I have always loved animals, but through a twist of fate, I became a volunteer with two Dalmatian rescues. There is a rescue for just about any breed of dog and, of course, there are cat rescues, too.
I have met an amazing bunch of (mostly) women, who go out of their way to rescue a dog. All but one of the precious dogs who found their way into my home have been abused or neglected. It is an amazing thing to watch a dog with a broken spirit to suddenly realize that they are not going to be beaten any more. Believe me, they know that they have been rescued! The unconditional love that they give knows no bounds. They are always happy to see me, they always want to be next to me and they'd probably lay down theirs lives to protect me.
Whatever love I didn't get in my life, well, all i can say is that the dogs made up for it!