Rescue Tails / The Best Days of Their Lives

By Cathy Baier

Big hearts, brave hearts, loving hearts. These are the hearts that beat inside those special people who step forward to adopt the old and unwanted. Senior cats and dogs are left at shelters across the country every day, that fate the result of a move, a death, financial problems, or simply a lack of caring anymore.

Some shelters only accept highly adoptable animals into their programs and turn away older animals, since homes for seniors are much harder to find. Most people are looking for puppies, kittens, and young animals. In some shelters, the demand for space is so great that the harder-to-adopt seniors never even get a chance.

The FKSPCA is an open-admission shelter. This means we take all comers, regardless of age, health, or temperament. This means we get our share of seniors but fortunately have a very caring community. Our record-setting senior cat adoption was an 18+ year-old kitty. Our record-holder senior dog was a 17-year-old Chow mix. The Chow mix was adopted by a wonderful couple who, after she passed away, stepped up again and adopted a ten-year-old Dalmatian mix! Since both of those dogs lived long past what was expected, they laughingly teased us that we told them the dogs were old just to pull on their heartstrings. Of course, we hadn’t done that. Rather, it was more a case of good genes and good care adding up to a longer life, which often happens to these fortunate seniors.

The unique individuals who choose to adopt the old ones do so out of compassion, empathy, and understanding. Perhaps they have the ability to imagine to a greater degree what it must feel like to be cast aside when you’re old. What it must feel like to lose everything you’ve known all your life. What it must feel like to be in a world of strangeness, where nothing remains of the life you knew for so long. For some of these folks, there is a sense of outrage and a need to make up for the failings of our disposable society. For others, they simply want to offer care and comfort to an animal in need without regard for the time they may have with that animal (two years, two months, or even two weeks!). The quantity of time doesn’t matter; it’s the quality of that time that does.

We first met John in 2019 when he came to the shelter with a friend. When he saw Chica, a sweet 13-year-old Plott Hound mix, his heart went out to her. Chica’s person had become ill and could no longer care for her. John decided this was the dog he wanted. Chica lived with him that fall, winter, and the following spring. During this time, she made new friends, had new adventures, and slept in a bed made especially for old arthritic gals like her. Her life was good. She even took a road trip up the east coast, swam in the ocean where the waves were big and exciting, and spent tons of quality time with her human friend. All of these things would never have happened without John. On the trip home, John began to notice a change in her behavior. When they got back to Key West, John took her to the vet and learned that Chica had a painful malignant tumor in her stomach. There was nothing that could be done. John made the heartbreaking but kind decision to say goodbye to his sweet old friend. His time with Chica was cut short, but what he gave her were probably the best months of her entire life!

That painful loss would be enough to cause most people to turn away from adopting a senior dog and start looking for a cute little puppy. But that’s not what this man did! Instead, he came back to our shelter wanting to help another dog. He saw Patch Adams being walked and inquired about him. Patch had been with us off and on for six months but had no takers during that time. He was handsome and sweet, but he was also an 8.5-year-old, 80-pound dog with health issues. John spent time with Patch, learned more about him and his health, and then told us: “The way I look at it, no dog should be sitting in a shelter just because they got old; it’s not their fault! We clicked; I’d like to pick him up tomorrow.” So Patch, like Chica before him, is beginning what very well could be the best chapter of his life, thanks to John!

There are lots of advantages to adopting a senior pet, and we encourage you to consider it!

They are typically already trained and socialized, requiring less time and energy.

You know what you’re getting in terms of size and personality, which is often not the case with young animals.

They tend to be calmer and more predictable, making them easier to live with.

Old dogs and cats CAN learn new tricks!

They can be perfect companions for senior citizens.

They often have many more years left of companionship and love to offer.

You could be saving a life!

At the FKSPCA, our Golden Paw Program was created to help senior animals find new homes. Golden Paw candidates offer the following benefits to adopters:

Adoption fees WAIVED

Senior bloodwork panel prior to adoption

Complimentary Wellness Exam, including vaccines, at our Dogwood Clinic available one year after adoption

12 months of FREE Flea, Tick, and Heartworm Prevention

10% off future services at our Wellness Clinic

To learn more about the program and see our Golden Paw cats and dogs available for adoption, check out our website at www.fkspca.org

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