Happy connections are made every day between homeless pets and loving forever homes with the help of pet parents, adoption organizations and Petco stores across the country.

Share your own pet adoption story and gain inspiration from other pet adoption successes.

By Madison Simmons
I didn’t even know I was in search of my new best friend. I realized this when I went to Petco one day to buy dog food. After I realized that I wanted a Guinea Pig, I asked my mom for one. My mom told me that I needed to research about them to see if they make good family pets, their diet and their habitat needs. After I did my research I went to the Petco store in La Mesa, CA where I was going to buy one.

When I got there I met Jacob the Companion Animal Specialist. He asked us if we wanted to adopt a guinea pig first before buying because he had a guinea pig there up for adoption because his other family couldn’t keep him anymore because they were moving and we said yes. After we said yes, he brought out my new best friend and he was just PERFECT! I named him Jeter.

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May 19, 2011 — Kim Smith, Petco Foundation Web Manager
The Animal Control Officer led me down several hallways to a quiet area behind the main kennel banks. The echo of barking and whining faded behind us and all we could hear was the echo of our own footsteps. We came to a door with a small pan and an antiseptic-soaked towel, which we stepped in to remove any trace of contaminants from the soles of our shoes. Inside, the room smelled cold and sterile, all cement walls and floors, with few amenities in the kennels. Curled up in a ball at the back of the first kennel was a lanky brindle puppy, all bones, big eyes and huge floppy ears that stuck out at funny angles like the flying nun in a windstorm.

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Jan. 21, 2011 — Brooke Simon
His story was meant to be a tragic one. He was discovered in a Louisiana ditch, abandoned, so badly matted that he was unable to walk. Local rescue group, My Heart’s Desire, took him in, nicknaming him Ripley because “believe it or not, there is a dog in there.” Ripley had to be sedated to be groomed; veterinarians found live and dead cockroaches snared in the 2 and ½ pounds of fur they cut from the dog.

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