On a random weekday towards the end of November a friend of mine had posted on social media that her family was fostering two labrador puppies that were looking for good homes. Now I’d never had a dog before, but my partner had and he adored this breed. So I sent a message, learned about the two siblings and fell in love with the black lab mix named Aden.

My partner was blindsided by this developing conversation, but soon he was on board and we were scheduling a visit and filling out the application. We met Aden and our hearts were full, so now we just had to wait.

Two days later an email comes through: Your application has been rejected. We wish you luck at other shelters.

In a panic, we messaged the rescue worker who had been assigned to us and asked what went wrong. She said that because I was the primary person on the application, and I only worked part-time, that they didn’t think we could afford to take care of Aden.

A few tears, a couple swear words under my breath, and a lot of deep breaths later and I had calmed down enough to ask if we put my partner as the primary applicant would that make a difference since he was a full-time salaried worker.

“You can try,” she responded.

Well, we did. We tried and heard nothing back from them except once again that they had rejected our application. They hadn’t contacted our references this time, we knew that for sure, but we received no other information.

They were looking for the “perfect candidates” and a loving couple with a large one-story apartment and a ton of room to play weren’t it.

It’s hard to move on after that first rejection. You fall in love with a dog and you’re not sure you can do it again-or worse, lose them again. But there’s still a hole left empty in your heart.

So after a few weeks, we tried again at a different place like their passive-aggressive email had suggested. We found the Chautauqua County Humane Society in Jamestown and started looking through profiles.

Now, if you’re an animal lover you know that every picture you see tugs on your heart-strings a little, so searching for the friend that would be the perfect addition to our family wasn’t easy. Until we scrolled past a picture of a fluffy dog with a red scarf and the goofiest smile on his face.

“Sweet Potato” his profile read. He was a high-energy bundle of joy that was rescued right before Thanksgiving (hence the name) and was looking for a family that could handle his “mouthiness.”

The charity organization Animal Friends describes “mouthiness” as “when a dog places an open jaw on parts of a human’s body for different reasons. It is not to be confused with aggression. How hard a dog mouths depends on his bite inhibition.”

When a dog is still with their litter, they learn bite inhibition from their siblings. “During play, a puppy will make a loud squeal if a littermate bites down too hard.” This teaches them how hard they can bite down before it starts to hurt another dog or a human.

For reasons unknown, Sweet Potato never learned bite inhibition. So when he gets excited, wants to play, or needs attention he will mouth on hands or arms, not knowing it causes pain. At the shelter, those who worked there worked with him to try and curb this, but what he really needed was a stable environment and a family who could work with him consistently.

My partner and I weren’t sure we were the right fit for Sweet Potato, but we knew that if we met him we would be able to tell if we could do right by him.

Well, if you’ve ever gotten to meet a shelter dog with the intention of adopting them, you’ll know that love-at-first-sight feeling. He was unbelievably soft, loved both of us, and had the goofiest personality. If it hadn’t been two days before Christmas, we probably would’ve taken him home that day.

Once the holidays were over and we went back on the website to make sure Sweet Potato was still available for adoption, our hearts dropped into our stomachs; his picture was no longer up.

Frantically we called the humane society and were able to find out that he hadn’t been adopted but rather put on a ten day “bite hold” because he had broken the skin on a volunteer’s hand while being mouthy. It was policy, and the behavioral specialist would be working extra-hard with him during that period to avoid this happening again.

So we had to wait to welcome a puppy into our family, again.

It was a long ten days-that definitely involved a lot of impulse toy buying-but when it was finally up and we were allowed to take him home, the entire struggle became worth it. Sweet Potato remembered us, and was so excited to get to explore our car, our house, and his new yard.

The first few days of him being home weren’t easy, it’s a huge adjustment for animals to go from a shelter full of dogs to a home with none. Plus, he could now have practically-free reign of the place, as opposed to only having his own area. He would get overwhelmed and overstimulated so easily, and therefore so would we.

By leaning on each other we were able to make it through, and we couldn’t be happier now. Having somebody there every time you get home with a smile (yes he smiles) makes every rough day better.

Even though the process to get there was so difficult, I would recommend it to anyone. Rather than spending hundreds if not thousands on a pure-bred animal, welcoming a shelter dog into your home will help both you, and them.

According to an article from the online resource for pet rescuers, Doobert, over one million animals are abused, and approximately 1.5 million are euthanized. “In most cases, animals that are taken in or given up to shelters end up getting mercy-killed not because of illness, but simply because no one wants to adopt them.”

On top of this, you won’t be supporting “puppy mills” or backyard breeders where animals are continuously bred and housed in unlivable conditions, solely for profit. These animals can be malnourished, aren’t taken to vets, and are forced to produce litter after litter until their bodies can’t anymore. These practices are inhumane, and adopting animals doesn’t continue to support them like “shopping” does.

When adopting from a shelter like the Chautauqua County Humane Society, you are also provided with a built-in support system. They can walk you through anything you need and connect you with resources for trainers, veterinarians, groomers, and more. Any time my partner and I have had a question about Sweet Potato, we’ve been able to reach out and have them help us. It has made this whole process so much easier.

So if you’re concerned whether adopting an animal is worth it, I can assure you it is. Our lives, as well as our hearts, are so much fuller now thanks to our newest addition Sweet Potato.