Tess & Molly

Human: Tess
Canine: Molly
Location: San Francisco
Together since: 2005
Breed: Shepherd mix
Favorite dog group: Second Chance Pet Rescue

When I was 10 years old I saved Molly from certain death. Molly is my mixed-breed dog who was two days away from being put to sleep at the Red Bluff animal shelter. I went to the shelter with my Aunt Clare who had been spending time bringing dogs back to the Bay Area to be adopted.

We saw Molly's picture on the shelter website. At the time her name was Suzy and she was five months old. She looked really nice and like she needed a loving home. We learned she'd been found as a stray on a country road along with her brother. Unfortunately, he never found a home.

Six months after bringing home Molly, we went back up to Red Bluff and adopted another dog we call Tupper. Now Molly and Tupper are the best of friends and she has a brother again. They're both playful, loving, smart, and, most importantly, members of our family.

I learned from all the sad dogs in the shelter who were being put to sleep that more people should adopt rescue dogs, instead of breeder dogs. So here's the deal: If your family wants a dog, please consider adopting from a shelter instead of buying from a breeder.

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