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Older animals make great adoptees
Holly McArthur | Special to The Sun
The tragic truth is every day in the United States, dogs in good health with wonderful personalities are euthanized for no reason other than the fact they are older. In many places, older animals are considered unadoptable.
Fortunately, at Pets Lifeline age is not considered a capital offense. We are lucky to have the room and resources to care for most of the older dogs and cats who find their way to our shelter and to give them the time and patience it takes to find an worthy adopter. Even here in our generous and wellintentioned community, older dogs and cats do spend an extraordinarily long time waiting for someone to choose them. Sometimes we have to work extra hard to find the needle-in-a-haystack-home suitable for the animal.
Take the two older dogs we have in the shelter right now. Both are purebreds and both came from right here in Sonoma. One is a lovely nine-year-old black labrador retriever named Woody. The other is a sweet 12-year-old beagle named Lucy. The lab was an owner surrender when his guardian could no longer care for him and the beagle was an unclaimed local stray, found wandering the streets of Sonoma without identification tags or microchip.
Shelter workers see this sort of situation everyday. It breaks the hearts of staff and volunteers to see “senior citizen” animals in the shelter, sometimes languishing for days, weeks or months, waiting for a loving family to take them in for their golden years. Everything these devoted pets have ever known – be it good, bad or indifferent – has been replaced in an instant with shelter life and shelter routine. Sure, they are grateful to have someplace to go but they must wonder what they did wrong and how they ended up here – after so many years of fidelity – away from all they have ever known.
Pets Lifeline would like to change the way our community thinks about and treats older dogs. We strive to create better lives for them when they find themselves in the unlucky position of being turned out by circumstances beyond their control. These are not just shelter dogs; every day, dogs are moved from loving homes to concrete cages because their guardians have died or moved or simply can’t care for them anymore. If we had our way, no pet would spend its golden years in a shelter. Bringing these special animals into a true home is not only good for the pets, but such loving animals transform the quality of life for the people who adopt them.
Woody, the lab, has blossomed in some ways since coming to Pets Lifeline. He thrives on attention. Through regular walks he is becoming fit and now has a spring in his step. Some of you may even recognize Woody from the recent Barkus Parade where he won second place in the costume contest! One of our most committed volunteers has taken Woody home on numerous occasions to give him a break from shelter life and he does very well in a home environment. He gets along with people, dogs and is just an easygoing guy. In the shelter, however, Woody feels stressed and barks. Wouldn’t you?
Lucy the senior citizen beagle is also adjusting. At the human equivalent of 84 years old, she deserves to live her final years in a real home. She is all beagle, with the nose to prove it, and would love a “beagle enthusiast” to step forward and give her the life she yearns for, including regular, safe walks around town to gather up smells and sniffs.
Fortunately, Pets Lifeline is able to keep older animals like Woody and Lucy as long as necessary to find them a new home. Older pets bring so many benefits. They are fun, loyal and loving. They have, in many cases, mellowed out and are easygoing companions with a wisdom that is hard to match. Won’t you consider adding an older dog or cat to your home?
Holly McAruthur is the marketing and development director for Pets Lifeline, Sonoma.
Life with Louie
Louie is the perfect gentleman. At almost 14, my stately black standard poodle still enjoys walks, rides in the car, his beloved tennis ball and curling up in bed for a well-deserved snooze. He doesn’t bark or shed and has only minimal health issues. He is always happy to mix it up with the other dogs in the neighborhood and relishes dinnertime like there is no tomorrow.
I adopted Louie when he was at the ripe old age of 6 years old. I truly believe in rescuing unwanted animals and found Louie through NorCal Poodle Rescue. At the time, I have to be fair and admit that I, too, wanted a younger dog. I was thinking of a 2-year-old standard someone had to give up – almost a puppy but without the housetraining. So when the call came in about Louie, I decided to have a look but wasn’t sure about committing to an “older” dog.
Of course it was love at first sight and we took him home that very day. He was so shellshocked at being given up by his owners every time I sat down, he hid his face in the crook of my arm for the first few weeks. Despite that, he adapted quickly to life in our busy house with two small children He loved walking them to school each day and being showered with hugs and kisses from the children at school. He ate up the attention and blossomed into one of the coolest dogs I’ve ever had.
Eight years later, I still marvel at my good fortune in finding Louie. I’m not sure how much time my old buddy and I have left together but I wouldn’t have traded a minute or it for a younger dog. He has taken me on a true journey of the heart.
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