For as long as I can remember, I have been rescuing animals in just about every color, shape, size, and breed you can imagine, and for the most part, I didn’t go deliberately looking them, they just seemed to “find” me. I always thought it was the intervention of fate – these animals intuitively seemed to seek me out, sensing I would help them and I always did. That is why today, Change a Pet’s Life Day, is especially touching to me. Because in reality, when one changes the life of a pet, one also changes their own human life and that is something that is true not just today, but every single day of the year.

I think to some of the animals I have saved over the years – for example, Tosha, an all-black cat that I found abandoned on rural roadside one dark night, all skin and bones and riddled with fleas. Then there was Shami, a stray tuxedo cat with white mittens who found me at my workplace one day. Next came Meagan, a black and white kitten I accidentally stumbled upon while hiking in the snowy woods of Connecticut. She was one of two tiny days-old kittens I found at the bottom of a very deep and cold dry well that had been abandoned by her mother (my mother adopted the other kitten). Had I not found them, I am certain none of them would have survived.

A vintage photo from 1998 when Jazz was a kitten meeting his new feline housemates – all rescues: Kit, Shami, Whitney, and Tosha. There is no doubt the moment each of these cats first met me, their lives forevermore changed, as did mine.

Then there was my innocent attempt to buy some cat food at Pet Supermarket a couple years ago. I tried, but instead I came home with my beautiful Kizmet because once my eyes locked with his, I fell hopelessly in love with him. He had been found abandoned roadside with a litter of kittens and I just knew I could not let him spend a second longer in the small cage he was calling home.

This was Kizmet when I first saw him at Pet Supermarket. I knew if I left without him, I would not be able to live with myself. Thankfully, after a quick phone call to Dan, he agreed and Kizmet became part of our lives and has enriched it ever since.

Then our most recent rescue – Jazmine. Another kitten that had been found abandoned. Dan and I had no plans at that time for another kitten in our lives, but one look at her precious face and we knew the writing was on the wall. We were meant to have another kitten in our lives and never once have we questioned the logic of any of it.

This was Jazmine the first day we brought her home after adopting her. She and Kizmet instantly shared a bond born of those that know they were given a new lease on life. Adopting these two cats has been one of the best decisions of my life as it has made mine all the better for having them in it.

That is the miracle of it. When it seems all hope has expired, there is that joyous moment when the life of a pet changes. Those pets that perhaps had been languishing in a shelter cage, bypassed day after day because of something like age, fur color, breed, or a physical aliment. Or maybe it’s a stray that has showed up on your doorstep, hungry, scared, and alone. Or a pet that needs an operation to recover from a serious aliment.

And then it happens – that joyous and incredible moment when that pet is let out of the cage, to lovingly be held by their new forever guardian; the tired and scared stray is let inside to live a new life filled with love, meals, and security; and the operation is a success, giving the pet a new lease on life.  All of those life changing moments change us as people too because our pets provide us with the intangible aspects of life that money can’t buy.

Nothing makes daughter Mia happier than sharing time with her beloved mama Zoey and papa Zee. While these cats were not rescued from extreme circumstances, it does not dilute the profound affect they have all had on my life.

And not all the circumstances need to be those born of dire or extraordinary circumstances to apply. Both my Zee and Zoey came from loving, stable homes. I got them through a breeder when they were kittens and they have thankfully never known a day of hardship in their precious lives. But the day each of them was brought into my heart and home – their lives did change because they fell in love and subsequently had a family together. A family that has taught me invaluable lessons about life, patience, love, and compassion.

Happy cats… Happy me. Nothing makes me happier than to be surrounded by my cats. I may have changed their lives by adopting them, but they changed mine as well.

I’m sure I’m not alone in that sentiment – life can be hard and it’s often difficult to get through the day. I know I have gone though a myriad of issues in my lifetime – from being bullied as a young girl, to growing up and having adult issues like martial problems and financial difficulties. Throughout it all, my pets and the unconditional love they have given me has always made my day better and there is no doubt in my mind, without them, I don’t know where I would be today.

Pets give us a reason to care. To smile. To laugh. A reason to get up in the morning and a reason to live. I pray one day all animals that need a home find one and I hope that everyone considers opening their hearts and home to as many pets as they can – not only will it change their life, it will change yours as well. Especially those such as senior pets, or black cats, or animals with a disability that are least likely to be adopted. Just imagine the joy you could bring to an animal like that by considering adoption.

I hope everyone has a blessed weekend and if you would like to learn more about how you can help change a pet’s life, please think about going to the BlogPaws conference this May 28 – 30 in Nashville, TN. Just use the code BP15-Speaker-10off to receive 10% off your registration. Click here for details. And if you have any stories you’d like to share about changing a pet’s life, I’d love to hear them in the comments.