Photo by Juliet FarmerAdopting and rescuing pets is about as green as it gets. After all, what's more recycled than helping out a pet that someone else can't keep?

My house would be full of rescued cats and dogs if I won the lottery, but until then, we have two cats rescued from the Sacramento SPCA (the local version of the ASPCA) and one rescue dog.

When I started working at home, I decided a dog would be a nice home office companion. I wanted a dog with some pedigree (without the pedigree price tag). I also wanted a bigger dog.

I opted to look into breed-specific rescue groups, and in my research, I learned about racing greyhounds and how horrible their lives are. I read about a typical racing greyhound's existence, caged 23 hours out of the day when not racing, kept lean to the point of starving, with tears streaming down my face.

Eventually, I found a retired racing greyhound adoption group not far from where I live. Because of the cats, we needed a greyhound without a strong predatory drive, and I also wanted a smaller sized female. We applied, passed a home visit and inspection and were told that Jetta, a female, one-and-a-half-year-old brindle and white greyhound would be joining our family. (We renamed her Greta.)

She adjusted well, especially since she had never even set paw in a house before, let alone lived in one.

The honeymoon phase lasted for about one month. Suddenly, Greta suddenly started resembling a baby deer struggling to gain its footing when she walked on our hardwood floors, which up until then had posed no problem. The more she flailed, the more terrified she became. One day, she simply refused to walk anywhere that wasn't carpeted (which explains the scattered area rugs throughout our house now).

Caring for Greta has been a substantial investment. From routine vet bills, to unexpected medical emergencies, to one destroyed coffee table and several accident-soiled carpets, the cost has been significant. And that's not including all the cute collars, comfy beds, toys and outerwear.

However, at the end of the day, the investment has been worth it, and I like knowing I saved the lives of two crazy cats and a goofy greyhound.

Are your pets rescues?