FOR theLOVEOF
LIFE 09
DOGS
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK BELL
During the season of love, many people focus on what to gift their significant others. Some might purchase jewelry, others might buy roses and a teddy bear. But one of the most important gifts that people tend to dismiss is love for their dogs. Unfortunately, thousands of dogs never find a home and receive death sentences. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, approximately 6.5 million animals enter shelters every year. Around 1.5 million of these animals are euthanized. In South Florida, successful animal shelters focus on healing and nourishing dogs to make sure they feel as loved as possible without a home. PAWS4you Rescue, a nonprofit and non-kill organization, focuses on saving dogs from abandonment, providing medical care to dogs in need, spreading awareness about their mission and getting dogs adopted into safe homes. They not only focus on saving animals, but also try to change the way that people interact with their pets to avoid abuse and abandonment. PAWS4you Rescue, along with Palmetto students, have a vision of diminishing the threat of euthanasia and giving pets a loving home to live in. “I have eight dogs. Seven are rescues from the pound or street, and one is a service dog for my mom,” sophomore Sydney Rouviere said. Furthermore, sometimes our greatest love story exists right at home with our own dogs. Whether on Friday or Saturday night, everyone enjoys some quality time with their dogs such as going on walks, going to a doggy
beach or even just laying next to them on the couch watching Netflix. “All the rescues have a story behind them. Like one of my dogs was found under a truck in Homestead, and he was hit by a car so he wears a shirt so he doesn’t scratch the scars,” Rouviere said. “The bulldog was tied to a tree and her puppies were taken from her.” According to the HuffingtonPost, studies support the theory that dogs do feel the warm-and-fuzzies for their owners, even more so than for other animals. There are psychological clues that distinguish the way dogs feel around their owners. For example, dogs show an increase in brain activity when their owners come into contact with them, which proves the strong relationships between humans and their pets. This also supports the idea that when a dog’s owner comes back home after a period of time of leaving the dog alone,w the dog suddenly becomes excited and energetic because of the increase in their brain activity. “The best part is coming home and they’re always
there waiting,” Rouviere said. “So I love hugging them and snuggling with them.” So this year on Feb. 14, 2019, go home and share some love with not only your significant others, but also with our furry little companions.
Lindsey Solomon Copy Editor
l.solomon.thepanther@gmail.com
