Senior Dogs - Adopt or Foster

[Miniv]

For several years we've always had a Senior Dog in our household that we've either rescued or adopted.

It all started by accident when we adopted "Tucker", a Bernese Mountain Dog, who no one wanted. He'd been stuck at the shelter that we volunteer at, for over 2 months. He was 7 years old.....and a GEM. (The breed has a short life span and the average IS 7 years!) We fell in love with him and had him for 2 precious years until cancer took him.

Next came "Lucy", a 10 year old Hound...NEVER in a million years would I figure us ever having a HOUND DOG. We enjoyed and laughed with her for 4 years until she was hit with a stroke.

Now, we have "Duke", a 10 year old Golden Retriever. We've had him for over 2 years....He's a big bumbling, loving OX of a dog who acts much younger than his years.

(We also have two other senior dogs that we've had since they were young...one was a rescue.)

The last part of this post is about "Monty", a 22 year old Pomeranian. The shelter asked if we would "fospice" him for a few weeks until he died......We agreed.......18 MONTHS LATER we still had him. He had a curved spine, was going deaf/blind, and only had 3 teeth. We are NOT little dog people, but this little guy had spirit and we got fond of him! Several days ago his behavior changed -- not eating, toddling around in circles, tipping over.... We finally knew we had to let him go. It's been a couple of days since he was put down, but I'm still going to his area in the livingroom to check on him....and meal time for the dogs keeps catching me off guard. BUT I "know" that he was only biding his time with us and there was a lady who loves him waiting for him on the Other Side.

Would I change a thing? Would WE stop doing this? NEVER. These seniors NEED people in their retirement years, and

the REWARDS TO THE HEART ARE WORTH IT.

I'm encouraging people who love animals to try taking in a SENIOR Dog, Cat, Horse and experience the unique joy

they give.....PLEASE.

Off my soap box....

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Its so hard to say goodbye to the animals we love.

I bet the last 18 months has been some of the best months of Montys life

Hats off to you for giving these animals an amazing retirement.

 

[horsefeather]

My hats off to you MiniV!! I know how hard it is to put an animal down!! I am selfish and always wish they would go in their sleep. Seldom happens. I always hope I have waited for the right time and I usually question myself. But Bonnie told me it was selfish to wait to long and I would always know when their time was right. I wish I had the insight she has so I would be SURE I was doing the right thing. We have several very senior horses right now. Close to 30. One we had since she was a 3 yr. old. Shes a big QH and used to give me hugs, but she hasn't lately. I know she is in pain. Her legs aren't good, but hubby says "she is still eating well," so I'll get something for the pain and wait.

Didn't mean to go on and on, just wanted to let you know I really respect you guys!

Pam

 

[susanne]

.
I really miss that LIKE button!

I was so shocked when I learned that people were hesitant to adopt "older" dogs and cats -- anyone older than three or four.

We adopted:
Sophie, Poodle/Maltese cross, at about age 7
Teddie, Yorkshire Terrier, at about age 5
Ella, Great Pyrenees/Retriever, at about age 6
and have fostered many others

We'll always have room in our hearts and our home for older pets!

 

[shorthorsemom]

Bless you.

So sorry for your loss of Monty, It is wonderful that he knew your kind heart in his elder years. I know how difficult it can be to make the decision, bless you for putting his needs first and for loving him enough to let go when it was time.

I too am a lover of older dogs. It can be rewarding and heartbreaking but I wouldn't change a thing. I still live with two adoptees that were older dogs when they came.

I lost three of my old dogs recently in 4 months time..... sob..... (I had one puppy and 6 very geriatric dogs) After losing three in such a short period of time and all the while I was saying to folks that I would not be replacing those dogs I had lost....(I had 7 dogs in my house, went down to 4 and now have 5) I chuckled at all the folks that knew that I would be surfing shelters like crazy when I lost my third dog while still saying I wouldn't be replacing any of the dogs I had lost..

I admit to going to the shelter 3 weeks ago and picking out a puppy this time when my friend offered to go with me and drive me 55 minutes to the shelter. This pup was the dog that "spoke to my heart", you dog lovers would understand... I looked at many older and younger dogs that day.

I do check out every older dog in the local rescues and if one shows up here (folks dump dogs on farms) I almost always find a spot here for them. I figure old dogs need a soft spot to land in their older years and my home welcomes them.

The shelter I recently visited was awesome. They have some perfect older dogs that are already housetrained and have nice house manners. I always encourage older folks looking for a dog to consider adopting an older dog rather than a puppy.

.

I am a lousy foster mom... haha... just kidding but folks that know me put "quote signs around the word foster "foster" for me because they know that most dogs that find their way here are here until the end. My Tibetan spaniel that I took in as an emergency foster dog, came here unspayed, in heat followed by a false pregnancy, had bladder stones and bladder infection, had an ear infection, was not housebroken and had no idea what a leash was. Her owner was a senior citizen who's family gave him a puppy to keep him company. grrrrr. They never followed up to see if the puppy was properly cared for. She peed and pooped in his bed and all over his house. She developed health issues. He was too old for a puppy. She lived with him for quite some time with no direction. She is a smart girl, learned quickly and now has the run of my home. She is spayed and healthy. She rules the roost and teaches all the younger dogs how to behave in "her" house. She is awesome. Nobody wanted her because she was not a puppy. She has taught me much. She is awesome.

I have a soft spot for dogs in need. If I were to go to the island of misfit toys I would come home with the train with square wheels.

Do foster and adopt older dogs folks, they will touch your hearts.

You have to watch out for angels that send gift dogs your way. About a week after I told somebody I could never live with a hound an old basset hound showed up on my doorstep in great need of a home and loving. He is still here. I went to the shelter to adopt a small female terrier type Disney dog and came home with a 6 month old male hound mix. It must have been love. LOL. He has been here 3 weeks and feels like he has always been here. When I told my vet it felt like he has been here before, she said "maybe he has".. you just never know. My dogs all greeted him like they knew him. go figure.

excellent topic. I do love those dog topics. Bless all of you who give up a little piece of yourselves for the lives of dogs. The saddest thing I think I ever hear is folks that say they will never live with another dog because of the loss of a special dog. sigh. Just think how much they are missing.

Cats find their way here too. We find space for them as well.

Old dogs rock. When at the shelter I saw a family with kids picking out a tiny puppy 8 weeks old. The mom says "this one seems calm". I sighed... and thought to myself how much better suited one of the more mature dogs would be for this family's first dog experience.

The shelter I visited had an extensive training center, do obedience and other types of formal training, have a living room set up for folks to see dogs in a home type setting and extensive exercise yards and tons of volunteers. It was by far the best shelter I have ever visited because they work with the dogs to make them more adoptive. They groom, do dentals, all shots and neutering and extensive vet care. It was the cleanest and best run shelter I have ever visited and there was no adoption fee. They work off of donations. it was an amazing experience.

cheers.

 

[susanne]

"He was too old for a puppy."

This sentence upsets me, as pets are so important for the elderly. It is true, however, that they can't alway care for them properly on their own, but often they need just a helping hand with getting to the vet, bringing home heavy bags of dog food, creating a safe fenced yard.

We need to give seniors our support and help them keep their furry friends. It takes very little time and effort to help a neighbor, friend or relative, and it will mean so much for them. I helped start a program at Pet Adoptions Westside, a small, no-kill cat and dog shelter, aimed at encouraging and helping seniors share their lives with dogs and/or cats. Vaccinations and neutering are free, vet care is donated, and there are always support people to help as needed. Many assisted care facilities allow pets nowadays, but they typically require a friend or relative who will help as necessary. PAWS has lined up volunteers to provide this support for those who do not have family or friends to help.

In her final months, my mother found little pleasure in life as her memory and cognitive functions faded away. To the end, however, she loved the family dogs and cats and never failed to smile and laugh at their antics.

Please help your elderly relatives and friends keep their pets! It takes so little on your part, but it means the world to them.

 

[bevann]

Along this same idea,our local kennel club(which a friend&I started in the early 1960s)members bring pet food for both dogs and cats to our monthly meetings.Food is transported to a nearby senior center and staff there gives it to seniors who need help feeding their animals.We don't do gift exchange at Christmas since we all have plenty-our money goes to pets who mean so much to their elderly owners.We are a dog club but know that sometimes a cat is easier for older folks to care for.Bags are smaller(not the 50 lb size)so they can be handled by seniors.Our donations are greatly appreciated.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I didn't say all old folks were too old for a puppy, but this particular man was too old for a puppy. This puppy never got taken out of the house by anybody and received no medical attention whatsoever for 6 years of her life. It was horrible and abusive. She was not even neutered. His relatives dropped off a puppy for company never visited. It was sad. The friends who placed her with me knew her situation.

I by no means would ever want to imply that old folks should not have a puppy or an older dog... but really ticks me off when folks think because they are too busy to visit their family member that dropping off an untrained puppy could be the solution. Sometimes a cat can be a better choice for company...

You are right, somebody should have been helping this guy. I wanted to kick his sons butt, not the man that owned my girl because I am sure he loved her with all his heart. But I will amend to say... This man was too old to care for his puppy.

For me... I hope somebody helps me keep dogs in my life for as long as I breathe and can no longer do it all myself.

Yes please do help your elderly relatives keep their pets... but do not drop off a dog for company without assuming some responsibility for care and guidance and do consider adopting an older dog rather than only ever considering a puppy.

bless you all

 

[Miniv]

Have read the wonderful posts! It's obvious how we ALL love animals...

I'd like to address the topic of older people adopting.....They SHOULD! But what needs to be addressed is --

Can they follow up with training and exercising a puppy? Will the puppy outlive them? And does the person

have family or friends to help them with all the questions I mentioned?

I know of many shelters who offer "seniors for seniors"..ie, pets who are 5 to 7 years+ to older people

at a discount. This is a wonderful idea, in my opinion, and wish ALL shelters did it!

 

[shorthorsemom]

The shelter I adopted from a month ago does not charge an adoption fee. They work 100% from volunteers and donations. They do on site training of the dogs and personally visit every home and have very strict adoption guidelines and make sure every person is able to care for the dog properly and has a proper fenced in yard. They meet the family and other dogs and they check in to see how you are doing.

Seniors for seniors is an awesome idea and I think even better would be free adoptions for senior dogs. That would encourage folks to adopt older dogs too. Seniors for seniors... how cool is that.

My mom bought an 8 week old bishon puppy for herself 7 years ago. He was very difficult for her to handle. He became unruly, he enjoyed marking her house and he ate many thousands of dollars of hearing aids. (he ate them several times). My mom wanted the puppy to learn to not touch her hearing aids, I wanted my mom to put them in a drawer or little container like Tupperware when she took them out.

My father was still living at the time and he was totally blind. I would not have chosen an 8 week old bishon puppy from a puppy mill pet place for a pair of senior citizens who were both in declining health. I did recognize that my mom loved this little dog with all her heart.

Three times in his life I had the opportunity to bring him into my home for some lessons on how to be a proper dog companion and many times I assisted my mom in her own home. I still chuckle at my mom saying "Nicky is so well behaved after he visits you or you come to visit"... I used to take him for long walks and do extensive manners and obedience training and bring him back and just let my mom enjoy him.

I house broke him and taught him to walk on a leash and taught him the word "hurry up" for potty breaks so my mom didn't have to stand out in the elements of ice and snow trying to get him to potty. I convinced her to fence in a small portion of her yard so he could go potty late at night and so I didn't have to go outdoors by herself and risk a fall in the dark at night.

My dad has passed on and I don't know what my mom would do with out this little dog for her companion. She talks to him like he is a human and she puts little shirts on him. She takes him to the vet for the slightest thing, and she takes him to a groomer for a regular haircut. She calls me all the time to ask questions... "Nicky threw up", "Nicky ate my supper" , etc...

She doesn't hesitate to pick up the phone and ask me "do I need to take him to the vet for this?" I am her support.\

He still squeezes out the door on her and runs like the wind. I work on door safety, but he does enjoy chasing squirrels. I did get her to microchip him and taught her to secure him in a crate when she needs to go in and out and have company over that might be coming in the door slowly with a walker..

When he comes to visit me he looks me in the eye and goes over to my refrigerator and pees on it. LOL. Now I greet them in the driveway and take him for a walk before he comes in. She always forgets to walk him first.

He still does some wicked things like steal and chew the wallets of her visiting friends if they put their handbags on the floor.

Ideal situation? No, but he does get proper care and when I am not available her neighbor that also has the same breed, does stop in , check on Nicky and takes him for a walk when my mom is not able to.

My mom didn't tell me she was getting a dog. I the dog lady was a bit offended that she would buy a puppy from a puppy store for that much money and not consult me on breed, temperament, or age of puppy. I remember asking her.... "Mom, what made you choose this dog?" Her answer was " I really loved your white Chinese crested Mikey and you wouldn't give him to me even though you had other dogs, so I went out and bought a bishon puppy". I still to this day don't get the connection between liking my Chinese crested and buying a bishon except both dogs are white. LOL. You gotta laugh.

Anyway... cheers folks... I LOVE folks who love dogs. Even folks like my mom who call and ask how to get Vaseline out of a fluffy dogs hair because she put it on a "boo boo" and now he is licking it off and it is all sticky. When I asked her why she chose Vaseline she said "because I used to put it on you kids bottoms for diaper rash"... Thanks mom for that memory.

sorry for the long postings lately guys for dogs... I lost three senior dogs in 4 months and my heart boo boo is still so huge and I am jumping on dog topics.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I adopted a 10YO black Lab about twelve years ago (wow- THAT long!) Drove 200 miles to pick him up, he was puppy expressed from GA to PA from a rescue. Frankie was almost deaf, had dysplagia and was a grumpy old man. But still sweet. He spent 20 months with me, more of a house guest than a pet. Couldn't crate him, but didn't have accidents until the end, when the little poop balls would just fall out...no big deal. Funniest thing we ever saw was him trying to get into a water tank- the legs just wouldn't bend right. He finally made it, and stood there with the silliest grin on his face. He was so proud of himself....

I finally had to let him go. The steroid shots weren't working as well, and three legs were failing rapidly. He had trouble walking. Plus, I was moving 1300 miles and just didn't think he could make the trip, and the home I was moving to was not ground level. He could never have made it inside.

Now, I have three. Two are shelter/rescue doggies. Shelter dog Finn is awesome and rarely a day's trouble. Zoe came with unnoticed issues- ear infection, kennel cough and mange. I was quite perturbed at the rescue, how could they have NOT noticed? But she's a keeper anyway....

 

[REO]

We adopted my beloved Patrick from a Pyr rescue a few years ago. He'd been there 2 years. We were told he was around 4 yrs old. Just after only having him a year he quit eating, to the vet he was rushed, tests done, we lost him a few days later. Turned out he was 10+ and died of liver cancer

I saw a dog that needed a home. She'd been a stray that was taken I for some years but they couldn't keep her and said she'd go to the pound if no one took her asap. I HAD to have her! Found her a long distance ride to us. Me and Suzie have a THING going, like Patrick and I had. She's helping to fill that hole in my heart. She's at my feet 24 hrs a day

We adopted a pup from the shelter 5 years ago, but Roxy likes it outside. But she comes in to watch TV some times

All 10 of our cats are rescued too.

My fur kids fill my heart!

 

[Miniv]

Robin/REO - and all your cats are Torties, right? LOL.

All 5 of our cats are Rescue/Shelter cats too.....I'm including our foster kitten we have right now

because she's going to be a "foster fail".

 

[susanne]

As soon as our house is built and construction vehicles are no longer invading our sanctuary, we'll be adopting two cats from Pet Adoptions West Side. If any of you Oregonians are in West Linn, be sure to stop in at this wonderful storefront shelter in the town's old Willamette district. Visitors are welcome to come in and hang with the kitties.

 

[zoey829]

Miniv

You brought tears to my eyes. You said it perfectly. I love the old pups. I too foster. And have adopted several older dogs. And they have been true pleasures. My goal when I retire is to open my home to senior pets.

Right now I have a senior GSD (over 10), BC (over 10) and our youngest BC, 7. All rescues. But truly my world!!!!

Thanks for sharing.

Lea

 

[Jill]

MA, I admire so much what you, Larry and your daughter do both for "regular" shelter animals and the elderly dogs. H and I have started talking about "one day" fostering / adopting an elderly dog. Right now after just losing Willow & Whitney, I don't think we could stand it emotionally, but it is an open discussion for us and something we hope we can do next year.

 

[Miniv]

Lea, That is WONDERFUL....and I like your goal. There are Rescues out there that specialize with seniors only.

Thank you, Jill....When you are ready, you'll know...but just to warn you, sometimes the dog finds YOU.

One of the things Bri and I have enjoyed doing, when taking a break from fostering (and you DO need the down time!)

is to just plain volunteer for one of the two shelters we foster for. Shelters appreciate dog walkers and people to

come in for maybe an hour and "socialize" with the cats. We also do "off site volunteering" which means attending

Adoption Events - usually at Petco or Petsmart - and either being a dog handler or man the kitty cages, answering

questions. Bri is especially good at dealing with the public and always seems to be responsible for initializing

an adoption.

 

[REO]

Nope MA we have 6 Torties and 1 orange boy (who's on his way home from being snipped today) and Mrs Norris and a stripey kitty, and 3 outside. I can't not feed an animal.