National Puppy Day was established for two purposes. The first is to celebrate the joy that our canine friends bring into our lives. The second is to encourage people to adopt and rescue puppies from the shelters or from families who can no longer keep them. Here at Casas Adobes Flower Shop, we know first-hand how special rescue dogs can be  – meet Max and Esau, two amazing animals.

Shasta, Website Administrator and Customer Service Rep, shares her family photo featuring German Shepherd Sadie, who is 8 years old and suffers from hip dysplacia  – and Max, the labrador.  “Max is our adopted weirdo”, says Shasta. “He is fun and goofy and sweet. He keeps Sadie up and around.” Shasta’s family adopted him from a friend who couldn’t give him the attention and time he needed. “He has been a really great addition to our family. I think adopting from a shelter is the best idea. There are so many wonderful facilities filled with lovable dogs (and cats) that need a forever home – even fostering is helpful to the cause.”

Our store manager, Sarah, adopted Esau when he was 6 months old. ” He was a wonderful addition to our little family of 3″, she said.  However, when Sarah’s second child was born, he had breathing issues which were complicated by Esau’s fur, and the doctor advised finding another home for Esau. “We were able to find Esau a loving home with a lot of room to run, but it was very hard to let the dog go”, Sarah shares. About a year later, three people called Sarah to tell her that Esau was running wild with no apparent home. They learned that Esau’s new family had moved away, leaving him without care. “We drove an hour to find him.”, Sarah says. “Esau remembered us and jumped right in the truck. We were shocked and excited, yet worried about our son’s asthma. However, Esau has been back home for a few months and our son has not had any breathing problems at all. We are so blessed to have him back!”

We think Esau is a pretty lucky puppy as well.

On March 23rd, we applaud the people who have opened their homes to a shelter animal, as well as the caring people who help to save and rehome these special animals. The organizers of National Puppy Day encourage people to donate $5 to a local Tucson no-kill shelter if they cannot adopt a dog or cat. If you’d like to reward their efforts with a floral arrangement or green plant, call Casas Adobes Flower Shop. After all, we have a couple adorable reasons to be grateful.