Do you have a dog?

If not, now is a great time to get one. I can't tell you how much a dog adds to your life. But be forewarned: they are not cheap pets. If you don't like to spend your time or money, get a hamster. Dogs are fairly expensive to own but it's well-worth it if you have the resources.

If you didn't see the recent piece on KDKA, some of our local shelters are so overcrowded that they're turning dogs away. As a result, people are abandoning pets that were once very well cared-for members of the family.

Action for Animals in Latrobe is particularly overcrowded & cases of abandonment in that general area are rising as a result. The humane officers can't keep up & have taken to feeding abandoned pets at the vacant houses where they find them. There's simply nowhere to take them right now.

That's where we got Rocco & we hope to go back soon to get him a buddy. Rocco just turned 2 & we think he may be ready to share us now that he's a little more mature. But in the meantime, we try to visit as often as we can to take items to the shelter. They have a wish list posted on their website & will give you a receipt because all donations are tax deductable.

Not to neglect our feline friends, the shelter has cats that need homes also -- but not nearly as many cats as dogs, so this is where the dire need comes in. If Latrobe is too far out of your way, check the web for other local shelters. All of them have wish lists. And check back periodically because I'd like to organize some sort of donations drive. That way, people can give items without having to worry about driving them all the way to Latrobe. Hopefully, it will be soon & definitely before the end of the summer.