This post may cause an eerie sense of Déjà vu for some of you. Fear not, you're not going crazy. I posted this last year on my old blog. This year it's been improved a bit, built upon, and dressed up to look pretty. Same message still applies.
Allow me to paint a picture for you. . .
Imagine spending your life devoted to a family. One day they decide you're too old be around anymore. They want a fun a dog. They want a young dog. They want a puppy and you're getting in the way. You're taken to a place that's loud and scary. All around you are the terrified or aggressive barks from other four-legged friends. You're given a cold concrete floor for a bed. "Five days", you'll hear someone say. Five days until what? You'll wonder. Where's my family? Strangers will pass by your cage and peer in with judging eyes. They won't stop. They'll move onto the next cage because you're "not going to live very long anyway."
Sound like a happy scenario? Does it seem like a way you'd like to spend your golden years? Somehow I doubt it.
Oh, did I forget to mention that I might get preachy in this post?
Imagine spending your life devoted to a family. One day they decide you're too old be around anymore. They want a fun a dog. They want a young dog. They want a puppy and you're getting in the way. You're taken to a place that's loud and scary. All around you are the terrified or aggressive barks from other four-legged friends. You're given a cold concrete floor for a bed. "Five days", you'll hear someone say. Five days until what? You'll wonder. Where's my family? Strangers will pass by your cage and peer in with judging eyes. They won't stop. They'll move onto the next cage because you're "not going to live very long anyway."
Sound like a happy scenario? Does it seem like a way you'd like to spend your golden years? Somehow I doubt it.
Oh, did I forget to mention that I might get preachy in this post?
November is National Adopt a Senior Pet month. This topic is very near and dear to my heart. For the past three years, my husband and I have fostered dogs through an organization named Izzy's Place Senior Dog Rescue. It's a group of dedicated volunteers, working tirelessly to save senior dogs from shelters and poor living conditions such as the ones described above. It's a rough gig. I find myself angry at the people who abandon these poor dogs to be left to the hands of fate. I want to yell at them "WHY?!", but for the most part I already know the answer. Not all these dogs end up in shelters because of cruelty. Sometimes an owner passes away. Sometimes their families met hard times and couldn't care for their pet properly so they reached out to those who could help. My experience working with this amazing bunch of volunteers has changed me in ways I never expected. It's changed the way I view the world and senior dogs.
Here are a few little nuggets of wisdom I've learned:
1. Never assume because a dog is older he won't have energy to play.
2. Senior dogs have just as much love to give as a puppy, but without the hassle of potty training.
3. Senior dogs may require a little bit more "maintenance" veterinarian care, but not all of them are on their last leg, staring down a mountain of impending vet bills.
4. "I may only get a few months or years to spend with a senior dog" is poor excuse not to adopt.
5. Never assume because a dog is older that he/she won't bond with your family.
6. The old adage- You can't teach an old dog new tricks is bullshit.
Here are a few little nuggets of wisdom I've learned:
1. Never assume because a dog is older he won't have energy to play.
2. Senior dogs have just as much love to give as a puppy, but without the hassle of potty training.
3. Senior dogs may require a little bit more "maintenance" veterinarian care, but not all of them are on their last leg, staring down a mountain of impending vet bills.
4. "I may only get a few months or years to spend with a senior dog" is poor excuse not to adopt.
5. Never assume because a dog is older that he/she won't bond with your family.
6. The old adage- You can't teach an old dog new tricks is bullshit.
Here are some of the dogs who taught me these lessons:
Finn |
Dexter
(We also called him Dexie-Do)
When he arrived in Colorado, he was simply named "Old Man Dachshund". He didn't have a proper name because he was a puppy mill survivor. He had been abandoned at the city dump by the disgusting puppy millers. Apparently they didn't have any further use for him and couldn't be bothered to find him a home or take him to the shelter. Another rescue stepped in and saved this little guy then contacted Izzy's Place.
About a week after Dexter came to us, it was discovered his teeth were rotten. The infection was so bad it had eaten away at the bone in his lower jaw, causing it to fracture in two. All of his teeth had to be removed. It was a painful process and he had a long road to recovery, but he did so with flying colors.
Dexter was with us a few months before he was adopted. He spent the next two years with his new mom and a fellow dachshund brother. He was spoiled rotten and given the life he deserved. He had it made!
Earlier this year, we received word that Dexter had passed away. While we were so sad to hear that he'd crossed the rainbow bridge, it was a comfort knowing that the last years of his life were spent in home with someone who adored him for the awesome little man he was.
About a week after Dexter came to us, it was discovered his teeth were rotten. The infection was so bad it had eaten away at the bone in his lower jaw, causing it to fracture in two. All of his teeth had to be removed. It was a painful process and he had a long road to recovery, but he did so with flying colors.
Dexter was with us a few months before he was adopted. He spent the next two years with his new mom and a fellow dachshund brother. He was spoiled rotten and given the life he deserved. He had it made!
Earlier this year, we received word that Dexter had passed away. While we were so sad to hear that he'd crossed the rainbow bridge, it was a comfort knowing that the last years of his life were spent in home with someone who adored him for the awesome little man he was.
Teaker
She was a... well, we don't know what breed she was. We all just thought she was a brindle cutie. Teaker was only with us as a temporary foster, so I don't know much of her back story. We loved having her here though. She was such a gentle giant and loved playing with Gobo. She was adopted not long after this picture was taken.
ANd then there was Emily...
Emily was a rat terrier estimated to be between fourteen-sixteen years old when she came to Izzy's Place in April 2012. She had been dumped on a rural Missouri road. A good Samaritan picked her up and took her to a shelter, but no one stepped forward to claim her. When she was found, her right eye had a horrible infection and she was almost blind in the left. It appeared likely due to her advanced age and medical problems that she would be euthanized until a local rescue group stepped in. They pulled her from the shelter and contacted IP. The volunteers at Izzy's Place knew she'd be hard to place but we were up for the challenge. Emily then hitched a ride with a caravan and fifty other dogs to Colorado.
Emily was a goof ball. Though she couldn't see that didn't slow her down. She trotted around the house, followed our other dogs outside to play, and learned to follow the sounds of our voices. She loved to bark and when she did, it sounded like a fox call. She put so much effort into it, her front legs would launch off the ground. It always made us laugh.
Though we tried our best to save the infected eye it had to be removed. But she weathered that surgery like a little trooper. After the eye was gone, she blossomed. Since she was no longer in pain, she had time to focus on being a happy dog again.
For four months Little Em-dog had a wonderful life. We found out in August that she had gone into renal failure. In December 2012, only seven months after coming to live with us, our sweet little girl crossed the rainbow bridge. My husband and I, along with her doggy brothers, sat by her side as she peacefully passed away.
Now I can hear you saying "Seven months? That's not very long. "
You're right. It's not.
But you know what? Emily spent those final months warm, well-fed, spoiled rotten, and as a treasured member of our family. That was a priceless gift not only to her, but to us as well. That alone made the pain of our loss well worth it.
Emily was a goof ball. Though she couldn't see that didn't slow her down. She trotted around the house, followed our other dogs outside to play, and learned to follow the sounds of our voices. She loved to bark and when she did, it sounded like a fox call. She put so much effort into it, her front legs would launch off the ground. It always made us laugh.
Though we tried our best to save the infected eye it had to be removed. But she weathered that surgery like a little trooper. After the eye was gone, she blossomed. Since she was no longer in pain, she had time to focus on being a happy dog again.
For four months Little Em-dog had a wonderful life. We found out in August that she had gone into renal failure. In December 2012, only seven months after coming to live with us, our sweet little girl crossed the rainbow bridge. My husband and I, along with her doggy brothers, sat by her side as she peacefully passed away.
Now I can hear you saying "Seven months? That's not very long. "
You're right. It's not.
But you know what? Emily spent those final months warm, well-fed, spoiled rotten, and as a treasured member of our family. That was a priceless gift not only to her, but to us as well. That alone made the pain of our loss well worth it.
After Emily passed away, we had to take a break from fostering to mend our broken hearts. We missed our little princess and for a time we weren't sure we had the strength to foster again, but then came an email about a little dog named Peanut...
This is but a drop in the bucket of the good a rescue like Izzy's Place can accomplish. I wanted to share these stories so everyone could see that there is more than just heartbreak ahead when adopting a senior. There will be laughs, cuddles, wet noses, slobbery kisses, and games of tug-of-war. Sure, the time you have with them isn't guaranteed, but that can also be said when adopting a puppy. If you're looking to adopt a new friend, please consider welcoming a snow white muzzle into your heart and home. A silent thank you from some big brown eyes makes it all worth it.
I promise!
I promise!
For more information about adopting a senior pet, please check out
Izzy's Place by following the LINK or by Visiting
your local shelter!
*** Update***
When I wrote this post a year ago, Peanut was still a foster dog. She was twelve years old when she came to Izzy's Place. Her previous owner was elderly and could no longer live on her own. Within fourty-eight hours of moving in with us, Peanut became so attached to my husband we knew she had found her forever home. She has since weaseled her way into our hearts and somehow managed to talk us into letting her stay. But you know, even though she has more attitude than a dog her size should, she acts as if we never feed her, and her bark could rupture ear drums, we really wouldn't have it any other way.
Have you adopted a senior pet or have a story you'd like to share? Leave it in the comments. I'd love to hear from you!