A rescue dog changed my life. Adopt one of the pups from Nashville's overcrowded shelters.

David Plazas, Nashville Tennessean
·4 min read
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One Sunday in the spring of 2023, I took Bandit, my 12-year-old, 9-pound Chihuahua, for his usual morning walk when a stranger jumped on me.

She was white, had long legs and her eyes appeared to be painted with mascara similar to Elizabeth Taylor in the movie "Cleopatra." She was no more than 20 pounds and seemed desperate to make a friend, but she acted very friendly. However, she had no collar and, we would soon learn at the veterinarian's office, no microchip.

My husband and I lost Bandit's older sister, a 15-year-old 6-pound bossy Chihuahua named Zohie more than a year before, and while Bandit seemed happy to be the only fur-baby in the house, we considered the idea of getting a new dog at some point in the near future.

I quickly made the decision that I needed to take this dog — a Jack Russell terrier mix — home to get some food and water before searching for its family.

Fifteen months later, Millie Mae, who the vet estimates is around 2, is now a part of the family. Efforts to find her past owners through social media, posters and word of mouth were unsuccessful, and we suspect, after consulting our vet and friends, that she had been dumped in the neighborhood by someone who could not or would not take care of her.

Animal shelters across America are overcrowded

Bandit, a Chihuahua, and Millie Mae, a Jack Russell Terrier mix, pets of Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas
Bandit, a Chihuahua, and Millie Mae, a Jack Russell Terrier mix, pets of Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas

This memory returned to me after reading a recent story that the Metro Animal Care and Control is overflowing with dogs and offering them at no charge to responsible prospective owners.

“We are having to keep dogs in rolling kennels because our partners are at capacity as well,” Matt Peters, Metro Public Health Department spokesman, told The Tennessean. “This is as full as it has ever been.”

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Reporter Jacob Beckwith wrote that this is not unusual to Nashville; in fact, 900,000 cats and dogs have "entered and lingered" in the nation's shelters since January 2021, per a Shelter Animal Counts report from 2023.

This broke my heart. While the city is giving away dogs for free, there is no free lunch. It's true that dogs can become expensive: food, medical bills, training, doggie care for when their family is away, etc. It's not for everyone, and I thought for a long time that it wasn't for me.

My father grew up on a farm in Colombia, South America, and his family considered dogs outdoor animals. Growing up in Chicago, in dense housing and blistering winters, meant my siblings' and my pleas for a pet would go unheeded.

I finally became a dog owner when I entered into my relationship nearly 20 years ago. Bubba, a miniature Schnauzer, passed away in 2012. The day we took him to the vet to be put down remains one of the most painful memories of my life.

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Six months later, we took in Bandit and Zohie from a neighbor who could no longer take care of them.

And now, there's Millie Mae. When I tell people her origin story, I love that so many tell me, "She chose you."

Dogs deserve people who are willing to care for them

We are currently maxed out for the moment with dogs, but I encourage citizens who are looking, able and willing to foster or home a dog to visit your local shelter and determine if it's a right for you. By the way, I was reminded by a colleague that cats needs a good home, too.

Here are just a few resources in Middle Tennessee; please send me others that I will add to the list:

Before I owned a dog, I could not understand why people became so sentimental about them. I was chased by a big German shepherd as a child and feared dogs, so my natural inclination was to avoid them.

Bubba, my first dog, transformed me, and my experience with dogs since has made me enjoy their affection and be kind and patient when anxiety causes a bathroom accident in the house.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, considered to be contender for Donald Trump’s running mate, was the guest speaker at the Radisson at the Port Saturday evening for a Republican event. Across the street, a small, dedicated group of protesters gathered in the rain and lightning. The group was protesting having her as a speaker after she claimed in her book that she killed her dog Cricket.

Now, movies with dogs in them make me emotional. And like most of America, I was enraged with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's nonchalant admission that she shot and killed her 14-month-old wirehaired pointer Cricket because the canine suffered from behavioral issues and hunted poorly.

Perhaps more training could have made Cricket ready for another family.

If I had not been walking at that time last year with Bandit, I might never have encountered Millie Mae. We offered her a home, but she gave us many blessings in return.

David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or find him on X at @davidplazas.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville shelters overcrowded with dogs for adoption. Give one a home