I have been lucky enough to find love not once but twice on the Internet! My husband and I adopted both of our Yorkshire Terriers from a wonderful organization--Save a Yorkie Rescue. We are now the proud parents of Sophie (rescued last year from a puppy mill) and Gazoo (rescued last month from a puppy mill).
There are many wonderful organizations from which you can adopt terrific pets who need a second chance. Local organizations that come to mind are Strays and Others in New Canaan, and Paws in Norwalk. Adopting older pets can be very rewarding--Sophie is four and Gazoo is seven but sometimes puppy mill rescues can have issues you will need to deal with. Our favorite resource for guidance is The Dog Whisperer and you can find his books at Wilton Library. I would love to hear from you about other local organizations you can recommend!