Humane Society of Griffin-Spalding County

My mother and I have worked extensively with all kinds of animals. We have the most experience with dogs and have had both show quality and rescue dogs as family pets. I’ve seen both sides of the spectrum from the glamorous to the horrific. With that being said, I don’t judge people who go to RESPONSIBLE breeders for animals; however, I strongly urge everyone to consider rescuing an animal from a shelter or group if you don’t absolutely NEED a designer dog. I also advocate for looking beyond your local shelter to find your next furry family member.
At the beginning of the year I was looking for a dog. I had something in mind, but was open to other possibilities. I was trying to find a Boxer-​mix, something that would have a short coat, wouldn’t shed and wouldn’t drool a lot. Barnesville Ga Pound Pups was posting animals for adoption via Facebook in an effort to bring attention to pets waiting for a home in a shelter with a ridiculously high kill rate — many people dispose of unwanted dogs in the rural area and often times when people call the authorities about stray dogs they are told to just shoot them — Animal Control and the Humane Society are really the only places these animals have to go and their chances are slim in the overflowing shelter. Adoption primarily relies on the work of volunteers taking the dogs out to adoption events.
Back to my story. I was on the hunt for the perfect dog and my mom happened to stumble across a picture of «Echo» while cross-​posting for different dog rescue organisations. She was labeled as a Boxer-​mix and the look on her face was so sad, confused and longing that it stuck with both of us. She emailed me the post and I said, «I want that dog. I have to get THAT dog.» Unfortunately, we came across this listing the day after she was schedule for euthanization and we cursed the bad timing. However, my mom mentioned how sad the situation was and the woman in charge of the Facebook page told us that the Humane Society let her pull the dog out. The dog was waiting at her home and would either need to find a forever home, have another rescue claim her or she’d most likely go back and be put down.
Well, because the Humane Society was so accommodating, they worked with a bunch of us through Pound Pups to get her set up for adoption so the rescue group could get her all the way from Georgia to Minnesota and to her final destination in Illinois. She was vaccinated, spayed, looked over and given a clean bill of health. Even though they have more animals than they know what to do with you can tell they take good care of all of them. The dog came to me happy and healthy. She is amazing (even though she is NOT a Boxer and sheds like crazy… sigh, oh well). I renamed her Georgia. We’re snuggling as I write this. So please, please always make your first choice a shelter animal and don’t be deterred by a little distance to get what you want.