Op-Ed -- One of a Kind Earlier this year, several hundreds purebred dogs and puppies were rescued from a local California Puppy mill. It was on the internet, in the paper and even on the evening news. The dogs were confiscated, medically treated and slowly released to the public for adoption.  Bill Foundation heard the news and was ready to help, but found there were actually waiting lists and even fights over who got to adopt these dogs. The ASPCA even stopped taking calls since they had more than enough interested adopters.  Although thousands of dogs die in the shelter system every year, these 300 had people waiting and hoping to be the lucky ones chosen to adopt puppymill purebred dogs & puppies. All dogs are wonderful. Anyone who has ever had a pet will tell you how special and one of a kind they are.  I have had both mixed and purebred dogs as pets, yet why would people clamor for the purebreds and allow the many to die alone and abandoned while fighting over the few. I think it's time to rethink the purebred vs. the mix. My purebred toy poodle, while unbelievably special to me, was physically just like a million other toy poodles – it was only his personality that separated him from the group. My little mix was unique and unlike any other dog in both appearance and personality.  While strangers would always pet the poodle they were fascinated by my little Pomeranian-Papillion mix.  I would be constantly stopped by people on the street asking what breed she was and where could they find one like her.  I even had passing cars stop and ask. People couldn't believe that something this cute could be a mix.  This made me think, since most of us strive for individuality in our clothes, hair and makeup, why not in your dog. Choose a mix that says as much about your individuality as your finger prints. Although my one-of-a-kind dog was only with me for a short time, she taught me to be myself.  Mixes offer so much to us both in personality and appearance. It's often been said the people choose dogs who resemble them. Whether this is true or not, our choice in pet still says something about us.  Be one of a kind, be an individual -- adopt of mutt! The day she died, I knew there would never be another like her as she was one of a kind – but anyone who has a dog, mix or purebred, will tell you that.