Did you know that under the law pets are seen as replaceable property? That’s right, the law essentially treats losing a pet the same way as losing a table. In honor of Chloe the Mini Frenchie, Loni Edwards’ beloved dog who passed away due to medical error, PetInsider will be featuring a story every Wednesday about pets being family, not property. Please join us by reading the stories and signing the pledge we created with the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) to push for change.
In August of 2018, my now fiancée Jason and I adopted our cat Bruno from Wright-Way Rescue, just outside Chicago, IL.
Bruno has extra toes, stands on his back legs, and was 25 pounds at the time. His story and photos that Wright-Way shared had gone viral due to his #extra nature, and the week leading up to the actual adoption had been a true whirlwind.
But by the time we got home with Bruno that night, everything else melted away. I was quickly reminded just how comforting and joyful it is to have a cat in your home. Bruno instantly made himself comfortable, cruising the apartment and flopping on all the furniture as though he’d lived there his entire life. When we got in bed that night (yes, Bruno has slept in our bed every night since he came home), I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. I was just so definitively happy. We were a family.
Bruno brings hundreds of thousands of people joy daily via the world wide web. We’ve received thousands of messages saying his photos: lightened up a tense and worried mood in a hospital waiting room, help people cope with anxiety and depression, and most recently, brought a group solace as they waited in a lockdown situation during the Christchurch shooting. Bruno is so much ‘bigger’ than us.
In our home though, Bruno’s just our little gray furry potato. He makes us laugh, brings us comfort, and greets us at the door daily with the loudest meows you’ve ever heard. We’ve helped him lose over 6 pounds, and now he’s incredibly playful and full of energy.
I may be biased (okay, I am), but Bruno’s the most intelligent animal I’ve ever encountered. He has definitively blessed us and made us a family. So much so, that our love for him inspired us to fly to Vegas in February to rescue another overweight kitty who could pass for Bruno’s twin brother – and yes, Carlo stands too!
These two boys have filled our life with immeasurable joy. Especially given the fact that both are rescues, I strive daily to ensure their life is the fantastic one they so deserve. Bruno was 7 years old when he was given up, and spent 4 months in a shelter. 8-year-old Carlo (the sweetest, most snuggly kitty you’ll ever meet) had been abandoned twice by the time we rescued him. These boys don’t have voices of their own – as their Mom, it is my responsibility to advocate for them. I always will.
Please join us in pushing for much needed change by signing and sharing the pledge (https://aldf.org/animalsnotproperty). Follow along every Wednesday for a new story, and sign up for our newsletter to receive it in your inbox.
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