In honor of Adopt a Senior Pet Month, shelters and rescues across the country have put on their thinking caps, developed promotions to highlight their senior pets, and are asking their communities to open their hearts and homes to a new family member. The truth is, all year long shelters struggle to find homes for these deserving animals, as they enter our doors every day. For one reason or another, the family that embraced them and offered the warmth, safety and security of a loving home pulled their white flag, and they are surrendered to shelters like ours. While it’s always heartbreaking when one of these sweet animals comes through our doors, it’s just as emotional when we get to watch their tail sway one last time as they exit by the side of their new family. Whether or not the animal or the person knows it, families that adopt senior animals are special. And sometimes, they are more special than most of us ever would have anticipated.
Last year, Shaney was brought to the Virginia Beach SPCA. She had been adopted from us years before, and, in honor of the contract they signed, when Shaney’s adopted family could no longer care for her, she was brought back to the shelter. No animal understands why they are brought to a shelter. Most are clearly terrified and confused. You don’t see a look of “I’m here because I chewed up one too many pairs of shoes,” just a look of confusion. When a senior dog enters the shelter, the look is always different. They never seem to be asking why. They always seem confused and nervous, but it takes a lot long for them to lose the look of hope that their family will be coming back to get them. I don’t know what they think, but I can say with certainty that they are not thrilled to be there. Shaney was no different. She was thin; her fur was rough and coarse. She was built like a Greyhound, and colored like a German Shepherd. She had a narrow face, and gravity had taken its toll in a way that caused her lips to get stuck on her teeth that created a little grizzly grin. She was cute and sweet. She loved any attention, and especially enjoyed going for runs. However, Shaney was 10 years old, and did not tend to get along well with other dogs. We all knew finding Shaney a new home was going to be a challenge, and we all did our best to introduce Shaney to families where she would be the only child, and keep her as healthy and happy as we could. But, the truth is, most families that adopt senior animals already have other pets in their home.
Shaney was with us for two months. She had started to lose what little of the weight she had. So, when the Friend’s School in Virginia Beach
Alex was 16 years old. Alex was a dog lover, ran his own dog walking business in his free time, and was working hard on his family to bring a dog into their home. Alex and Shaney hit it off at the event. Alex was preparing to go to college, and knew he would be leaving home soon. While he wanted his family to have a dog, he knew when he went away to college his new furry friend would probably not be invited to attend with him, and his family would be left to care for it. Bringing home a puppy potentially meant leaving his family with a difficult preteen, and Alex did not want that. Alex was searching for and older dog, and when he met Shaney he knew he’d found what he’d been looking for. It wasn’t long after that Alex convinced his parents to come down to the shelter and meet with Shaney again, and, late in August, his family welcomed Shaney into their home.
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| Shaney and Alex |
Alex makes me feel a little shameful. When I was his age, I never would have thought that way. And, most adults I know still wouldn’t. Working in the shelter has given me a soft spot for older animals, and I repeatedly fall victim to the charm of the seniors. Our own Executive Director will only adopt seniors, and on the occasion that one of us tries to sucker her into adopting one of our favorites by planting it in her office for “extra socialization,” we almost always hear “he/she is too young.” It makes me laugh every time, because I often hear the opposite from visitors to the shelter.
One of the sad truths of pet ownership is, that our pets don’t live long enough. If we bring them home at 8 weeks or 8 years old, the day we have to say goodbye always comes too soon. Bringing home a senior animal means having to say goodbye a little sooner, but welcoming them into our lives is an act of selflessness that is hard to quantify. There will be fewer chewed shoes, no accidents to clean up, and you will always have someone to sit on the couch with you and watch the football game. As I write this, I am in the company of my two senior cats and senior dog (I also have one teenager, and trust me when I say, he chose me). I know I could never go through kittenhood again, and I will never be able to handle puppyhood. To be honest, I like the excitement of new things, so bringing home an older pet means I get another “new” pet sooner.
If your family is thinking of adding a new member, a senior animal may just be what you’re looking for. For the month of November the Virginia Beach SPCA is honoring our senior animals (all animals 7 years and older) by waiving the adoption fee, and with the help of the Grey Muzzle foundation, covering medical expenses such as dentals and heartworm treatments. Adopt a *senior* shelter animal, the life you save may be your own.
For more great reasons to adopt a senior dog:
(I had trouble finding a link for reasons to adopt a senior cat, but most of these apply to cats too. Your kitten might not chew your WHOLE shoe, but there’s a good chance you’re going to spend a small fortune on shoe laces. Puppies may bite your ankles, but kitten love to use our legs for climbing toys!!!)
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