Out of the Cage! (September 2006)

Want to Get a Senior Pet a New Home?... Lighten Up!

by Joan Antelman, Publisher, Senior Pets: All They Need is Love

I can't tell you how many times I have heard these words from a rescuer — "Oh, that dog is never going to get a home!" Or, "A 13-year-old cat? No one will want to adopt him." My response is always the same — with that attitude, you are right, no one will! I try to keep my approach more positive. Whenever I help an older dog or cat, I start off by saying, oh, what a great dog, ooh, what a gorgeous cat. Someone out there will want to adopt them! Why? Because I know I would! And I am not the only one.

There is power in thinking positively when trying to re-home senior animals. Of course it is easier to get a puppy or a young dog adopted because younger animals are what most people want. They may feel an older dog is too set in his ways, or he will never bond with another family. But we know this is not true. My new 13-year-old cat Boogie plopped himself down and decided he was home. He slept on my bed the first night, and acted like he has lived there his entire life. Animals are much better than humans when it comes to living in the moment!

Realistically we know that re-homing a senior animal just takes more time. Not every rescue group is willing to help them. So is it worth rescuing them? Of course it is. Just ask the rescuer who placed a 15-year-old blind Chihuahua! Or the rescue group that placed a 15-year-old cat into a great home after months of wondering if this cat would ever get a new home because of his age! He got a new home in a big house.

Personally, the greatest feelings of joy I have experienced happened when older dogs finally got new homes. An eight-year-old German Shepherd I was helping got a perfect new home — it took 15 months, but now she is sleeping on the couch on her blanket like she has always lived there. A twelve-year-old Chihuahua with a terrible skin condition who was looking so sad and forlorn in his cage at a shelter just got adopted. And another 13-year-old cat has finally received inquiries from not one but two potential new homes.

So keep a positive outlook when looking for homes for senior animals. Don't forget that many older adults, including seniors, prefer an older pet for their calm demeanor. Share your love of animals and help give an older pet a new chance.

There are numerous reasons why an older pet might be the preferred choice for an adopter. For example:

Older dogs settle in easily, because they've learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack.

Older dogs are instant companions — ready for hiking, car trips, and other things you like to do.

Older dogs are good at giving love, once they get into their new, loving home. They are grateful for the second chance they've been given.

What you see is what you get: Unlike puppies, older dogs have grown into their shape and personality. Puppies can grow up to be quite different from what they seemed at first.

For more good reasons to adopt an older pet, click here. The article offers top ten reasons to adopt a senior dog, but many of them apply to cats as well!