Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation

Lost Dog and Cat is the best rescue in so many ways!

Do I have an unbelievable story for you....

Adopted a "kitten" from Lost Dog. Two Lost Dog reps were present along with a volunteer. We were told that the cat was about 10 months old and in perfect health except for a little runny nose.

Come to find out from our vet the next day that the "kitten" is 6-8 YEARS OLD. She is missing almost all of her teeth and the teeth she does have left are rotten. If anyone had looked at her teeth, they would have known that she is FAR from a kitten. Additionally, she has an upper respiratory infection, scars, unexplained bald spots, and opaque spots in her eye.

Lost Dog either blatantly lied to us or is just THAT incompetent. Either way, it shows what an irresponsible organization this is as well as how harmful and neglectful it is of its animals. It took us adopting the cat and taking her to the vet for her to get the attention she so desperately needed. Needless to say, this ordeal caused an IMMENSE amount of grief and heartache when we had to return her since we are not at a point in our lives where we can take on an ill elderly cat.

Not the first time this has happened with Lost Dog. This rescue needs to be seriously looked at and reviewed. Animals are suffering and adopters are being defrauded.

My mom and I fostered with them when I was younger and then I volunteered as I got older. Finally got my own pup from them back in January. Such a great group!

So wonderful!! I foster the sweetest dog thanks to thy’all m

Such a wonderful organization. I adopted my best friend from here and now I volunteer here. They treat their animals and their volunteers so well!

My favorite rescue group! I have worksed with several and appreciate the efforts of each group...

Disclaimer: I am an active foster and donor.

But Why is Lost dog the best?

Animals are fully vetted and they don’t say no to a need; expense; follow up appointment (I have had to argue/fight and pay out of pocket with other groups

I love LDCRF, I've fostered over 15 animals with them and adopted one directly. Every foster I had went to a vet, had full medical exams, and was required to have their shots updated. I often cared for special needs, sickly, and/or elderly fosters whose medical bills were significant and costly and handled by LDCRF for months, waiting for an all-clear before they could even be posted to the website as a potential adoptee. All but one (whose congenital illness claimed her life after lots of loving care) were made as healthy as possible and adopted to loving homes who fully knew their medical needs.

I feel like they constantly try to walk a line between being accessible and positive to potential adopters (much more so than many groups in the area) and not treating animals like they are toys to be sold to the first buyer. Yes, they carefully interview potential adopters and discuss lifestyle, expectations, plans, and other pets and kids. They follow national guidelines on appropriate times to spay and neuter, and due to well-documented risks of developing serious behavioral problems don't adopt out very young kittens without a friend to learn how to be a cat. I will point out then when people fly off the handle about following basic guidelines for a new pet's well-being as you've seen in some of these reviews, that was a potential adopter whose convenience and desires were more important than a pet's basic needs. As a pet lover, I'm proud that LDCRF takes those red flags seriously, even though those cases are rare. I'm SO grateful that thousands of thrilled pet parents have found pets of all bloodlines (sourced from high-kill shelters, and shelters that have been impacted by natural disasters as well as local shelters) and stand for a lifetime commitment to any animal they adopt out. If you want to support a rescue that deeply cares about all dogs and cats and their welfare, but also supports great pet owners LDCRF is the place!

Horrible experience with these people- don't even waste your time with them! they didn't tell us about the dog that he is big bitter and aggressive! and when we reach out to them they didn't respond until two weeks trial was passed!

On July 10, 2016 Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation put a dog up for adoption that a) had kennel cough; b) had a mouthful of rotten teeth; and c) was grossly malnourished. They represented her as healthy, saying she was only 5 years old and weighted 16 pounds. As soon as I got her home I smelled her rotten breath and heard her cough. I hadn't had a dog in about 30 years and yet I knew immediately that something was wrong. I took her to my local vets, and they were horrified that a dog in her condition had been placed for adoption. I did my best to rescue this dog, trying to give her as many days of sweetness and health as possible. Unfortunately and tragically, she died on July 23. I spent almost $5,000 to rescue her. You'd think that when i contacted lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation they would have been hugely apologetic, appreciative, financially supportive, and committed to never letting something like this happen again. No, they weren't. They excused themselves by saying they didn't know the dog was sick. They invited me to submit my bills for their consideration, but they NEVER responded back. I suggest you never adopt through them.

Horrible experience with these people- don't even waste your time with them. Today, we drove an hour to the Petsmart in Falls Church to adopt one of their puppies. We recently lost our beloved 17 year old dog who had been ill for over a year and our children were ready for another dog. We got there promptly at 12:00 when they began the event and after finding the dog we bonded with, we signed our name to be interviewed. Even though we came prepared with our application already filled out, the volunteers would not interview me until my husband, who was volunteering as a coach in a game, showed up. This is NOT part of their requirements, yet I said that that was no problem and that I could wait. I told 3 of the volunteers, including the nasty woman making the interviews which dog we were interested in. After an 1 1/2 hours of waiting, this couple comes in and also shows interest in the same dog we were interested in. As they are filling out the application, my husband comes into the store. Before I was able to tell the interviewer that we were ready, she goes to the back with the new couple to do their interview. When she comes out, we found out that she had already given the dog away to the people who came 1 1/2 hours AFTER us! When I politely tried to remind her that we were also waiting for that dog, she completely blows up like a madwoman yelling and telling us that the other couple was ready first and that if we want a dog we would have to pick one of the others. We were taken aback by her incredibly unprofessional behavior and tried to explain to her that we had, indeed been there first and waiting for her to finish the interview, assuming that we would be next. She would not even let us talk, much less listen to us; clearly she was never going to admit that this was her mistake and that she had not read the list AT ALL. Our children were miserable, especially our daughter who had been bonding with the dog for over an hour. We were so upset by the horrible treatment that we just walked out, vowing to never again waste our time with a rescue group. From now on, it will be a shelter or a breeder for us.

We have adopted two large hounds from Lost Dog and Cat Resue over the last 7 years, and have been thrilled to know the care they have taken to ensure that each animal is cared for and placed with the correct family. These volunteers give their hearts and time to care for the massive numbers of animals who need homes. Bless them for all they do.

I started volunteering with Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation in April 2011 and have loved every minute of it! The volunteers are all committed to helping as many dogs and cats as they can. I adopted my second dog from LDCRF in November 2011 and I have loved every moment I have been able to spend with her. Prior to my adopting Anabelle, she was in a foster home with one of LDCRF's regular fosters and they took such good care of her before she came my way. I am thankful everyday for the work that LDCRF does and for helping me find my Anabelle!

Stay tuned for full details - so angry now that I'm incoherent regarding yet another FLAWED volunteer BAD decision early January that has resulted in broken hearts of children - they fulfilled requirements for the dog of their choice, looked online, came very early to meet, first in line, first submitting ap, first interview, perfection a to z until VOLUNTEER drew straws because she felt only fair to second in line. This is the FOURTH time I've experienced the ignorance, insensitivity and indifference of LDCR volunteers and board and this time I'm blogging, facebooking, twittering and filing complaints with county, nonprofit vetting groups. SHAME ON YOU AND YOUR LACK OF GUIDELINES, MANAGEMENT, AND OVERSIGHT. Your sad little group will get not one more penny or good will from me, my experiences (all fact based with dates, events, etc.- not one bit of heresay) will be shared at every opportunity. WaNt to talk about this??? Sure! Gillian 703 232-7184

Lost Dog and Cat is only impressive in the backwardness of their priorities. Our first experience with them, we adopted a sick little male kitten that they had picked of the streets at 8 weeks, cropped his nuts, and put him on the sale shelf before bothering to ensure his health. Our pity on him backfired in the worst possible way: he died after 6 months due to a congenital disorder.

After healing, we attended an adoption event of theirs. We faced enormous obstacles to adoption that were unthinkably prohibitive (this cat must go with another, this one is too young for your current cat) and contradictory (this one is too young to be fixed, though it is twice the age of all other fixed cats present.) The event was, at best, disorganized. Several cats supposed to be in attendance never showed after an hour plus being told we should wait for them. At least six cats were at the event who were not ready for adoption, were unfixed, and their health insufficiently verified that they should be around other animals. One cat up for adoption had an open weeping sore. The lead adoption attendant was at best, rude and obtuse. She seemed hell bent on not letting us adopt. We're employed 27 year old responsible adults with other animals for new ones to play with. These people need to get their priorities straight : 1 give your cats proper care, 2 find them good homes and don't bar good people from saving one.

We are first-time rescue adopters. We adopted a fearful shepherd mix that had been rescued in Puerto Rico when her mother was found sick, starving, pregnant and abandoned on the streets. Our girl came to us healthy, clean, and very much as described on the website -- even the fearful part. :) She had spent time at Lost Dog's rural facility, 4 months with the most amazing foster who worked with her fear issues and brought her along to where she had 'graduated' to another foster who is a professional trainer and offered a two-parent home environment and new dogs for her to learn. She then progressed to another foster where she was exposed to a family environment with a child and cats. All along the way, she was cared for, non-force trained, and nurtured in every way. Just over 6 months later, I no longer describe her as fearful; I say she is timid around people because it's true. After an acclimation period to our home, she has picked right up on the learning and overcoming process that her fosters taught her, and she is losing her early puppy fears. Lost Dog's relationships in Puerto Rico, no doubt, helped ensure her mother was given shelter and medical care in support of a live litter, they provided a terrific history including her medical and foster history. They have been on-call for us to an unbelievable degree. They take an interest in their animals and help their adopters with everything from videos from the foster homes to training tips, to networking to reach out to other litter mates' adopters. I am beyond impressed with the quality of the care my girl received and the incredible difference Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation makes in the lives of so many animals.

I've been regularly volunteering as a dog handler at adoption events for Lost Dog for over 5 years. Everything about this organization is about the health, safety and happiness of the animals. The volunteers who are the lifeblood of the organization provide so much hope and happiness for the animals, fosters, other volunteers and the adopting families. I feel lucky to be a part of their community.

I have volunteered with lost Dog Rescue for 10 years. I have adopted 4 dogs and 1 cat from them and have fostered 100's for them. It is all about the animals and the care they receive before finding that forever home that makes Lost Dog Rescue on of the best.

This group and all of their volunteers work endlessly to help save dogs from all over. They have dogs from Puerto Rico, the southern states, WV and many other places. They have wonderful people working on their own time to help find animals wonderful homes every day of the week. Their adoption events are awesome. I love working with them, adopting from them, and helping many more animals find their forever homes.

My family has adopted 3 dogs from Lost Dog and my wife and I currently foster dogs in need of socialization. Lost Dog is a well run organization and they work very hard to make sure that each dog ends up in a home that is right for them.

I love volunteering with Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation! I have my 3 fur babies that I adopted through them, and I also foster and volunteer at adoption events every weekend. It's always great to see the excitement from people when they find their perfect dog/cat. And it's great to be associated with such a wonderful organization!

What a great organization helping animals in need. They have saved so many!

Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation is an incredible and caring organization. I adopted my cat from them, and received a wealth of information on her history, behaviors, likes and dislikes, and most suitable home environment. Her healthcare was meticulous and up to date. They even had her nails trimmed the morning I adopted her.
The staff was kind, courteous, and informative. They are experienced and knowledgable, giving me helpful advice I had not thought to ask.
I could not ask for a better organization to adopt from. With Lost Dog and Cat, you know the animals are being set up for the best future and care.
I have since begun volunteering with Lost Dog and Cat and the experience has only blossomed into more rewards. I am continually impressed by the knowledge and kindness each staff member or volunteer operates with. The care that each animal receives amazes me.

This is a wonderful organization to adopt a dog or cat from! The volunteers are helpful and courteous. The website is kept up to date with pertinent information about the animals.

We have been fostering for 8 years for Lost Dog and have adopted 5 of our fosters. Love what they do to find furever homes for these dogs and glad we can be a part of that! There is no better feeling than helping a great family find their perfect new family member.

Adopted our dog from LDCRF 8 yrs ago. He is such a big part of our life!! We now do transports and foster dogs and cats. Live it!! We also have 3 cats that adopted from LDCRF.

Adopted my beautiful Basset from Lost Dog Rescue 6 years ago. She is now approx 13 and still happy and healthy. The Lost dog people are wonderful to work with. I am also a foster.

We have adopted 5 animals from Lost Dog and fostered many more. Lost Dog and Cat Rescue always has the pets well being as a priority. The volunteers are very encouraging.

I have 4 wonderful dogs from this rescue. And I have been volunteering for this rescue every Saturday for a few years now. It's a fantastic rescue with fantastic people. Each dog is well-taken care of and their adoption rate is great.

I was looking for a dog for my daughter in 2001 and came across LDCRF when visiting a local Petco for guinea pig food. My daughter fell in love with a dog that had just been returned (got engaged and the fiance's poodle did not like her so the groom to be had to return her) and we subsequently adopted her. Thus began my relationship with the organization as a volunteer. From fostering to fundraising, they are such a fabulous rescue to be affiliated with from all fronts. I have friends in other areas of the country who work with rescues and they are astounded as to the type of organization I represent.

I made so many visits to Lost Dog adoption events while looking for just the right dog to be company for my old lonely guy that I became friends with several of the regular volunteers. Going to meet lots of great doggies at weekly events felt like catching up with friends, both human and fur. One Saturday, after leaving a shelter where I had been disappointed after thinking I'd finally found the perfect dog for my situation, I stopped by the weekly Lost Dog adoption event more for a distraction than another search for The Dog.......when I saw her. She was cowering in a corner, still just a puppy and so confused and scared, surrendered just an hour earlier by a sobbing military officer who was being deployed unexpectedly. Meant to be! She and my old dog that had been so sad since his buddy had died months earlier became devoted siblings and we all had great fun and adventures together.
The true test of Lost Dog came more than 4 years later when I had to, sob, surrender that great, happy, energetic, healthy, loving dog after I sustained severe, life-altering injuries and it became clear I would never be able to care for her again. The transfer process was kind and easy, my baby went directly to a loving foster home, and was then quickly adopted by a great family. Shortly before my sudden injuries I had actually started volunteering for Lost Dog, and even became an approved foster (ironic, given that my own dog ended up in foster!) The first thing I did when I could start hobbling around again after a few months was to ask for a small, quiet dog to foster, and I have been fostering for Lost Dog ever since, not only helping deserving dogs find their forever homes but being so lucky as to have all those great dogs in my life, if only for short times.

I have been volunteering since the beginning. I know lost dog and cat rescue makes a difference in so many animals lives.

I'm writing this review in hopes others will read and really think before they put a review anyless than perfect that they are jeopardizing animals lifes so I would pray true. Have looked into this organization as well as research comments and please be clear. Just because once you adopt they cant afford to pay additional vet bills does not make them bad in anyway. Just sad to see people work so hard then get 1 star. I've rescued over 10 dogs and cats knowing no matter where you get an animal even a top breeder there can be vet cost. Just felt they deserved someone to appreciate all the hard work in a review God Bless you for saving animals

I adopted my baby, Maddie, who's my doll baby, about 9/25. Below is the information I sent to LDCRF regarding Maddie's health costs in the first month after I adopted her. Of course, LDCRF won't reimburse me for the extra costs.

We adopted a dog from a different organization last year. He was in perfect health, even came with a microchip and dog food. We were so pleased with our doggie, we paid the adoption fee and gave them a donation.

It's interesting that my complaint is very similar to the other 1-star rating on 2/14. Anyone considering adopting from LDCRF, be warned and be sure you can afford hundreds of dollars in unexpected vet bills if needed, along with your new baby. I certainly wasn't expecting an additional $300 in the first month.
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Dear LDCRF,

I took Maddie to Banfield on 9/9. At that time they found a severe ear infection in one ear and inflammation in the other ear.

They cleaned it out. Obviously, it had not been cleaned out for a long time. Gave me ear wash and a medication and charged $126.

On Friday, 9/19, I had her into the vet again, this time Dominion Animal Hospital. This time she was diagnosed with worms, for a total cost of $175.

I agree with your statement that you can’t anticipate all of a dogs ailments, however, these were two easily found, diagnosed and treated ailments, which have cost me an additional $300+.

Is there anything the two of us can do about this significant extra cost for Addie?

Thanks,
Brenda

This rescue group is amazing. They work very hard to save animals from all over, including Puerto Rico! Then they work diligently to place them in wonderful homes. They have wonderful volunteers and fosters because good people are drawn to them.

I found this organization through Club Red another volunteer group. I have volunteered in several other shelters and have found this one to be the best group. They are a no-kill shelter which is great and they do rescue dogs from various other shelters that may euthanize these dogs.
I started volunteering with them a little over a year ago. Their process to volunteer at events is very easy and they are extremely responsive. There are definitely a lot of volunteers so you may not be able to volunteer right away, which just shows how popular they are.
Since I had a really good experience volunteering, I started fostering. A lot of the fosters are very experienced with dogs and have done wonders for some of the dogs that may need to open up or get relaxed. I must say the fosters and staff have been super helpful for me and they were very understanding when I was not able to keep the first foster.
They do make sure to tell us volunteers and fosters to be very upfront about the dog's behavior so that way a potential adopter would be aware of any issues and that the adopter takes a dog home best suited for him/her.

My husband and I have volunteer ed for lost dog since 2006. We have watched the organization grow from all the volunteer s help and time. We have seen dogs that were in terrible shape loved back to health and then adopted by great families. There are so many success stories . There is always opportunities to help and the voluteers are so appreciated. Great organizations with the sole purpose of helping dogs and cats get great homes.

I just adopted my third dog from this organization. I also have a cat that came from LDCRF. All of the animals that I have adopted have been wonderful, and the organization does a good job of trying to help people find the right animal for their situation.

We love our new kitties adopted about a month ago through the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation. Our kitties, a mother/daughter pair, were not without some complications but their foster mom was more than honest with us about what to expect from this pair. The kitten had lost a back foot soon after birth but just as the foster said, it doesn't slow her down in the slightest! And the mother kitty has a drippy eye that simply needs to be wiped every few days. And our vet confirmed, she has a kitty virus in that eye that doesn't effect her in any other way and is not at all contagious to humans. Our vet also confirmed their ages and good health. I love that not one but 3 people from the foundation have contacted us to be sure that we are happy and that our new family members are happy. I also loved their thorough interview process and complete health records on the cats. I truly feel believe that our kitties were loved and are still cared for by the people working for this foundation today.

I have volunteered with Lost Dog, and in January adopted my wonderful dog, Lacey , from this super organization. They are a wonderful group, giving the best care and attention to animals in need of loving homes.

Adopted a dog from Lost Dog and Cat Rescue this past fall. She came from a local shelter and had significant medical needs. In the care of Lost dog Rescue she had surgery on both knees, as well as treatment for bad skin infections. She received well over 6000.00 of vet care. When I took her to the vet after adoption, my personal vet was amazed at the care she had received from Lost Dog and the quality/name of the surgeon that performed her knee surgeries. She is an amazing dog, and makes us laugh every day. I know that if she had not been pulled by Lost Dog and Cat Rescue there is little chance that she would be alive today. We are so grateful for Lost Dog Rescue who puts the animals first and gives them all the care they need to be great family pets.

Adopted an amazing dog, only to find that he had numerous parasite infections that were over looked by the staff. This dog has had explosive, blood diarrhea since we got him, yet they never even did a fecal test on him.
Their quality standards have fallen just to get more dogs in and out, but this put my dogs health at risk, as well as any dog this dog interacted with on the ranch. We paid over $300 to adopt a dog, and then another $250 for the parasite testing and treatment which I feel should have been covered or addressed in the original interview.
EDIT in response to the comment: just because you used the "most expensive (there is no data supporting that) medicine", does not make it the best, that medicine does nothing for giardia, one of the parasites he has. 2. please remove my pets name from this post, I never used it and would appreciate if you refrained as well. 3. the vet you took him to specifically told me he needed a fecal, so without having seen him again, she knew he needed one already.... you guys are just cheap and its hurting the animals. 4. most importantly, if you are so concerned about your animals, what steps have you taking to rid the ranch of the giardia and hookworms my dog has?

Its honestly ridiculous that I have to deal with the same blanket, non effective responses to my legitimate concerns. I would NEVER trust these people with an animal again after the blatant disregard for BOTH of my pets' health.

We had a wonderful experience adopting our puppy from LDCRF. The interview process was thoughtful for both the dog and us to make sure we were the right furever home. Having the foster mom at the adoption event was a huge help to know what food he was eating, his habits, etc. The overall adoption event was very smooth for the amount of animals they had and the number of potential adopters. For the limited space Petsmart is able to offer, LDCRF does a great job. And Petsmart does a great job of having associates on hand to help you find the products you need to help your new animal settle in at home.

I am a foster mom with LCDRF now for close to 3 years. I CHOSE Lost Dog to become a foster with over a lot of other rescues and agencies after doing extensive work. Because LCDRF takes exceptional care of its dogs/cats. It committed to finding the right match between human and companion; no matter how long. LCDRF is a top notch rescue, I am proud/honored to be associated with. And thoroughly enjoy every moment I spend volunteering and fostering pups!

This is a top notch organization. They run handfuls of adoption events in the DC area, and all are organized very well. If a family is interested in a pet from the website, they coordinate and make sure that pet will be at the location the family requests to view the pet. The animals are very well cared for, and many pets available for adoption also have the pleasure of staying in a foster home (where they are spoiled and loved!) until they find their forever home. I recommend this organization to anyone looking for a furry companion and I also recommend it for anyone looking to volunteer somewhere.

Our family adopted our wonderful Sadie back in April of last year. We loved the people that handled our interview and went over all the paperwork. When we had questions, they were honest and told us the truth.They really care about the right match between dog and person. I feel the volunteers are wonderful and helpful. I would love to help volunteer with them. Sadie is healthy and a wonderful dog.

I really enjoy working with LDCRF. I volunteer at adoption events, I help as a caretaker in one of the PetSmart adoption centers where we have cats in residence, I foster cats and kittens and get great advice and support in all those endeavors. I also know that I'm genuinely helping save the lives of animals by doing it. This group is happy to have volunteers who have a lot of time to give, or just a little... weekly or monthly or less frequently... what you can give, they will find a way to make the contribution meaningful.

I really like that the relationship between LDCRF and animals and adopters doesn't end when pets and people walk out the door. Rescuing these dogs and cats is important enough that the rescue remains a safety net even once the adoption is complete.

I've adopted two (of my five) cats, Petals & Zuzu, from LDCRF and my parents adopted their dog, Nate. I've introduced my brother, my partner, two friends and a neighbor and her daughter to volunteer opportunities that continue today.

This organization makes an amazing effort to connnect the right animals with the right adopters. The volunteers have a wonderful knowledge of dog and cat behavior,which they're happy to share. A great group!

Lost dog is an amazing non profit that helps strays animals who have been abused or neglected find forever loving homes. It lights up my life when I help a pet a home or even give it some attention. These people go far and beyond driving over 4 hours to our paid veterinarian hospital as much as three times a week, completely voluntary! We give love and attention to the dogs who know no love. These pets fill our lives with joy and give us so much, so why not give them the love they deserve. Lost dog can only save lives through donations and volunteer work. Not only do they save these pets lives but also they help enrich the new forever homes family's lives.

This organization is wonderful, with amazing people who volunteer, foster, and do the grunt work. I'm always happy to praise Lost Dog, and sing their praises far and wide! I adopted Lex from LDCRF in 2007, and I've been volunteering since 2011.

This orginazation and it's owner consistantly puts the animals first over thier personal lives and desires. As you mett these animaqls who have been rescued from nearly certain deth at some rural shelter and see the greatfulness and love in thier eyes you know you are helpng t save a life. Then to see them go home with thier new owners wh seem to have found a new family member you know you have made a impact not only in the life of the animal but also in the life of the new owner/family.

Such a fabulous organization! We adopted both our dogs from Lost Dog and Cat and had a fantastic experience both times. I'd love to adopt from them again, but certain members of the family feel two dogs is enough. Perhaps a cat...

We volunteered with Lost Dog and Cat as well and their volunteer program is well-run. Their volunteers are a dedicated bunch and clearly love all the animals that come through the organization.

Every animal that comes through Lost Dog and Cat is well cared for, well loved and almost always finds a wonderful home. Keep up the good work!

Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation brings the community together in the common goal to proactively increase awareness and outreach to lost and abandoned animals. In so doing, they bring kind souls together and magnetize volunteer actions in every aspect of life. Although their main outreach is animal rescue, they accomplish more than that: personal friendship, genuine generosity and warm support among theircharitable volunteers. It is a total volunteer experience that accomplishes animal rescue through the human experience of extending far past what one would think possible. Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation makes a difference in the way we live. My life is richer because of it.