The time has come that you’re considering adopting a pet, how exciting! While many people are drawn to the adorable small puppies and kittens, or younger energetic pets, why not consider a senior fella with so much more love to give. Here are some of my top reasons why I would adopt a senior pet rather than an adolescent pet or a puppy/kitten, and why you should too!
#1 The puppies and kittens already have a higher likelihood of being adopted. Most young people are looking to adopt a puppy so that they can have the animal from the beginning of their life to the end. I have never adopted an animal from a puppy, and I probably never will. There is something extremely fulfilling about taking home a pet that has a lower likelihood of being adopted and building that bond with them.
#2 The older dog is likely already obedience and house-trained! There is so much less training involved when adopting an older pet. They likely know how to listen to simple commands like sit and stay, and will certainly know how to potty outside.
#3 When you adopt a senior pet, you aren’t gambling on personality traits. You know exactly what you are getting. Sure, a few things may change based on the environment you are bringing them to, but you will see right away if they are mellow, excitable, eager to listen, or sassy.
#4 The older pet will be less likely to cause destruction. No need to worry about your couch cushions being in pieces when you get home from work. This pet is likely out of that stage and simply wants to enjoy the small joys that life can give them: sustenance, sun, and sleep!
#5 The older pet will still give you all the great memories that you are searching for. A pet is a pet, whether they are 8 weeks or 8 years old. They have so much life and love in them. An 8-year-old dog can still live for 8+ years. You have so much time to build memories that will last you a lifetime.
If the reasoning for them being in the shelter matches up, why not just scoop them up? And, why are so many older pets in shelters? Let’s dive into that…
- Many older pets end up being surrendered because they have a health condition that the owner cannot afford to pay for. If that’s the case, oftentimes the shelter will cover the cost of the procedure required and the issue will be solved, but unfortunately, it takes the senior pet losing their home for this to happen.
- Another common reason senior pets end up in shelters is that they may have been companions of elderly people who have either passed away or been put into a care home that does not allow pets, and if their family members are unable to take them in, they get surrendered instead.
- Sometimes when young families have older pets, the older pets seem to have issues with the younger children’s energy and running around and being all over them. Babies are naturally curious so they tug on tails and ears, and pets of any age react to being poked and prodded like that. When senior pets react that way they may be labelled as senile, and the parents are more likely to surrender than work on the issue.
- Another reason for elderly pets being surrendered is that they may have been in a situation of neglect. I have had experience in this situation where we ended up fostering 6 chihuahuas over the age of 10 that were removed from a hoarder’s house.
There are so many other reasons, maybe abandonment, or financial hardships got in the way of pet ownership, but the sad reality right now is that surrendered senior dogs are more likely to die in a shelter than they are to be adopted and die at home with someone that loves them and that is just heartbreaking to me, especially considering the connection that I had with my first dog Skylar. When I was growing up, my first dog was a senior fella, and that dog loved us to pieces. To this day he is the only dog that we ever had in a family portrait and you can see how much he adores us! He was truly a little girl’s best friend!
While growing up, our father was away for work often and it was just my mom, and 2 little girls alone in a new city. My mom was scared of being alone and wanted some sort of security for protection. What better way to add security than by adding a big dog? So, my mom went out in search of a dog to adopt. To her surprise, she found the sweetest older dog that had been brought to the shelter with no history. He was likely abandoned, about to surpass the time for someone to claim him as a lost do and he was being put up for adoption the very next day. My mom was in love with him before she left the shelter that day and she returned the next day, waiting in the parking lot for the shelter to open so that no one else could adopt him before her. Skylar was welcomed home. He adored my mom and protected me and my sister from anyone who came too close (especially the mailman). When our dad and Skylar finally met they became quick friends. Skylar spent every second with us, chasing us around all day, and cuddling at night. He walked us to the bus stop every morning for school and waited for us to get off the bus every day.
One morning our parents told us to hug Skylar extra tight and give him the biggest kiss, and when we returned from school, our parents told us that he fell asleep under our favourite tree and he wouldn’t wake up again. Of course, we know now that they decided to euthanize him due to the condition he was in. His hips were failing, he had a constant cough which was likely linked to heart failure, and he whimpered often, confirming for them that he was in pretty severe pain. At that time we were young and it was our first experience losing a pet, and to remember it in the way they gave us is heartwarming. Skylar was a part of our lives for about 3-4 years, and we had no idea where he came from, no idea what his birth date was, or what his parents looked like. He was a street mutt when he was found and he grew to the most important animal in our lives, and the best dog we ever had.
So now, with my little story laid out in front of you, why not take that older pet at the shelter instead of the younger one? No matter what age you get them, when the time comes for a pet to leave us we will always think, I wish we had more time together. I have felt that for pets I lost when they were 3 years old and pets I lost when they were 19 years old, it didn’t matter when our time together started, only when it came to an end, and all of the great memories they were able to leave with me. November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month. This month, if you are looking to adopt a pet consider taking in a senior pet instead. They have just as much love to offer as a young pet, they just need you to give them the chance to offer it.
——-
By Alana Bianchin
