By Janet McAfee
Valentine’s Day is almost here. It’s time to book a cozy table at one of the Coachella Valley’s romantic restaurants for you and your loved one. What if you are single, divorced or widowed and have no love interest on the horizon? This is no time to be alone. Adopting a new “fur friend” at a local animal shelter might be just the thing to perk up the New Year 2014 AND expand some of your social networking.
If you are still seeking love with a new guy or girl, your new pet might actually turn out to be a good matchmaker. You may recall the movie “Must Love Dogs” where Diane Lane’s character included the words “Must love dogs” in her ad posted on an online dating website. Believe it or not, your new pet will actually make you look better to prospective suitors. In a survey conducted by Dogs Trust, the largest dog welfare charity in the United Kingdom, 60 percent of the respondents said people are more attractive if they have a dog. Almost 100 percent of the participants said they would approach someone they were attracted to if the person had a dog in tow. A pet can be a conversation starter. The happy presence of dogs in our lives can facilitate many new social connections with others who appreciate these special creatures.
Today’s digital world has opened up many more avenues for you to meet other pet owners. There are several internet dating sites for animal lovers including LeashandLovers, MustLovePets.com, and DateMyPet.com. Strong relationships thrive on common interests, and you will be wise to seek partnerships that embrace these important members of your family.
Sharon Bennett Mathett met her husband John when she was in sales and he was one of her cold calls. She was reluctant to mix business with pleasure when he first invited her to dinner. During their discussions John showed so much interest in her poodle, Charlie, that she finally invited him to pick up his latest order at her house and meet Charlie. The rest is history. Sharon reports, “I tell all of our friends that Johnny fell in love with Charlie and had to marry me to stay with her.”
Trips to the dog park are a great way to exercise Benji while you get chance to meet some local dog owners. Hiking on one of the many dog friendly hiking trails enhance your own enjoyment of the outdoors. Several animal welfare organizations sponsor “Yappy Hours”, a new twist on Happy Hour where you can bring your well behaved dog on leash to a local restaurant and mingle with other pet owners. Call Loving All Animals at (760) 834-7000 to get their schedule of fun monthly Yappy Hours.
Dogs teach us humans so many lessons about love if we pay attention. Your faithful canine companion will greet you with the same enthusiastic gusto every time you return home. Their love is consistent, steady, and unconditional. Can we claim to be a steady source of peace, security, and devotion for those humans with whom we live in the same way these animals provide these to us? As we return the love our animals demonstrate, we can find ways to extend those same qualities to the human companions in our lives.
February is the month to experience love. Adopting a wonderful rescue animal this month will bring loving companionship into your life. You can meet hundreds of adoptable animals at the Coachella Valley’s two public animal shelters:
The Coachella Valley Animal Campus
(Riverside County Shelter)
72-050 Pet Land Place
Thousand Palms, CA
(760) 343-3644
Palm Springs Animal Shelter
4575 E. Mesquite
Palm Springs, CA
(760) 416-5719
One animal shelter in Nevada hosts a Valentine Day party for singles to mingle and meet, an opportunity to meet a human love match while they select a new pet. If you are thinking about adopting a new pet, this is the month to get off the fence and go do it. Your new dog will bring companionship, more fun, and more love into your life!
