a forever home waiting for her once her pups are ready to leave the nest, but her litter is in need of forever homes. Puppies will be able to leave Alamo in about 4 weeks – just in time for the holidays (obviously, pets shouldn’t be given as gifts, but if you’re looking for a pet, I think it would be fun to bring home a puppy during the holiday season)! Please contact give2liverescue@gmail.com for additional information.

alamo

puppy 6

puppy 7

And here’s your shelter kitty, Mercury, as promised!

mercury

Mercury is a beautiful 12-week old female kitten.  Mercury was also rescued from a high kill shelter and is now waiting for her forever home.  She is very playful, loves life, purrs loudly, and just wants to be cuddled and loved by her new human mom or dad.  Mercury has soft, longer hair that begs to be petted.  Please contact give2liverescue@gmail.com for additional information.

 

Are you a cat person or a dog person?

{ 70 comments }

 

  • Faith @ For the Health of It November 22, 2011, 10:32 am

    I’m definitely a dog person. Cats are cute and all as long as they’re someone else’s…for me there’s nothing better than a puppy’s big old sweet loving eyes…especially the appreciative eyes of a pound puppy brought to his forever home!

  • julia November 22, 2011, 10:33 am

    Pit bull pups have got to be the cutest thing ever! Those faces!!!

  • Laura I. November 22, 2011, 10:33 am

    Totally a dog person. I adopted a 10 week old puppy from the SPCA last Friday. She joins my other two dogs. Named her Madeline:-)

  • SeekingAmy November 22, 2011, 10:34 am

    I am both! Working at a shelter did that to me! 🙂

    Alamo is a cutie! 🙂

    • SeekingAmy November 22, 2011, 10:35 am

      Thanks for including my fundraising! Any bit helps out! 🙂

  • Nicole November 22, 2011, 10:37 am

    Having just moved two rescued cats across the country with us (a 3000 mile road trip with two unmedicated cats being about as fun as it sounds) and somehow acquiring a rescue puppy in the ensuing two months (blame husband’s giant pleading puppy dog eyes), our zoo is currently full. However, I definitely support the cause and think it is great that you are posting these here!

  • Erin November 22, 2011, 10:38 am

    Definitely a dog person! Some cats are cute but even if I wasn’t allergic to them I think I’d still want a dog.

    Also, I hope you don’t get too much flack for saying the pups will be able to go home just in time for Christmas! Don’t shelters try to discourage people from adopting pets as gifts or around the holidays?

    • Caitlin November 22, 2011, 10:47 am

      Yup, you’re right – they do! Obviously doggies shouldn’t be given as gifts but I still think its fun to bring home a new animal in time for the holidays, if you want to adopt anyway! I’ll edit the post to include this info, thanks for reminding me.

  • Rachel November 22, 2011, 10:45 am

    Just want to say that cats make GREAT pets!! No one is that “into” them until you have one of your own. They love to cuddle and make great companions. Just wanted to give a little support for all the cats who need homes out there!

    • Sonia (the Mexigarian) November 22, 2011, 11:00 am

      Agree with you on the cats. They are great for people with more of a ‘busy’ life as they are more independent than dogs. BUT they do love attention as well (when they want it, lol). And nothings beats a cat curled on your lap, purring like heck. <3

      • Vikki November 22, 2011, 12:30 pm

        I love my cat. The one I have current is very cuddly and loves to sit my lap and purr. My prior cat was more of a queen. She wanted to be petted when she wanted to be petted. But she was a great companion for a person with a busy life. My apartment was much less lonely with her in it.

  • Sana November 22, 2011, 10:47 am

    All animals terrify me 🙁 Even some humans do too.

    • Laura November 22, 2011, 8:41 pm

      People are much scarier than animals 🙂

  • Ashley O. @ The Vegetable Life November 22, 2011, 10:48 am

    Oh my goodness all of these dogs and kitties are so adorable! I wish we had the space to take some of them in but with two cats already and our busy work schedules we wouldn’t be able to give them the proper attention they deserve! I really hope they find a loving home soon!

  • Amanda November 22, 2011, 10:49 am

    Oh my goodness, those puppies!! I love all animals, but I’m more of a dog person. I volunteer at an animal shelter on the weekends and this past weekend I fell in love with a tiny pit bull puppy that looked similar to Alamo’s babies. They are some of the most adorable puppies! It’s unfortunate that a lot of apartments won’t let people have that breed, even though so much of a dog’s temperament is based on its upbringing. 🙁

    I’m so happy to hear Alamo has a forever home waiting for her.

    • Mel November 22, 2011, 12:01 pm

      I agree. Pits are the most wonderful breed in the entire world! I have a pit mix and a lab and I love them dearly..but the pit is the sweetest boy in the world! Alot of people lie and tell their landlords they have a boxer mix. the breeds resemble one another. Whatever works to save a pit!

  • sarah (sarah learns) November 22, 2011, 10:50 am

    i’m definitely a dog person, but i love cats too! i grew up with cats AND dogs in our home, so i’ll always love both!

  • Gabby (Quest for Delicious) November 22, 2011, 10:50 am

    Dog person all the way! Those puppies melt my heart. 🙂

  • Ashley @ The North Carolina Cowgirl November 22, 2011, 10:53 am

    OMG those puppies are adorable!! If I didn’t already have 2 dogs I would consider getting one but right now I can’t 🙁 I’m sure she won’t have any problem placing them though.

  • April November 22, 2011, 11:00 am

    Aw, look at those adorable little chunkers! I go to the shelter near my work every so often and play with the puppies and kittens just to work it out of my system for a while. I can’t handle (the shedding of) more than two dogs at once!

  • Sonia (the Mexigarian) November 22, 2011, 11:01 am

    We just added a stray kitten into our home. Total is 3 cats, a dog, and a husband. Hubby is a dog person, I am more of cat but we love all our furry children as they each have great personalities.

    I hope they each find great homes. I love that picture of Mercury. She reminds me of a little Gremlin or Gizmo!

  • Kelly November 22, 2011, 11:03 am

    I THOUGHT I was a dog person only, but about two years ago a tiny grey kitten showed up on our doorstep. (We believe she was dropped off versus a random stray…she was clean, and potty trained…but oh-so-tiny.) I battled the decision to keep her or give her to the no-kill shelter. She was SO CUTE, but I was not a cat person. Long story short, we took her to the shelter, they had a waiting list of two weeks, and I walked out knowing that I was now a cat owner. Let me tell you, it’s one of the best things that has happened to me. I am madly in love with her, and she has taught me so much about loving ALL animals – regardless. She is still a small cat, and while I sneeze to death most of my days, I am so THANKFUL she’s here. And I don’t just love her – I find myself oohing and ahhing over ALL cats/kittens now! So, now I’m a dog and a cat person. Yay!

  • Hayley @ Oat Couture November 22, 2011, 11:05 am

    Oh my god they are all gorgeous!! I used to be more of a dog person but honestly I just love all animals, especially the scruffy looking stray ones, I just want to look after them all!!

  • lauren November 22, 2011, 11:07 am

    I love puppies and kittens. Baby animals are the cutest!
    I was a dog person, because you can do stuff with dogs…walk, take them for a ride, even bring them for a weekend away – but then I got a cat. I used to look at shelter pets on PetFinder and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that a cat just fits our lifestyle better now. 4 years later, I have the most dog-like part Siamese cat there is. He’s part of the family and I love him more then I thought I could love a cat…I even wrote a post about him. I’m a dork, but he’s changed me for the better.

  • bo November 22, 2011, 11:09 am

    I have three resucue cats and one resuce Pitbull mix. She looks a lot like the mama dog here. I cannot speak highly enough about how sweet natured my girl is. If anyone has any doubts about adopting a Pit because of there reputation, they should not. They are lovely, snuggly dogs. Mine snuggle with my cats and is great with kids. And I am totally one of those dog Moms that show pictures and tells stories. If you are thinking about a adopting and those little faces are tugging at your heart strings run to PA and get that puppy. I do not regret bringing home my dog at all (even though my husband was a little irked, I didn’t ask first!)

    • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey November 22, 2011, 12:43 pm

      I definitely agree – I have a pit terrier, and Charlie is such a stinkin’ baby it’s unbelievable. He is so even tempered, loves to play, and loves snuggling with the Husband and me!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat November 22, 2011, 11:22 am

    I’m definitely a dog person, but kittens and puppies are equally cute in my books! I just feel like dogs have more character and personality, whereas cats keep to themselves a bit more. I can’t wait to get one for myself but at the moment my living situation just doesn’t allow me to give it the attention it needs… some day!

  • Claire @ Live and Love to Eat November 22, 2011, 11:24 am

    Yay Amy! 🙂

  • Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife November 22, 2011, 11:25 am

    I am more of a cat person 🙂

  • Chelsea November 22, 2011, 11:27 am

    Dog person right here, but I love my boy-friend kitty cat <3 She's huge! She has an extra finger on her paw haha, and loves to bring us her "treats".

  • Karen November 22, 2011, 11:33 am

    I hate to sound critical or anything, but puppies born Monday should not leave their mother in four weeks. Puppies should not be separated from their littermates and/or mother for at least eight weeks. The puppies actually learn bite inhibition from their littermates, which is a crucial skill they’ll need later on in life!

    • Caitlin November 22, 2011, 11:37 am

      Oh they weren’t born THIS Monday – that would be far too soon! I think they will be 8 weeks when they leave.

      • Karen November 22, 2011, 2:30 pm

        Oh! Thanks for the reply, what a relief! 🙂 Sorry to sound alarmist. They’re beautiful puppies. I really appreciate you doing these posts, and especially for highlighting pit bulls.

  • Suzanne November 22, 2011, 11:41 am

    I am an animal person……I have 2 dogs (rescued), 4 cats (rescued), and a blue and gold mccaw.

    I cant wait to move out to the country so I can rescue more.

  • Ali November 22, 2011, 11:55 am

    If you know of a family member or friend that wants a pet, some shelters have gift certificates! I laughed at that at first and then I realized that allowing someone to choose their own pet when they are ready for one is SUCH a good idea! I have a shelter cat and she is amazing. I am both a cat and dog person but I travel too much and pull too long of days at work to get a dog.

  • Zo November 22, 2011, 12:02 pm

    I’m definitely a cat person but I would love to have a walking buddy if I was able to be home more during the day!
    Having a pet is great no matter what it is. I must say, my cat also does a good job as an alarm clock!

  • Mel November 22, 2011, 12:04 pm

    aww they are all so cute!! Was Lucy adopted? I hope so!!

    • Caitlin November 22, 2011, 1:41 pm

      Lula has one very interested party; it might work out.

      • Mel November 22, 2011, 3:33 pm

        Lulu! so sorry!! I hope it works out! She was adorable!

      • Laura November 22, 2011, 8:44 pm

        Whew, I’ve been thinking about her. I’m so glad to hear it 🙂

  • Nena November 22, 2011, 12:07 pm

    I’m more of a cat person, because they are so independent. Gilligan my dog I’ve had for a little over a year and he is the first dog I have ever owned on my own. I absolutely love him to death. He’s like my little baby. lol 🙂

  • Moni'sMeals November 22, 2011, 12:14 pm

    500% a Dog person!! Sorry Cat lovers.

    I would take all of them if I could. 🙁

  • Amber K November 22, 2011, 12:16 pm

    I’m totally a dog person. They are so cute!

  • Deva @ Deva by Definition November 22, 2011, 12:27 pm

    we have three cats – all are rescues. I am so glad you are featuring cats in your save a shelter pet series. Adult cats, like adult dogs, have trouble finding forever homes. I know that cats have a reputation for scratching, which is why many are declawed, which is something I am very strongly against, so I would encourage anyone seeking to adopt a kitten to research techniques to help train your cat to scratch only on their scratch posts or scratch mats.

  • Kim @ Spoonful Of Sass November 22, 2011, 12:35 pm

    It’s a wonderful thing you do to use the blog to help these animals. I’ve been working on trapping, neutering and releasing to help prevent the overpopulation of cats for about the past year! It breaks my heart to see animals go without homes! Do you get to hear back if these animals find homes thanks to your blog posts?

  • Christina November 22, 2011, 12:36 pm

    I think your ongoing series is nice… but I’m uncomfortable with your promoting the adoption of pit bulls (especially in Pittsburgh, where I live!) I know pit bull owner love their pets, but there are so many adoptable animals who don’t have the potential of killing someone someday. Why not focus on adopting dogs without huge jaws that lock?

    • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey November 22, 2011, 12:41 pm

      Speaking as a pitbull owner, pitbulls definitely have a bad rep. Some are trained to fight (which I definitely do NOT agree with), but all of the pits I have met have been nothing but absolutely sweet and loving animals. My Charlie loves everyone and everything and is even a little bit timid. While I agree that other dogs besides pits should be adopted, I don’t agree with you generalizing that they are all mean dogs.

    • Mel November 22, 2011, 12:46 pm

      omg…have you ever had a pit? You’ve got it all wrong!! If you were tied up, starved, tortured, beaten, etc. the way some dogs (esp pits are) wouldn’t you attack someone too? The media only focuses on the stories where a child or someone was attacked by a pit…they don’t give the background info and surrounding circumstances and don’t focus on the pits (99% of them) who are kind, loving, gentle pets. You comment is just ignorant.

    • Caitlin November 22, 2011, 1:44 pm

      1) I have featured two pit mixes but this has mainly been coincidental. I am in the ‘hate the deed, not the breed’ camp but that’s not the point. The point is that shelters are overcrowded with pits and pit mixes. Im planning to feature many different breeds but I ask the shelters to pick their most dire dogs to feature on the blog – and the sad fact is that pits (and black dogs) are not as ‘adoptable’ because people want cute little dogs. Most small dogs don’t have any trouble getting adopted. Or they are adopted more readily.

      2) That being said, I can understand why some people are scared of bigger dogs. Big dogs can do damage if not properly trained and taught to respect. So I understand where you are coming from, too!

  • Mel November 22, 2011, 12:49 pm

    Caitlin, please keep featuring pit mixes! I read yesterday that 58% of the shelter dogs that are killed each year are pit bulls. We need to get the word out about this wonderful breed and help people realize their misconceptions are all wrong! All animals are wonderful…it’s the owners who make the animal behave badly!

  • Candice @ Sailing on Paper November 22, 2011, 1:01 pm

    I love cats and dogs equally!! They both have their positives and negatives…there’s nothing like snuggling with a new puppy, though.

  • Clare November 22, 2011, 1:05 pm

    I adore dogs but still find Pitbulls terrifying. I’m working on that but I don’t think I could ever have one as a pet 🙁

    • Eliza November 22, 2011, 3:44 pm

      I am the same. Very much a dog person but a couple of weeks ago, I was walking my brother’s kelpie and a pit ran out of it’s yard and bit him. The owners seemed normal but kept saying “he is just playing” but he had our dog by the neck. I know any dog can do this, but it is hard not to generalise..
      I personally would have trouble trusting any big dog around little kids because even if they ‘wouldn’t’ bite, I think it would be hard to get past what they ‘could’ do

      • Jen November 23, 2011, 8:30 am

        Really no animal should be trusted around small kids alone. Animals are unpredictable and even small dogs can bite and cause damage. I had a very gentle golden retriever and in her almost 12 years of life she never bit, even with my two young nieces, but she was never in the room with them unsupervised. And as important as it is to keep an eye on the animal, it’s even more important to educate children how to approach animals. If you let a two year old pull a dog’s tail and get right in a dog’s face, even if it’s a little 4-lbs Yorkshire terrier, the dog probably going to bite. In that situation, I don’t blame the dog for being a dog, I blame the parents for allowing the child to torment the animal like that.

        • Eliza November 23, 2011, 3:30 pm

          I do agree, I train guide dogs and trust them completely with kids, but also it needs to be considered that if they were hurt, or sick, they might bite, or if they got really hurt, so I think it is important to educate children about this, good point.
          I always think though, that if it came to that, a little dog would do less damage, in the news recently some children have died after being mauled by large dogs (in Australia)

  • Maren November 22, 2011, 1:55 pm

    I’m more of a cat person, just because I like to be able to come and go as I please and not have to worry about what to do with the dog. Plus, I live in an area with NO yard and I just feel bad that a dog would have to sit inside all day! But my sister has a pitball, Mia, and she is the love of my life 😉

  • Crystal November 22, 2011, 2:04 pm

    I’m so glad you put a cat on here! In our area, more cats are euthanized than dogs, especially because many of them are not socialized, so no one wants them. I know there are a lot of dog-lovers out there, but let me tell you that few things in life are better than having a purring cat on your stomach 🙂 I think it’s GREAT that you started the save a shelter pet series. You have such a well-rounded blog!

  • jade November 22, 2011, 2:28 pm

    oh my gosh those babies are cuties!! I love pitties but I live in california! I wish I could take them home…But I don’t think my boyfriend will let me sneak another dog home!! I am a dog person but still love cats even though I am seriously allergic to them.

  • Mac November 22, 2011, 2:51 pm

    Those puppies are absolutely adorable! I’m in the process of trying to convince my bf that we are ready to have a puppy.

  • Katie @ Peace Love and Oats November 22, 2011, 3:02 pm

    Those puppies are too cute!!! I’m definitely a dog person, I just don’t understand cats as well. Plus I’m allergic to them…

  • Johanna B November 22, 2011, 3:59 pm

    I don’t dislike any animals but I am definitely a cat person all the way. Never met a cat I didn’t like.

  • Heather @ Bake, Run, Live November 22, 2011, 4:15 pm

    While I grew up with dogs (and love them), I am much more a cat person. My 2 cats, Romeo and Juliet, are 13 years old and they are spoiled!

  • Lauren November 22, 2011, 6:00 pm

    Caitlin, I love these posts. And the pups are so cute!

    Do they know yet if any of the pups are deaf? If so, I would seriously have to think about it — I am looking for a deaf pittie (have one already) in the next couple of years. 🙂

    • Caitlin November 22, 2011, 6:02 pm

      Hmm none of these are. Where are you located?

  • Karlee @olivewineandfood November 22, 2011, 7:07 pm

    ok this is so weird! my friend was fostering the mama and they didn’t know she was pregnant, one morning she woke up to a house full of newborn puppies!

  • Cheryle November 22, 2011, 9:10 pm

    100% cat person here! Dogs are too boisterous and too much work for me, but I do enjoy other people’s dogs. My husba nd and I have four kitties and they are all so different, never a dull moment at our house. 😉 I think all dogs and cats deserve loving homes, too!

  • Jess November 23, 2011, 12:38 am

    I’m a cat person. I have 5. We only got 1 from a pet shop, the rest just wandered in and adopted us, we are softies so we keep them 🙂

    I do love dogs tho, and have many many cuddles with my friends dog when I visit!

  • Jen November 23, 2011, 8:24 am

    I’m more of a dog person, but my landlords have a cat that often comes upstairs to my apartment to visit (i.e., take over the furniture and demand constant pats) and the little guy has grown on me. One of the first things I want to do once I finish grad school is get a pet–I really miss having one!

  • Alexandria December 20, 2011, 10:42 am

    Thank you so much for posting! I’m a huge fan of the Western PA Humane Society.

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