| I became an animal lover when I was a child. My | | | | Elephant. All of these animals need protection |
| parents were veterinarians and I spent a lot of | | | | from the threats presented by mankind. |
| my childhood helping them care for sick animals. | | | | When you adopt an animal through the WWF, |
| My first dog was a mutt that had been hit by a | | | | you receive a picture of the animal, a plush toy |
| car and brought in by a driver passing by. He had | | | | and a certificate. By displaying them in your home, |
| a broken leg and I bonded with him as his leg | | | | you can show them to your visitors and educate |
| mended. Since no one claimed him, my parents let | | | | them about the plight of these animals. My |
| me keep him. It's because of Rusty that I | | | | daughter has confiscated the toys, and my wife |
| developed my baseball pitching prowess, since I | | | | has put the pictures on the fridge. I do keep the |
| would throw the balls and he would tireless | | | | framed certificates in the family room and never |
| retrieve them for me. Now that I'm a little league | | | | hesitate to ask my friends to consider adopting |
| coach, I suggest to the parents of my charges | | | | an animal. |
| that they should get their children a dog to do the | | | | Everyone in my family has adopted their own |
| same. | | | | animal. My daughter chose the Giant Panda and |
| I am very concerned about the endangered | | | | my wife chose the Bottlenose dolphin. I chose the |
| species of the world. I had been looking for a | | | | Black Rhino. |
| way to do something to prevent their extinction | | | | The Giant Panda has become endangered due to |
| and realized I could adopt them the way I | | | | the forests that they live in being cleared for |
| adopted Rusty, not by bringing them home of | | | | agriculture and lumber. This has also become a |
| course, but by contributing to the World Wildlife | | | | problem for the Orangutan and the Asian |
| Fund, (WWF). This is a great organization that has | | | | Elephant. The Black Rhino is being killed for its |
| dedicated itself to the protection of endangered | | | | horn, which is used for medicinal purposes, and |
| wildlife. You choose the animals that you want to | | | | poachers have also focused on the Bengal Tiger. |
| help protect and send them a set amount of | | | | The Bottlenose Dolphin is a victim of the |
| money each month. They use the money to | | | | commercial fishing industry. They get caught in |
| safeguard the animals within their ordinary | | | | the nets used for other fish and are also suffering |
| environment. | | | | from polluted waters. |
| They offer a range of animals to choose from, | | | | These beautiful animals need to be protected |
| such as the Black Rhino, Bengal Tiger, Bottlenose | | | | because they are in danger of becoming extinct |
| Dolphin, Orangutan, Giant Panda and the Asian | | | | and once that happens, they are gone forever. |