By Lisa LaFonatine, President and CEO of Washington Humane Society
When I look down at Gwennie, I think to myself how lucky I am to still have her in my life. At the age of 11 – going on 12 – she is well along in dog years, and yet she is still up for anything I ask of her. Whether she is greeting the newest in a line of WHS foster animals, or running out the door towards a six-mile hike, she fills my life with happiness and joy every day. Except for the little tufts of gray on the bottom of her paws, and her soft grey muzzle, you would never know that she has been around for so much of my life.
Sometimes I wonder, if something terrible were to happen and Gwen were to end up in a shelter for adoption, could a stranger see what I see or would they walk right past her looking for a younger pup? At WHS our doors are open to all animals, regardless of age or condition, and we know all too well what it is like for an “older” dog to be looking for a second chance.
Far too many people don’t realize the benefits of bringing a senior dog (or cat for that matter) into their family. For starters, these animals have already learned so much about being part of a family. They almost always have a basic understanding of proper manners in the house and will let you know when they need to go outside. They rarely test your boundaries in the way that younger dogs do. Most importantly they look at the world with experience, wisdom and understanding. It saddens me that people don’t always recognize these positive qualities and assume that older dogs are carrying baggage.
The Washington Humane Society is committed to educating adopters on the benefits of adopting older and wiser dogs, and helping people make the perfect match regardless of a dog’s age. We are thrilled to report that our efforts have been noticed! The Grey Muzzle Organization, a group dedicated to helping older dogs that have found their way into shelters, has awarded the Washington Humane Society a $4,000 grant to help make the adoption of these wonderful animals a little more attractive. To help potential adopters consider a senior pet, the grant will help sponsor a portion of the adoption fee for all senior dogs through the “WHS Senior Companions Program”. The grant will also provide basic initial veterinary care in foster homes and at its shelters to help dogs prepare for finding their forever homes.
We can’t thank the Grey Muzzle Organization enough for their support and understanding of our work in this area. We look forward to helping more of our senior friends who are loving, wise – and a little bit gray – find new forever homes.
To learn more about the grant WHS recieved read our recent press release
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