A couple of weeks ago the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel posted a unique competition on its Facebook page: The users were asked to send in a description of a special moment or exciting experience shared with their pets, in order to encourage others to adopt a pet of their own. More than one hundred stories of the participants’ personal experiences, all of which emphasized the importance of adopting pets, were presented and posted on the page. The users shared their stories with their friends and, thanks to them, tens of thousands of users were exposed to the Facebook page during the competition, and about two thousand enthusiastic new fans joined.
Our appreciation goes to all those who took part in the competition, to Comlead Company which donated the application and to “Shelly’s Store” – the chain of pet stores who contributed prizes. ersonal notices will be sent to all the winners – Congratulations to all!
We are happy to present ten of the moving stories that took part in the competition:
Batel Yishar
Hello, my name is Batel, and about five years ago we decided to adopt a small, cute dog who answered to the name of Gogo, a very friendly dog, who is full of fun and very sociable. About three years ago we had a very special experience: We live on the third floor of our building and one night, when the whole family went to sleep, Gogo decided to stay beside the front door of our apartment. He behaved in a very strange manner, and in the middle of the night, when I got up to get a drink of water, I noticed that he was still sitting beside the front door but I didn’t take any notice and went back to sleep. Half an hour later Gogo started to bark and scratch the door, waking up the whole family. My father, who didn’t know what all the fuss was about, got up and saw that Gogo was barking and scratching the front door incessantly. He decided to open the door to see what was happening and when he did, he could hardly believe his eyes – thick smoke was coming up the stairwell. Apparently, a fire had broken out in the shelter and the whole building was filling with smoke. We immediately woke up all the neighbors, called the fire brigade and evacuated the building. In the end, not much damage was done and everyone got out unscathed – all thanks to one small dog. Gogo warned us all, and due to him we evacuated our homes in time and the whole building was saved from going on fire.
I warmly recommend adopting a dog. A dog has such a good soul, is a true, loving and faithful friend to man. Gogo brought happiness and joy into our lives. He loves to wag his tail and play with anything that moves. And as you see, dogs can also save lives! Adopt a dog – it is more than just worthwhile!
Ophir Glick
Brownie, my dog, is an amazing dog, a mongrel – Pekinese mixed with Jack Russel – brown-yellow coloring with a touch of white. My wife and I both feel that Brownie is a part of our family. Every morning she waits for us beside the door of our bedroom, giving us a welcoming lick, and letting us feel that she wants us to share all that went on with her during the night. If I or my wife don’t feel well, Brownie knows to come and sit by our feet, giving us loving looks, as though she understands what we are going through and is trying to send us positive energies.
Brownie loves little children. When friends with children come to visit us, she plays with them and if they drop a pacifier she picks it up and gives it to us, just like a worrying nanny. Since Brownie came into our lives, I must say that our home looks and feels like a totally different place.
Gaya Ben Nun
About two years ago we went to visit my grandmother in Petah Tikvah, and on our way home, we saw a small dog with sad eyes. I asked my parents whose dog it could be and they said that they didn’t know (we assumed that he didn’t belong to anyone…). I asked them if I could take the dog home and they refused but then the dog suddenly decided to get into our car. My mother took him out but he got in again…we decided to take him home and when he fell asleep beside my father’s book, “Pluto”, we decided to call him Pluto. Now he lives with us and he is already three years old – and his eyes are happy eyes.
Hannah Kuminshter Schwartz
Four years ago we went to the Society’s animal shelter where we adopted a cat that we named Tommy. Since then he was joined by the boxer, Jerry, and the pair, Tom and Jerry, rule our home. The two of them run a secret underground organization along with codes, hidden caches and a secret language. I wish we could really understand what they are saying but that doesn’t prevent them from accompanying and looking after our toddler, Roy. At his first call or the sound of him crying, there they are, ready to be petted, to give a lick or to play with him and cheer him up. There’s no one like you, our sweet and true friends.
Ronny Weintraub
I was born in February 2007, the fourth of eight puppies, son to a black mongrel mother and unknown father. We lived with our mother with an average family, very nice people, who always told me that I was the cutest and the handsomest of all the puppies. I was born rather big, was always the most developed for my age, and so, from an early age they called me the Gentle Giant.
When we reached the age of two months, our family took us on an outing. I was so happy and excited. I had never before been in a car, and a trip around the country seemed really cool! Then they said that we had arrived and they stopped the car. I didn’t quite understand where we were but Mother always said that trips were good, so I was happy. They put on Mother’s leash and she jumped around and went a bit wild the way she always does before an outing. But this time they tied her up outside. She looked them in the eye, they said that they were sorry, and took us out, one by one, from the car and put us beside Mother. Each one of us got a petting, a kiss and a word of farewell. Then they drove away.
Nicole Sofer
This is my story, a story of hard times that I went through which I have shared with very few others. I had a wonderful cat, that I got as a surprise when I was six. My parents never allowed me to keep a dog or cat so he was my first pet. He was a special cat, grey-white in color, who was absolutely faithful to us. Every time we returned home, he jumped up on the sofa, caressed and purred with joy at our return. We taught him all sorts of tricks; to give a paw, a second paw, to sit, to stand and to come to us. In the winter, he would jump up onto the bed and cuddle up happily with us.
But one day, when we were away on vacation, our house was broken into. When we returned, we found everything broken open and destroyed and we found him lying in the corner beside the washing machine, terrified (it seems that they had tortured him in our absence). It took him a long time to recover and then, after a little more than a year, serious health problems began to develop. At first he wouldn’t eat or drink, and when we took him to the vet he was anemic and weak. He was given a lot of treatments but after two weeks he was still throwing up all the time. We insisted on him having more treatment and didn’t want to give up. In the end, we were told that he had cancer.
The poor fellow underwent surgery, a malignant growth was removed from his intestines and I took care of him all the time. The whole family gave him love and warmth, and the little guy fought for his life every day till he finally succumbed and died. It was most painful for all of us because he was a very special friend J.
I told you this story because I saw that everyone was writing about dogs and I want you to know that cats are good and loyal animals too, just like dogs. A cat will give you warmth and love! Every cat is unique and one of a kind.
Nitzan Goldstein
My beloved cat, I came home eight years ago on a cold and wintry day. I heard desperate cries coming from the direction of the garbage. I approached and then I saw you, amazing and tiny, just a kitten. We looked at each other, eye to eye, and I said, “This is the one I have to save, whatever it takes”.
I stooped down to pick you up and I saw that your stomach was gaping open. We ran to the nearby veterinary clinic, the vet stitched you up and said that sometimes the mothers abuse their kittens. I bought Materna formula for kittens, fed you with a syringe day and night, till you grew and blossomed into one of the most beautiful cats ever seen. Today, eight years later, you are still with me, through thick and thin, and we sleep together (I can’t fall asleep without you).
Love for animals is something that comes from within.
Noam Buchin
Quite a few years ago, when I was in grade school, our dog, Sherry, was stolen. We spent a lot of time searching for her but to no avail. Two years later we received a phone call from the fire station telling us that they had found Sherry. My Mother drove over to pick her up, but very quickly discovered that the dog was just another Labrador who looked like Sherry but was not Sherry at all (Sherry had a problem of over-vivaciousness). In the end, my Mother decided to take this other dog anyhow.
When I got home from school, I saw the dog and I was really scared (I had a trauma and hysterical fear of dogs). On that same day I developed an attachment to the new dog who we called Shiri, a similar name to that of our lost Sherry. Shiri is the most amazing dog that I ever had in my whole life! She is quiet, relaxed and sleeps a lot! She looks after the neighbor’s small children and never stops looking for attention. Since we got Shiri I am not at all afraid of dogs and whenever I am under stress Shiri stays by my side and doesn’t allow any other dog to come close to me.
In a nutshell, adopting a dog is the most important thing ever! Our Shiri is like another daughter, a member of the family! She means everything to us. People don’t understand how a pet adds to a person’s character and increases self-confidence! Especially Labradors who are perfect for families!
Shiri Bar Lev
The Amazing Cookie – adopting is a gift!
I adopted a puppy from the dog shelter and now she is eight years old. She wasn’t the cutest or most beautiful in the shelter, but we connected immediately, from first glance. Her name is Cookie and she is an amazing dog with near-human attributes. She sleeps with me and follows me everywhere. She is so good-natured that she always nursed my cats, even when they got big, and looked after them as though they were her own.
But this isn’t all when it comes to Cookie. Her human traits are also expressed through her attitude to people. Once my grand-mother was reminiscing about the Holocaust and she began to cry. Cookie went over to her directly and began to lick her hand, gazing at her with a loving expression in order to comfort her. Cookie is always there for me and for everyone, through good and bad, with a lot of feeling, an expression that cannot be ignored and a wag of her tail. I warmly recommend adopting a dog, it is the most wonderful gift on earth!
Efrat Itach
Animals teach each one of us responsibility, bring us joy and form a bond with our children. They become part of the family, inspiring confidence in all. We are raising a dog in an apartment without a balcony – if there had been a balcony our son would have ”forced” us to have more than one (not that he hasn’t tried but we found her another warm home). More than what we give, we are the ones who get and receive from him. Do adopt a pet if you can take the responsibility, love it and take care of it faithfully. We have a great sense of security having our dog with us, for his barking scares away burglars and other dangers.
