Golden Years, Golden Love ADOPT A SENIOR PET, SAVE A LIFE
Many people looking to adopt a pet are drawn to playful, cuddly kittens or roly-poly puppies begging for attention. As charming as these baby pets may be, there are excellent reasons to adopt a senior pet, too.
A senior pet may be especially well-suited for first-time pet owners. As charming and cuddly as puppies and kittens may be, they also can be rambunctious, messy, destructive, and difficult to train. An adult pet is likely to be calmer and more relaxed, requiring less supervision.
Many senior pets end up in shelters because their owners pass away. These animals are often calm, well-trained, and socialized, eliminating the need for a new owner to provide the months of training and supervision often required for puppies. Some adopters take satisfaction from choosing animals that are the least likely to be adopted by others, knowing they probably saved the animal’s life. An estimated 390,000 dogs and 530,000 cats were euthanized in U.S. shelters in 2019, based on the latest data available. While that is down about 65% from 2011, it still amounts to a death sentence for too many homeless pets. Other people see adopting a senior pet as an opportunity to show kindness and social responsibility by giving the
Some adoptive pet parents believe older shelter pets know somehow that they need to be rescued and appreciate the humans who do so. Consider the example of an adult dog in Michigan who escaped a shelter three times to take up residence in a nearby nursing home. The dog had BBs or birdshot embedded in his jowls and was wary of humans, suggesting he had been shot at and abused, the Detroit Free Press reported. The first time the dog was found
curled up on a couch in the nursing home lobby, the staff returned him to the shelter. But after he escaped twice more, climbing over two tall fences, crossing a busy highway at night, and entering the nursing home through automatic doors, the staff finally gave in and adopted him. The stray, whose new name is Scout, now roams his permanent home at will, visiting its 20 residents for belly rubs, treats, and pets.
animal a few more good years. It isn’t uncommon to see an aged pet that a shelter says is ready for hospice care recover and live several years longer — thanks to an adoptive owner’s loving care and attention.
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UnNtiloFtiucrether Due to a staffing shortage, SCVC will be closed on the first and third Saturday of the month. We will continue to be open on the second and fourth Saturdays. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
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