In recent years, awareness of the struggles shelter pets face has grown. More and more people are willing to give a shelter pet a fur-ever home. Campaigns such as August’s ‘Clear The Shelters Month’ have helped raise awareness and send more and more animals home.
However, that doesn’t change the sad fact that only 28% of shelter dogs are adopted out yearly. That leaves a lot of pups waiting for their fur-ever homes. For some of these dogs, their patience pays off.
Two Years of Friendship – And a Lifetime Together
A TikTok user identifying himself as Josh (@josh.timk) spent two years employed at an animal shelter, caring for and supervising the animals. In those two years, he grew close to one special pup who had spent, by the end of Josh’s employment, seven years in total in the animal shelter.
That dog was Terri, a black Pit and Lab mix who was now a senior dog still waiting for a family to call her own. Josh had previously posted videos sharing Terri’s story and reasons why any adopter would be lucky to take her home, but when Terri remained as Josh moved on, he felt unable to leave her behind. Josh ended up taking Terri with him on his final day.
Video updates show Terri exploring her new home and happily checking out her new belongings. Surely, she’s happy to have a familiar face to spend her time with.
Why Adopt a Senior Dog?
While Terri’s story is heart-warming, there are many other senior pets who may spend months or years waiting to leave the shelter. Often, senior pets are less likely to be adopted than younger animals. But there are many reasons why senior pets can be great additions to a home.
‘Senior’ doesn’t automatically mean your new pup won’t be playful or will come with medical issues – each dog is different, and it’s important to meet with your potential new friend before making any decisions. Senior dogs often have years of training from previous homes under their belt, which can mean they’re easier to integrate into a household than a puppy who hasn’t yet mastered house training.
Additionally, if you want a larger breed but don’t want to walk miles and miles daily, a more relaxed senior companion may be content with a shorter walk and a nap next to you.
