Why Adopt a
Senior?? Answers from Some Senior Dog Owners
Donna Vozenilek says:
With so many Seniors being
pulled into rescue, I wanted to write on their behalf. I am sure
everyone out there has so many things to say about their Seniors, but
if you don't have one, I've got to tell you that you are missing the
pure things that they can be.
While my young Golden is as
sweet as she can be, there is a serenity that came with my 10 year old
Senior Dexter that is just indescribable. He seems to have a
glow about him. Every time that sweet white face approaches me,
I just smile. If I don't have a cookie in my hand, I know he
just wants snuggles. If I do have a cookie in my hand, he wants
the cookie and snuggles :-).
I do home visits and
interviews for prospective adoptive homes for rescues in my
area. I can't tell you the number of times I have had people
adamantly tell me they do NOT want an older dog. I understand
this, but . . . What they don't know is--they are missing one of the
most wonderful experiences any dog lover can ask for in this
life. So many times we as dog lovers do not get to see our loves
make it to senior status. That is one thing I really missed when
I lost my Springer to cancer. She was 10 when she started having
problems and 11 when she took her journey to the Bridge. I could
not help but to think over her life and regret that she could not
spend those golden years with me. She had just gotten to where
she seemed to not be so much curious about the world but coexisting
with it. Just kinda laid back and so at peace with
everything.
More times than not, it is
the fear of having the senior die so soon. We have all been
around long enough to know that there are no guarantees on the length
of life for any living thing--we can only enjoy what we have for the
length of time we have them.
There is a "new"
rescue boy Travis who is turning 16 very soon in the New Jersey
rescue. If a family would have adopted him (had he been
available) at age 8--already a Senior--they would have already had 8
years with him and be looking forward to more!!! That would have
been half his life. Wow, how great!! Who knows how many
years he has left. Even if it is not many, it is quality, not
quantity. Helen (at GRiC) recently took in two more Seniors that
sound just wonderful. I believe they are 13 and 11. Think
about if they lived as long as Travis, you would have one for a
minimum of 5 more years and the other for 3 years and still be looking
forward to more. Check out all those sweet faces on the Seniors
& Special Needs web page that Pauline puts up. All they want
to do is make someone happy.
I also contend that I have
given my Dexter more in the one year plus which I have had him than he
received in his first 9 years of life. And he returns every bit
of it and more!
If you are thinking about
getting another dog--please think about a Senior. They are
really great--they can be such mushes--lay around and look life they
don't have a friend in the world and just as quick they will be ready
to play their favorite game. My Dexter seems to have 2
speeds. One is laying at my feet and enjoying the life he so
much deserves, but in a moment all I have to do is say "Play
ball" and he is up and ready to go OR mix up a batch of dog
biscuits :-).
Granted Seniors may cost
more to keep healthy but I don't think I have spent any more on Dexter
than I have on any of my other dogs--except for Sadie, my little
cocker/basset mix--she is so afraid of the vet I think she decides to
never get sick :-).
I understand that the fear
of the hurt of losing them is so great that people shy away from
adopting them. Your hurt only goes as deep as the love you have
for them and the love you will carry around with you forever. I
will pay the price of the hurt to have all that love fill my
heart. Even if I only have another day with my Dexter the year
and couple months that I have had with him will last me a
lifetime. There will never be another Dex and I am so glad I
have known him and he has loved me. Do heed this warning
though--They will snatch a firm hold on your heart the moment those
sweet eyes meet yours. But do not fear as it will only make you
richer than you have ever been.
(Please email Donna at <dvoz@pa.net>
for permission if you'd like to use her comments somewhere else.)
Cheryl says:
I just can't express what a
blessing it was to have adopted BILBO, our first Senior, just a
little over a year ago. He's so easy to please--all he asks is a
comfy bed, an occasional outing, regular meals, and an inexhaustible supply of ear rubs. Yes, the vet bills have been more than we
planned on, but every penny is money well spent--we want to keep this
jewel with us for as long as possible. He's almost completely
blind now and sees only light and shadow and sudden movement. But
those blind eyes reflect so much love and trust that it chokes me up
more often than not when I look at him and realize that every day with
him is a special gift.
Dave and I will cherish BILBO
for as long as the Master allows him to stay with us--and he will not be
the last Senior in our lives. If you have room in your home and
your hearts, please consider an older dog--they have many lessons to
teach us.
[Note: BILBO wants his
name in all caps because his name should be "all in BIG letters
'cause I'm a BIG boy!"]
Please feel free to ask our
volunteers any
questions you may have. For more information, contact:
Watching a neglected or
abused Golden blossom in the hands of a loving family is a most
rewarding experience.
Open your heart and your home to a
Golden in need!
