When we talk about stray dogs that need to be adopted, we are talking about dogs of all ages, but it is the youngest ones or the puppies that have the most luck when it comes to finding a home. This leaves the older ones out in the cold, many people think that they can generate a lot of work and may not look so adorable, but the truth is that they have a lot of love to give and are easier to care for.
More and more people are realizing that adopting the elderly can be truly beneficial, and the cost made by The Grey Mυzzle Organization confirms this.
Survey results from more than 30 rescue groups showed that at least 18,000 dogs were placed in homes, of which 3,900 were rescued. Lisa Lighthofer, executive director of The Grey Muffler Organization says, “Rescue dogs are the most grateful, people are discovering their qualities and more and more are receiving the second chance.”
Overall, 80% of respondents say public perception of older dogs has improved.
Nicole Ristaυ of Bob’s Hoυse for Dogs says, “We’re starting to see young people looking to adopt elderly dogs, it seems to be a trend and that helps people open themselves up to new possibilities.”
Mary Talaske of the Cheboygan Humane Society says that “many people live and see an old dog and their hearts go soft and they say that they deserve to spend their last days in a home or a shelter, so they end up adopting them.”
Meanwhile, Jacky Eckard, president of Safe Harbor Lab Rescue, says:
Many young people prefer adult dogs because they are calmer, but it is the same to have an elderly dog in a small apartment as an energetic puppy.
And thanks to this great vision we have seen stories like that of Birdie, a beautiful seven-year-old Labrador Retriever who had to wander so much that her paws were full of blisters and wounds.
She walked for miles until she was taken to a shelter in Utah, it was not long before Jacky’s organization transported her to Colorado, where there was a couple willing to adopt her.
I wanted an adult dog that would walk quietly and nap with me in the afternoons, she was perfect, said Holly Smith, Birdie’s first mother.
