Shelters are at once places of hope and holding places for elderly dogs. For many animals, adoption is just around the corner, and everyone coming into the building is a potential adopter. For some dogs, sadly, there isn’t hope.
As a dog gets older, the odds of it being adopted dwindle.
To no fault of their own, people want a younger dog that has a long life ahead of it! When they adopt, an elderly dog that already has habits and behaviors isn’t what they want. They want a young puppy that they can add to their family for years to come.
While understandable, it doesn’t make the situation any easier.
As a result of this innate preference, older dogs often spend the rest of their lives in the cages of shelters. Whether they are picked up off the street or abandoned, they spend the most time waiting out of all the shelter dogs.
When an older dog gets adopted, the shelter celebrates!
These little stories of success are always a joy to see. The stories behind them are often filled with heartbreak, abuse, and finally, a loving home! For one pup named Rose, that was exactly the case.
Rose is a Beagle/Pit mix that had been at the shelter for a LONG time.
At 9-years-old, Rose is an older dog. She is also a Pit mix, which means some people are naturally fearful of her. Even worse, she had a litany of health issues that plagued her. Ryan Wille, a director at the shelter, explained:
“She was a senior pet, she had some vision issues, she had skin problems, so people would kind of just breeze by her kennel.”
With her breed, age, and health, she was in the shelter cages for over two years!
For years, this little dog would sit in her cage and wait for someone to come by and fall in love with her. Every day was a disappointment to her and the shelter workers.
“Every day that went by, she probably lost a little bit of hope, but after 756 days, she’s been in her home for about a couple of weeks now.”
Thankfully, the shelter she was at was a no-kill shelter.
With all the demand for puppies, the shelter is constantly going through applications for them but rarely process applications for the older dogs.
“We have about 50 applications [for] our puppies, and maybe 1-2 on a few of the adult [dogs],” she said.
When you rescue an older dog, it is a kindness that you will be repaid for!
While many good things in life have no reward, there is almost a guarantee that adopted a senior dog comes with benefits! After they are trained a bit, you will never find a better snuggle partner and friend. They have all the wisdom of an older dog and make great buddies.
We didn’t forget about Rose!
While some stories don’t end well, Rose’s thankfully does. She was adopted into a forever home and is happily living her life with people she can love to the fullest! Now, it’s up to us to adopt some of her friends!
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