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Adopt, don't shop!
Animal shelters in the Czech Republic and Slovakia are full of fluffy souls who have been abandoned, hurt or given up by their former owners. Adopting an animal from a shelter means bringing a new source of joy in your life and giving a second chance to a pet who wants nothing more than to love-bomb their new owners to bits, a.k.a. an absolute win-win situation. Some of our Purple colleagues decided to visit a shelter and adopt a pet for themselves; and even though the beginnings might have been a bit difficult from time to time, they wouldn't trade them for the world.
Read about the Purple pets from shelters who made our colleagues' lives exponentially better and learn why shelter adoption is a great choice!
Jake (and his owner Ivana)
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What’s your pet’s name and how old are they?
His name is Jake and he is 4 years old. In the shelter, they called him Cooper, but that name just didn’t fit him right.
Which shelter does he come from?
He is from the Tuláčik shelter in Brezno, Slovakia: https://utuloktulacik.sk/.
Do you know what his life was like before he got in the shelter?
Most of the puppies in the shelter have been rescued from an abusive environment. Jake was
brought there from a Roma settlement.
What were the adoption process and the adoption day like? How did you communicate with the shelter?
The communication was amazing. I was originally interested in a different dog, but someone had already adopted him. The shelter then offered me puppies that hadn’t been posted online yet, because they had been rescued only a couple of daysprior. I have always wanted a puppy, as I didn’t dare to adopt an older dog, even though I had raised a couple of dogs before. Shelter pups are often traumatized and I was a bit scared of that. The shelter asked a lot of questions before the
adoption – where will the dog live, who will raise him, in what conditions, and I also had to send the shelter pictures of the place where Jake would live so that they could decide if it’s the right fit for him. On the day of adoption, we picked him up, I learned about his vaccinations and medical appointments that needed yet to be arranged, I got a passport for him and after paying a fee, I could take him home.
![\"Jake](\"https://media.graphassets.com/resize=width:598,height:800/7M5bY1LgTCexA5nTb2I0\" "\\"2")
What were your first days together in a new home like?
Difficult. Because Jake came from a bad environment, he wasn’t your typical reckless and
playful puppy ready to explore the world. He was really scared of us, as he had horrible experience with people, and kept hiding away. I was hand-feeding him granules one by one and slept by his side on the ground so that he would get used to my presence and start trusting me.
What surprised you most about adoption?
It is quite a demanding process, which is actually pretty great, as the shelter wants to ensure that the dog goes to good owners who won’t return him back to the shelter.
What should one be careful about when adopting a pet?
Make sure to find out as much about the dog as possible. Ask if they are good with other animals and whether there are any traumas from their past. If you don’t know this, you risk a lot, because working with a traumatized animal is hard and
requires 24/7 care to turn them around. In the end, however, it is absolutely worth it and the person gains the most faithful companion.
What are some of your pup’s bad habits that keep you on your toes?
Not really a bad habit, but the trauma that he’s been carrying with him since puppyhood. He is scared of new people and other dogs before he gets to know them, but I am trying to get him to socialise constantly so that he can let go of his fear.
And what do you love most about Jake?
Everything. Even though we haven’t spoken a single word in the 4 years I’ve had him, he is my best friend. If I don’t feel good, he will come to me and stay with me until I’m better. He makes me happy every day and is the best buddy one could ask for.
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Miata (and her owner Daniela)
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What’s your pet’s name and how old are they?
Miata celebrated her second birthday this year.
Which shelter does she come from?
From the Tibet shelter in Bučovice: https://www.utulektibet.cz/.
Do you know what her life was like before she got in the shelter?
She was one of the many kittens saved from the tornado in Břeclavsko and Hodonínsko in 2021. Back then, she was not even a month old.
What were the adoption process and the adoption day like? How did you communicate with the shelter?
One weekend we went to the shelter to take a look at their cats and this little minx completely won us over. We took her home two weeks later. The communication was amazing, there were no issues, we got very clear instructions and some dry food for the road.
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What were your first days together in a new home like?
She didn’t stop purring for the first two weeks and was the cuddliest little girl, always glued to someone’s side, she used to sleep on my head… She had no problems adapting to the new environment. William (her dog roommate) was the one who was terribly confused about the creature we dragged home.
What surprised you most about adoption?
Not much, really, except the fact that we were fostering Miata for a year and only then she became 100% mine.
What should one be careful about when adopting a pet?
To really adopt, not shop.
What are some of your kitten’s bad habits that keep you on your toes?
She is sometimes more stubborn than me and thinks she can do anything. These days, for example, she learned how to jump on the kitchen counter and when I try to get her down, she looks just about ready to call the animal protection services on me.
And what do you love most about Miata?
How chatty and cuddly in the morning she is. She is my cute little lovebug who accompanies me even to the bathroom and will let me annoy her as much as I want.
![\"Miata](\"https://media.graphassets.com/resize=width:651,height:800/IK2ncegESU22dNo6bMuV\" "\\"3.jpg\\"")