Senior Pets Rock!

If you are thinking of adding a pet to your family, I would like to advise you to consider a senior animal.  They make wonderful pets for various reasons.

 

Photo from ossvh.com

 

Pets are usually considered seniors if they are over 7 years old.  One thing to take into consideration is that smaller dogs have longer life spans.  And cats can live to a ripe old age as well, if well taken care of.  The oldest rescue we had was The Duke and he lived to be almost 26 years old.  We got him from California when his family turned him into a shelter when they were building a new house.  They thought the move would be too much for him and wanted to know when he got adopted.  The Duke was 18 years old at that time. 

 

The Duke

Now be honest…how many of you would walk into an animal shelter right now and adopt an 18 year old dog?  They were worried that the move to a new home, with his family would be too much for him, but weren’t worried about putting him in a shelter where a new family might adopt him?  Honestly, the chances of The Duke being adopted were next to nil.  They basically signed his death warrant. 

 

The Duke after a bath

Enter a fellow rescuer in California who heard about The Duke.  She contacted us and we immediately set up transport.  The Duke made the trip out to us like a champ, even though there were some major issues with his flight and he was on the plane a lot longer than we thought he would be.  That’s a story for another blog.  J 

 

Senior pets in shelters need homes just as badly if not more so than younger dogs or cats. Plus, you might just be saving their life.  Shelters are overcrowded…there are no two ways about it.  So who will be the first to go to make room?  Senior and special needs pets.  Seniors usually have done nothing wrong, accept grow old.  Often reasons mentioned for surrendering a pet are allergies, death of a guardian, a new baby, loss of a job, a move, change in work schedule, and various other lifestyle changes. 

 

Photo from probioticsmart.com

Senior pets are already trained, so no worries about the puppy or kitten stage.  I can’t tell you how many rescues we take in because they didn’t realize how much work a puppy would be.  If you want a pet, but don’t want the work of training a baby, then seniors are the way to go.  Animals are smart.  These seniors know when they go to a shelter this is most likely their last stop.  If you adopt them, they are going to know you saved their lives and be grateful to you.  Just because an animal is labeled as senior does not mean they are going to pass away the next day, or week, or even year.  With the proper care, they can live to a ripe old age and know they are loved and are special.  So if you are looking for your next pet, open your heart and home to a senior pet.

 

Be Well & Be Happy,

Pet~Pourri