In Praise of Older Dogs

By Vivian Andrews, an SOS Adopter

The day I announced I was adopting another dog, this time a 10-year-old, I got the same question over and over:

"Why would you want to adopt an older dog?"

My answer was then and remains, "Why not?"

There are three significant reasons for adopting an older dog:

Hygiene. Older dogs have been housetrained. Puppies have smaller bladders and have to relieve themselves frequently, meaning accidents will happen. This is not because the puppy is disobedient. It's simply that puppies can't hold it in very long. If you can't commit to allowing your pet to relieve itself during the day, that will be a problem for the puppy and for you.

Personality. For the most part, what you see is what you get. An older dog's personality has already been established and will not change much. If you see an older dog that is gentle, kind to humans of all ages, playful and obedient, then you have an older dog that is the perfect candidate to complete your family. Don't get me wrong, puppies are absolutely adorable, but you really don't know what they'll be like when they grow up. That puppy could grow up to be an exceptional dog or your worst nightmare.

Health. An older pet adopted from a shelter or rescue organization is more likely to have been carefully screened to determine its health, personality, socialization skills and temperament toward people. The rescue or shelter's primary reason for giving special attention to screening each dog is to ensure that the pet will be placed in the right home with the right family. This is to prevent the little "surprises" that cause families to return pets. The primary goal for shelters and rescues is to provide a permanent, safe home for the dog.

Adopting Katy, My Perfect Lady

The decision to adopt again came from the desire to provide companionship for my first beagle, Lucy. I wasn't looking for an older dog specifically; I was mostly concerned about personality type and gender. I never gave the age of the dog a second thought.

Lucy, a quiet, petite beagle, was 6 years old when I began thinking about getting a companion for her. I knew she would benefit from having a "sister" to bond with. Lucy was shy and sometimes skittish, and was fearful of thunderstorms. Lucy loved people and always showed affection toward other dogs in the neighborhood.

Because I was successful with SOS Beagle Rescue (located both in New Jersey and Tennessee) in finding the right pet my first time around, it was only natural that I would contact this organization again.

I hadn't yet met Katy when I decided to adopt her. It was enough to see her in a photograph, which showed a very lonely girl whose eyes were dripping with kindness. She was 10 years old and overweight and, one would think, no competition for the younger beagles up for adoption. I was not prepared for my reaction when we met for the first time. I saw this incredibly sweet girl who, I swear, had the face of an angel. Her expressive eyes looked so sad. Her owners had decided to surrender her after what appeared to be 10 years of overfeeding and neglect. How do you give up a member of your family? I wondered. I took one look at Katy and knew instantly that she was mine forever. Katy and Lucy appeared to like each other and I thought they would get along well.

The drive home was long and Katy seemed to enjoy the ride. She was a bit larger than Lucy, and so could peer out the window of the back seat. When we arrived home, she behaved like any other beagle and sniffed every inch of her new home. After her initial scan of the house, I led her and Lucy into the backyard. Katy was delighted to roam the yard freely without a leash.

I have a picture of Katy that very first day in my yard. She just sat down in the grass and kept looking around, like a little child taking in the surrounding sights and smells.

Katy quickly captured my heart with her gentle demeanor and the awesome beauty I saw in her eyes. She taught me something that first day while I watched her in the yard. I followed her example and sat back to relax and listen to nature. Often we humans become so absorbed in the business of daily life that we forget to stop and enjoy the natural world. It's the best way to relieve stress. Katy taught me to enjoy peace and quiet and the art of relaxing my mind and spirit. At times it was the only relaxing thing I could do after a hard day at work.

I had made some assumptions about Katy's prior life, that it wasn't very good. Still, she trusted humans and was gentle toward all living creatures.

Lucy and Katy were getting along fine and had even established roles, much like a family does. Being the older and larger dog, Katy was the alpha female, or leader, and Lucy seemed OK with that. Looking back, I think Lucy looked up to Katy as a mother figure.

When I adopted Katy, some may have thought, "Isn't she too old?" My response to that is, "Too old for what?" Age is only a number. Katy may have been 10 but inside she was still a puppy with a huge heart. She loved to play, go for walks and ride in the car. Every night, she was eager to snuggle next to me before falling asleep. Katy's fur was as soft as a mink's; anyone who met her could not stop petting her because her coat felt so good. She loved it.

In the first few months, a person who adopts from a rescue or shelter gets to see the dog's personality unfold. Once an animal feels comfortable and trusts you, it starts to show its love and devotion. It took Katy no time at all to shine and show me who she was inside. One of my favorite things to do was to watch Katy sleep, because she always looked like she was smiling. I like to believe she was smiling because deep inside she was finally happy and was feeling confident in her new "forever" home.

I believe Katy provided Lucy with some degree of comfort during spring and summer thunderstorms. Katy was not affected by the rumbling, as Lucy was, and Lucy always snuggled close to Katy during storms. Lucy still was stressed, but as time went on, with Katy close by, Lucy's distress lessened. All in all, Katy provided comfort and friendship to Lucy. Lucy, in her own way, showed Katy her gratitude.

Katy was also a friend to the smaller species that occasionally would prance around in our backyard. Her favorite pastime was to watch the squirrels forage for nuts. Although Katy was a purebred beagle, she displayed no interest whatsoever in hunting. She found much more pleasure in watching other animals around her. One winter a squirrel burrowed its nest in a birdhouse in one of my oak trees. Whenever Katy was outside, she would walk over to the tree, sit herself down and look up at that birdhouse, sensing there was life within. One day the squirrel emerged from the front hole of the birdhouse and looked directly down to see this beagle looking back at it. Well, that squirrel was so frightened that it scurried up the tree as fast as possible. Katy didn't make a move. It became routine for her to go out and sit directly in front of that tree and look up at that birdhouse day after day. And day after day that squirrel would peek its head out of the birdhouse and look down at Katy. It became apparent that they were not afraid of each other, but rather accepted each other. It was unbelievable but true; Katy made friends with a squirrel!

When Katy started slowing down quicker than I thought she should, I figured a visit to the vet was in order. Blood tests showed that Katy had kidney disease. Her Vet immediately put her on a special diet specifically for dogs with this disease. She lost some weight and remained on this food for the rest of her life. Katy had a strong spirit who was not going to give up easily. Katy had her good days and bad but fought back this debilitating disease for a year and a half until she could fight no longer. It was apparent one warm spring day in early June, that it was time for Katy to be at peace so my fiance and I took her for her last visit to the Vet where he humanely let her rest in peace. It will be three years since Katy passed away and it still brings tears to my eyes when I think of that day. That was the day my heart broke for the first time over my little bundle of joy who happened to be my lovely pet.

Katy was part of my family for only 2 years. Had she not fallen ill, I believe her spirit would have given her several more years. My time with Katy was too short but the memories she gave me are forever in my heart. She did not leave me, but rather is waiting for me to join her forever. When that time comes I will look for her.

Six months later, Lucy, who had contracted cancer, also died. I am confident she joined Katy.

For me, adopting and caring for an older dog gave me a much deeper appreciation for the forgotten older dogs living out their last days in shelters with the hopes of being taken in by the living angels --the rescue organization staff members --_ whose sole purpose is to find a forever home for them.

Years have passed since Katy and Lucy went on to Rainbow Bridge where they wait for me. Because of the wonderful memories they left me with, I decided to adopt again, and again, and again. This time I had three, two girls and a boy!

Buddy, The Perfect Gentleman

The first time I saw Buddy's picture posted on the SOS Beagle website I wanted to cry. He was being housed in a high-kill shelter and he looked so sad. He had a number tag around his neck, as if he were a prisoner. The rescue was full and could not house him. Buddy's last chance was to have his picture posted to the rescue website in the hope that someone would take him before he was euthanized

.

The day I saw his picture was the day he was scheduled to be put down. Before I even talked with my fiance about it, I went ahead and e-mailed the rescue to let them know I would foster Buddy. I saw in his eyes just what I saw in Katy's, a desperate need to have someone love him. I knew he deserved better.

Initially, I intended only to take him in until a permanent home could be found. I already had two dogs and thought another one would be too much for me to handle. Buddy was pulled from the shelter that day, just a few short hours from death, and was quickly transported to me by several people who are miracle workers at getting these dogs to their destinations.

My fiance did not immediately welcome the idea of a third dog, however temporary, but he knew I did the right thing. After all, Buddy had a face that said, "Please help me."

So we met his transporter, Susan, and brought him to our house. Over the course of three days, Buddy had escaped his destiny, traveled from Tennessee and was brought to me in New Jersey. He traveled all that way and was a perfect gentleman the entire time. His transporters expressed that he was such a good boy.

Of course my female beagles barked and then sniffed every inch of his body when he arrived. The girls were a little overwhelming for him and it was obvious that the long trip was hard on him. Buddy was hungry, cold and very tired and dirty. We fed him, took him for a walk and then bathed him. The following day he got a checkup to make sure he was in good health. After getting a thorough checkup, Buddy was home again with the girls, who by now took a real shine to him. Then again, my girls are very friendly. (They even tried to befriend a skunk, and learned a smelly lesson.)

It took all the restraint I had not to hug and kiss Buddy to let him know he was safe and at home. I knew if I offered affection to him my heart would not want to let this foster pet go. On Buddy's third day with us, my fiance announced that he couldn't bear to say goodbye to Buddy. I went over to Buddy, picked him up, gave him a hug and a kiss on his nose and said, "Welcome to the family, Buddy."

Buddy is also 10 years old, the same as Katy was. He's got a lot going for him: He's in terrific shape and shows only a few signs of aging, such as graying of the muzzle. His energy level is high and he keeps up with my frisky 3-year-old female, Allie. Buddy has turned out to be the perfect gem, a diamond in the rough. He has every quality a person would want in a companion dog: He loves to play, run, go for walks, go for car rides, is great with other dogs, loves getting as much attention as possible and most of all, is a really good cuddler. In short, my old boy is just fantastic. We are the lucky ones and consider ourselves blessed for being given the chance to care for him. Because he is in good health, I do believe I will have the pleasure of his company for many years to come.

Imagine, this sad little boy was going to be put to death only because he looked old and no one wants to adopt an old dog. Well, speaking on behalf of my two female beagles and my fiance, we are glad he is home with us. Nothing could replace the good feeling you get from saving a life.

New Jersey
SOS Beagle Rescue, NJ Chapter
814 Judith Lane
Atco, NJ 08004
856-336-2520
NJ@sosbeagles.org

Tennessee
Referral service only
TN & GA

TN@sosbeagles.org

SOS Beagle Rescue, Inc. is an IRS registered 501 (c) (3) Charity

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