I have gone through about 3 different moves, and got married, and had 2 babies. All through this, I had 2 dogs and 5 cats. One of those dogs and 3 of those cats have all died due to old age, but the rest of my gang remains. Some days after having a baby, it was hard! Hard to remember when doggy and kitty were fed, and to walk doggy. But shipping them off to a cold shelter, and not knowing who in the world they'd go to, was never an option.

My older dog is not great with my 2 young children and there were many days I thought, 'what in the world am I going to?' so we got gates to separate children and dog and I worked a deal with a dog walker to take doggy out at an affordable rate when it was too hard for me to take doggy out with new baby around.

I don't want to 'brag', because indeed there are people out there who really do need to rehome their animals, but where there is a will there is a way.

Today my dog is happily walked by myself and my 3 1/2 year old (my dog wears two leashes), and my son absolutely loves it! I can't imagine my life without my dog and my cats. And I'm so glad my children get to experience them too.

My dog and my cats may not be the center of my life like they once were before I had kids, but they are still very important and I could not begin to consider the alternative; letting them go to another home. There are soooo few good homes out there.

I will admit it frustrates me the amount of people who want to rehome when there are such better options.