I died today still homeless. I was dumped when I was only 2 years old and was never adopted because I was "too big," "too playful," or the "wrong color." Then as I mellowed I was not adopted because I was "too old." There was never a happy medium for me. I was 12-years-old when I died and yes, I was loved all the way to the last breath! I never doubted that Grandma and Grandpa at the Rescue loved me. I never doubted that I was safe. But technically I was still homeless.

Have you ever been homeless? Have you ever been dumped because you were not loved? Well the dogs in Rescue are there because of people that are not responsible and do not commit. Because of them, we are homeless.

I now wait at the Rainbow Bridge for my Grandma and Grandpa at the Rescue to join me. No, I am not alone--there are hundreds of dogs here just like me--the only love we knew was that of our family at the Rescue! We are the ones that never found a forever home. We are the ones that were not good enough for people. We were "too big," "too little," "too playful," "too plain," "too black," "too young," "too old," or the best one of all, "not pretty" enough.

People are hypocrites--they say they want to adopt one that is less likely to be adopted but when they pick--it is not the case! Yes, that pretty dog needs a home too but why can't people look beyond looks?

Every day the Rescue gets calls from people outside our adoption area (even thousands of miles away) that tell the Rescue that they want to adopt this or that dog because he/she is perfect. They can tell by a picture on the Internet that this one dog would work perfectly. How silly! You cannot tell what is in the heart of a person or dog by a mere picture.

You would think since humans are supposed to be the intelligent species that they would be smarter than that! After all have you looked in a mirror lately? Let me tell you, if you had, the glass would have broken! You are not beautiful, nor intelligent. You my friend, are like the millions of others out there that think a dog has to be status symbol. It is a good thing that dogs are not hypocrites like people.

I died today and my family at the Rescue cried because they felt as if they failed me--yet I know I was loved more then life itself. They spent every day caring for me, hugging and kissing me, and telling me how special I was. Yes, I was special! I would have made someone a loving and devoted companion--too bad I was not good enough for you!

Too bad people don't learn from their mistakes; too bad they continue to support backyard breeders and puppy mills; too bad they buy the puppies who will soon be homeless just like me!

I just pray that someone out there reads my letter and learns from it, and that the other dogs being dumped are lucky like me and end up in Rescue. At least I learned what love really was and I did not die in a cold dark animal shelter because the Rescue was too full of other homeless dogs! Yes, I died today but even though I was homeless I was loved for who I was!