Adopting pets from shelters shows rewards

Like I've said before, dog parks are dangerous for dog owners.

I didn't understand this situation completely until I took my dog, Deter, on a tour of metro dog parks this spring for a column. Now, I have two dogs.

Skye, as she has been renamed, was sort of an accidental addition to the family, like some family members are.

I took Deter to the Yukon Pets and People Park, 701 Inla Ave., where the shelter dogs are allowed to play while their cages are being cleaned.

Deter immediately took to a little black puppy, and for the first time, I saw him really play. We left the park, but I couldn't stop thinking about that little black puppy. I couldn't imagine adopting and caring for a second dog, but she was such a good fit with Deter. So I talked my boyfriend into adopting her.

We went to pick her up, and I asked for Acorn -- the dog I thought I wanted. Turns out, I misidentified the little black dog in my column. I thought the pup was Acorn, a little black male. The dog was actually a female named Hinton, the town closest to where she was found. When Hinton found out I had confused her for a boy, she was offended and filed a defamation lawsuit. She dropped the suit as soon as we adopted her and gave her a better name.

Skye turns 1 this month, which happens to be Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.

About 26,000 unwanted and stray animals went through the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter in 2004.

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