How One Senior Dog Finally Found Home

Within just one devastating, dark month, Stacy and her family had lost two dogs: one was 12 years old, the other 13 years old. Having raised a pair of aging dogs, a sense of compassion bubbled up in her — alongside the sense of grief in missing her two fur buddies.” So, feeling lonely with a house empty of four-legged creatures, Stacy resolved to adopt a new pup. But this time, she knew that the pet needed to be a senior dog.

Happy beginnings, presented by Zoetis

“Feeling so bad for older dogs who do not get the comfort they need in their senior years, we wanted to adopt a senior dog from a shelter, knowing we would give him or her the best last years of their life,” she says. “Unfortunately, older dogs do not have as good of chance at being adopted. So we signed up for Adopt a Pet’s Instagram.”

Giving senior dogs a chance

Although this seems like the ultimate act of charity (senior dogs have an adoption rate of 25 percent, compared to 60 percent for younger dogs), there are several advantages to adopting an older pup.

They have less energy to expend, meaning that they not only require minimal exercise but are far less likely to act mischievously in your home. Their personalities are fully developed. And odds are, they are already trained. Plus, they frequently come with lower adoption fees. On the flip side, they may have some health issues and mobility challenges. Still, despite the cliché, you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks.

Giving every pet the care they deserve.

Our partner Zoetis is building a stronger, more sustainable foundation for adoptions, with over $2M in pet care products sent to shelters.

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Bessie meets her new family

“There was just something special when we saw Bessie’s pic, and that she was seven years old,” Stacy says, of the irresistible, squishy-faced, snuggly bully-breed dog. “Something just pulled us to her. That face was adorable, so we ran down to the shelter hoping she wasn’t already taken.” After meeting her at the Riverside County Animal Control in Jurupa Valley, California, they waited a few days (for her to get spayed, at the shelter’s expense) and brought her home. She fit right in.

“Instantly, she bonded with our Shitzu and Chihuahua. The gang is so happy together, and we just love her,” Stacy says, before listing all the reasons adopting a senior dog is one of the smartest decisions a pet parent can make. “She is one of the best dogs we have ever had: She is house-broken, sleeps through the night, doesn’t beg, and loves playing with her new toys and sleeping on all three of her new beds.” Yes, an appreciative, deservedly spoiled Bessie now lives a life where she has three beds to choose from — a far cry from the shelter where, due to her advancing age, she faced a real threat of living out her golden years.

But Bessie isn’t the only one who’s grateful. Says Stacy, “It was a real eye-opener seeing the [animal rescue] campus and a good amount of people there to adopt. It’s very heart-warming to know people try and rescue these animals. We would take them all if we could.”