It happens all the time.
Someone surrenders a senior pet to the Aiken County Animal Shelter, or even worse, someone dumps their senior dog or cat on some country road far from home and Animal Control finds them wandering aimlessly around the County, hungry and disoriented. They arrive at the Shelter bewildered and scared. They did nothing to deserve this cruel betrayal and abandonment . . . other than get old.
How could they know or understand they had become inconvenient? They spent their lives with a family they loved, protected, and comforted. Sure, as the years progressed, maybe they slowed down, got gray around the muzzle, had trouble jumping in and out of the car, but their blind devotion to their humans never wavered.
Then one day, through no fault of their own, they end up in a strange place with people they don’t know, and no matter how great the shelter, shelter life is exceptionally stressful for an older pet. They know what it’s like to have a home, and it looks nothing like their stainless-steel kennel at the shelter. Those animals get discouraged when potential adopters walk by their cages without a single glance or kind word looking for younger, cuter pets.
It’s heartbreaking to watch the hope fade from their eyes, so I beg you: Don’t do it! Don’t walk by that senior dog or cat.
Senior pets make great companions. They are mature and calm. They don’t make mistakes on your rug. They are way past the “teething” stage. They don’t need a lot of exercise; they are happy to hang out with you on the couch and binge-watch season after season of The Voice. They are grateful for the chance to love someone—so grateful.
All it takes is a little patience and kindness.
By the way, the advantages of an older pet make them a particularly smart choice for older folks looking for a companion. The emotional and physical benefits to seniors of caring for a pet have been well documented: lower blood pressure, fewer visits to the doctor, a sense of purpose, and companionship. Senior people with pets are often more active, less isolated and lonely, and less likely to suffer from depression. It’s a win/win for animal and human.
There are so many lovable, healthy senior dogs at the shelter now. Like Manfred, who has quickly become a volunteer favorite. Manfred was picked up by animal control as a stray—the tips of his ears raw and bloody from flies and insects. We are baffled about why Manfred was abandoned: he is gentle, affectionate, and housebroken. All he needs now is a second chance, another human to shower all that love on. (Manfred has since been adopted — yay!)
And then there’s Theo, a lovely senior gray tabby with bright blue eyes. He, too, is lovable and personable, and because he is declawed, he will make a great house kitty.
The adoption prices at the county shelter are $35 for dogs and $10 for cats for fully vaccinated and neutered animals. That’s a great deal for all that love.
Caesar Milan says there is a special place in heaven for people who adopt older pets. I say “Amen” to that.
Their lives are in our hands.
— By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President
