Senior dogs are so lovely. And, adopting one is such a blessing. I recently met a woman at a party who adopted a 10 year old Chihuahua, whose tongue hangs out of the side of her mouth because she has only two teeth. She weighs three pounds and her name is Chloe Kardoggian.
You may know her. Chloe is an Instagram star. She has over 33,000 followers! Chloe is a happy girl and her mom, Dory Herman, is a great dog parent. You can see how much Dory loves Chloe. Chloe went to the Webby Awards in New York (a post from her Instagram feed below), a Swatch party in Times Square; girl has an interesting life! 🙂 And, she’s such a cutie!
I told this story because considering senior dogs for adoption can bring such joy and unexpected fun into our lives. Here are just three (there are more) reasons why a senior dog is a great choice.
1) You’re a Senior – If you’re a senior citizen, love animals and miss or want the companionship of a dog, adopting a puppy may not be the wisest choice. They’re bursting with energy, need a lot of exercise, need to be trained extensively, walked often and they may outlive you. Choosing a middle-aged or elderly dog means they are already housebroken, they’ve settled down into life so they’re no longer bouncing off of the walls and they don’t need as many walks per day. And caring for a pet has been shown to make you happier and live longer!
2) You’re Disabled – If you don’t need the help of a Service Dog but you want a pet, an older dog could be a great idea. They won’t be running circles around you and their walking schedule is easier to manage. Their size is already determined so there’s no surprises when a puppy that’s supposed to grow to 15 lbs grows to 30. And this is my own opinion here, but I think an older dog understands instinctively to protect you and help you and be the kind of companion who makes your life a little easier.
3) You Want to Give an Older, Less Adoptable Dog a Second Chance – this reason comes up over and over. While adopting a young or elderly pet can be a bit of a mixed bag, choosing the ones others might not is giving an amazing gift of life to a being who feels lost or forgotten. Oftentimes, these are dogs who had longtime homes and know what having a family is like. And, with an estimated 6-8 million dogs and cats going into shelters each year, there is no shortage of great animals waiting for their forever homes. In an older dog of maybe 6 or more, you have an animal who has developed wisdom, knows who he or she is, takes the time to enjoy life and is just looking for a safe, loving environment to enjoy the rest of its life. Isn’t that what we’re looking for when we bring a new pet into our lives, our homes and our hearts?
As new residents of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, I’m highlighting a couple of beautiful seniors from the Broward Animal Care & Control. This is a kill shelter, so sharing these precious babies fast is critical. They may not be around much longer.
UNKNOWN – ID#A1742950
This poor, lost baby doesn’t even have a name at Broward ACC. She’s an approximately 10 year old, spayed, tan Chihuahua who desperately needs some love and to get out of the shelter. Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Section – Ft. Lauderdale at (954) 359-1313.
MINI – ID#A1747178
Mini is an unaltered female, tan and white long-haired Chihuahua. They say her age is unknown, but she looks like a senior to me. Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Section – Ft. Lauderdale at (954) 359-1313.
This DOG – ID#A1745868
Again, no name. 🙁 This baby is a Cocker Spaniel, unspayed female. They estimate her age at nine years old. Please share. Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Section – Ft. Lauderdale at (954) 359-1313
