Category: Seniors & Pets

Poppy was 15 years old and had been at the Moncton SPCA in New Brunswick, Canada, for about two months. For a dog his age, every week in a shelter matters.

A friend who could not take him

One man had grown especially fond of Poppy: Bill MacLean, who was 82. Bill would have loved to give Poppy a home, but because of his own health, he could not adopt him.

So Bill did the next best thing. He made a public plea, asking someone to give the old dog the home he deserved.

A stranger answers

Angus Hanrahan of Sussex, New Brunswick, saw Poppy’s story and Bill’s appeal. He was moved enough to act. He drove about an hour to the Moncton SPCA and adopted Poppy.

Kindness passed along

Poppy’s story is about two acts of kindness: one from a man who could not adopt but still spoke up, and one from a stranger who listened. Together, they gave a 15-year-old dog a home.

It is a reminder that even if you cannot adopt, sharing a senior pet’s story can make all the difference.

Thinking about adopting a senior pet?

Older dogs and cats are often calm, gentle and already house-trained. If you are curious whether a senior pet could fit your life, our Adopting an Older Pet guides are a good place to start.

For more than 700 days, Velcro watched other dogs leave the shelter with new families. Day after day, he stayed behind.

Velcro is a 10-year-old Carolina dog mix who lived at Austin Pets Alive in Austin, Texas. Like many older dogs, he faced several challenges at once: his age, arthritis, and a hard time trusting new people. Each of these made it harder for him to find the right home.

The longest wait

Two years is a very long time in the life of a dog, and even longer for a senior dog. Shelter staff and volunteers cared for Velcro, but what he needed most was a quiet home and someone patient enough to earn his trust.

A woman who understood

That someone turned out to be Jeanette, a 75-year-old woman who had recently lost her own two senior dogs. She knew what it meant to love an older dog, with all the slower walks and gentle care that come with it.

Jeanette brought Velcro home through the shelter’s foster-to-adopt program, which allows a person to care for a pet at home before making the adoption official. It gives both sides time to see whether the match is right.

A perfect match

For Velcro and Jeanette, it was. Video shared by the shelter shows the two of them playing together in her yard, the once-overlooked dog finally relaxed and at home.

Velcro’s story is a reminder that the dogs who wait the longest are often the ones with the most love to give. Sometimes they are simply waiting for a person who has walked the same path.

Thinking about adopting a senior pet?

Older dogs and cats are often calm, gentle and already house-trained. If you are curious whether a senior pet could fit your life, our Adopting an Older Pet guides are a good place to start.

At the Humane Society of Catawba County in North Carolina, staff had a worry they did not say out loud very often: what if Gus never left?

Gus was 19 years old, a remarkable age for a cat. He had arrived at the shelter in exceptional health for his age, but the shelter’s director feared he might spend the rest of his golden years in a kennel. Most adopters, understandably, look for younger cats.

An unexpected phone call

Then the phone rang. On the other end was a family with an unusual request. They were looking for a senior cat to keep their mother company. Their mother, Penny, was 101 years old.

A calm, older cat would suit Penny’s quiet home far better than an energetic kitten. And Gus, it seemed, was exactly that cat.

A match made in heaven

The shelter called it a match made in heaven. Gus went home with Penny, and the shelter later shared photos celebrating the adoption.

Today, Gus has a new favorite pastime: watching the squirrels outside the door, with Penny close by.

Why senior-to-senior matches matter

Older cats are often overlooked, even though many of them are gentle, affectionate and happy to spend the day napping nearby. For an older person, a senior cat can offer companionship without the constant energy of a young pet. For the cat, it means a warm lap instead of a kennel.

Gus and Penny together are 120 years of proof that age is no barrier to friendship.

Thinking about adopting a senior pet?

Older dogs and cats are often calm, gentle and already house-trained. If you are curious whether a senior pet could fit your life, our Adopting an Older Pet guides are a good place to start.

When Barbara Yerrington first thought about getting a cat for her friend Jan, she almost dismissed the idea. Jan was 94, a former professor, and lived in an assisted living community in Orem, Utah. With Jan’s limited mobility, a pet seemed impractical.

But the idea would not go away. Jan had been Barbara’s friend and mentor for many years, and Barbara wanted to bring her some daily companionship.

The question that mattered

Before going any further, Barbara needed an answer to one question: would a cat even be allowed? She asked the manager of the assisted living community. The answer was yes.

Meet Daisy

At the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Salt Lake City, Barbara met Daisy. Daisy was a 20-year-old brown tabby with green eyes so bright they were described as looking like little flashlights. She had been surrendered to a local shelter before being transferred to Best Friends.

Daisy had a mild heart condition that needed regular check-ups but no daily medication. For a calm, quiet home, she was a wonderful fit. Barbara adopted her on Jan’s behalf.

Two old friends

Jan and Daisy bonded quickly. Daisy now spends her nights sleeping on Jan’s bed, and her days keeping Jan company in her apartment.

Together they are more than a century old, and they show that companionship has no age limit. Sometimes the best friend for an older person is an older pet who also knows the value of a quiet afternoon.

Thinking about adopting a senior pet?

Older dogs and cats are often calm, gentle and already house-trained. If you are curious whether a senior pet could fit your life, our Adopting an Older Pet guides are a good place to start.

Sweet Pea did not arrive at the shelter in good shape. The 14-year-old gray and white cat was in pain from bladder stones, and the discomfort was so bad that she had started avoiding her litter box.

For an older cat, a health problem like this can make finding a home even harder. Would anyone choose a senior cat who needed surgery and a special diet?

Getting better

At the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in Los Angeles, Sweet Pea had surgery to remove the stones. Afterward, she needed a special diet to keep them from coming back. With the pain gone, her gentle personality had a chance to shine.

The right person

Sweet Pea’s adopter turned out to be a woman in her 80s who lives with arthritis herself. She understood what it is like to need a little extra care, and to take life at a slower pace.

For her, Sweet Pea’s age was not a drawback. It was part of what made them such a good match. Neither of them needed to rush, and both could enjoy quiet days together at home.

Better with age

Sweet Pea’s story is a reminder that older pets, even those with health needs, can thrive with the right care. And the right person is often someone who knows that life can get better with age.

Thinking about adopting a senior pet?

Older dogs and cats are often calm, gentle and already house-trained. If you are curious whether a senior pet could fit your life, our Adopting an Older Pet guides are a good place to start.

When Johanna Carrington lost her beloved dog at the age of 100, her family faced a question they had never expected to ask: would any shelter let a 100-year-old woman adopt a dog?

Johanna, who lives in Moss Beach, California, had always had a dog by her side. Her family knew how much a companion meant to her. But they also worried that her age would close every door.

A neighbor with an idea

The answer came from close to home. A neighbor who volunteered with Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, a San Francisco nonprofit that focuses on older dogs, suggested the family get in touch. Muttville runs a program that matches senior dogs with senior people, on the belief that the two can be a perfect fit.

That is how the family met Gucci.

Meet Gucci

Gucci, whose name had originally been Gnocchi, was an 11-year-old Chihuahua mix. He had been rescued from a hoarding situation involving 22 dogs. He had no teeth left, but he was already house-trained and had a gentle, easy-going nature.

Would a little dog with such a hard past feel comfortable with someone new? The family soon found out.

The moment he chose her

Johanna was sitting in her chair when Gucci saw her. He jumped straight up onto her lap, settled in and made himself completely at home. As Johanna later described it, he became the family’s baby right away.

Gucci now shares her home, her recliner and her quiet days. Her family has said that having him around has lifted her mood and brought new joy into her daily routine.

Why this match works

Stories like Gucci’s show why many rescues now pair older pets with older adults. Senior dogs are usually calmer and need less exercise than puppies, which can suit people who spend more time at home. And for a dog who has waited a long time, a peaceful lap may be exactly what he needs.

At 101, Johanna proved that it is never too late to welcome a new friend, and Gucci proved that it is never too late to find a home.

Thinking about adopting a senior pet?

Older dogs and cats are often calm, gentle and already house-trained. If you are curious whether a senior pet could fit your life, our Adopting an Older Pet guides are a good place to start.