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There are no bad dogs, just bad dog owners.
				That&rsquo;s me. I&rsquo;m a bad dog owner. Not bad in that I don&rsquo;t take wonderful care of my dogs. Just the opposite. My rescue pups live like kings and queens. Bad in the fact that they are totally undisciplined because I melt like butter when they flash those big brown eyes.
				You&rsquo;ll read a lot about my pups in upcoming blogs as they have truly captured my heart. Here&rsquo;s just a little introduction.
				Snickers
				My first rescue was a lab border collie mix from the SPCA of Luzerne County. We named him Snickers.
				My kids were young at the time and were begging for a dog. I never had a dog growing up and quite frankly, I was afraid of them. I got bit on the back of the leg when I was a young kid delivering newspapers and had a fear of them from that day on.
				That was until Snickers came along.
				I made a bargain with my kids, Greg and Katie, that if they got straight As on their report cards, we could get a dog. I knew getting all As was a pretty lofty goal for both of them and felt confident that I was in the clear as far as that bargain went.
				I was wrong.
				They both wanted a dog so badly that they brought home perfect report cards. We made a trip to the SPCA just to &ldquo;take a look&rdquo;. I&rsquo;m sure you can imagine how that went. My daughter spotted this little black lab mix and the SPCA staff let us hold him. The rest is history.
				If you&rsquo;re just looking, don&rsquo;t ever hold a rescue, because if you&rsquo;re like me, you&rsquo;re not walking out without adopting him. Snickers brought a new joy and energy into our home. Everyone loved him, including me. He was loving, energetic, and the best friend you could imagine.
				Because of Snickers, I became a big supporter of the SPCA and other shelters and still am today.
				Maddie
				As Snickers got older, we decided to get him a little buddy. Along came Maddie, or Madelyn as I like to call her when she&rsquo;s bold.
				Kristin Fino, a friend who was a big advocate of rescuing herself and is a volunteer for Blue Chip Farm Animal Refuge, sent me a picture of this adorable little Yorkie mix in need of a home.
				The dog had been abandoned, was extremely frightened, and needed hernia surgery. Of course, I adopted her immediately.
				Maddie was and is a little terror. She is afraid of everyone and everything, except those closest to her. Once Maddie decides you&rsquo;re one of &ldquo;her people,&rdquo; she loves you completely.
				She had my husband Bill wrapped around her little finger immediately. While Snickers didn&rsquo;t warm up to Maddie right away, her youthful energy kept him going in his later years. I think what bonded me most with Maddie was how she would lie by Snickers in his final months. Being close to him and guarding over him. If she loves you, she loves you, and she definitely loved Snickers.
				Dixie
				Snickers had a wonderful life as an important member of our family. When he passed away at age 14, we were all devastated. Maddie spent a full week looking all over the house for him and all I did was cry. A year after he passed, and still missing him terribly, I was ready to welcome another dog into our home.
				I had heard of an organization called Northeast Pennsylvania Pet Fund and Rescue. I followed them on social media and saw a litter of puppies that captured my heart. The puppies were born in a kill shelter in Mississippi and brought to NEPA to find homes. They were lab mix pups and I really wanted another lab mix.
				Again, my husband and I just went to &ldquo;just look&rdquo; and I gravitated towards this shy little black female mix. She batted her eyes at me, I picked her up, and that was that. She came home with us that day.
				Dixie was like a cyclone from day one. She leaves total devastation in her path. But, just like Snickers and Maddie, we love her to pieces, and she loves us right back. I told my husband I was renaming her &ldquo;barks a lot&rdquo; and renaming Maddie &ldquo;barks even more.&rdquo; At times my house sounds like a kennel. You&rsquo;ll hear a lot more about these pups and their crazy antics in upcoming columns.
				Many think that by rescuing a dog, we are saving their life. I agree, but what we get in return is more love and loyalty than you can possibly imagine. They help to relieve stress, keep us physically active, and make us happier. If you&rsquo;re considering getting a dog or cat, I hope you&rsquo;ll consider adopting.

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Life at Full Throttle: Rescuing a dog brings a joy you have to experience to believe