Dogs can spend quite a bit of their life in shelters waiting to be adopted. Most people tend to adopt puppies or younger dogs, and the seniors can sometimes wait a long time to be adopted, or simply wait out their time until they are showing signs of old age and die at the shelter. That is a pretty sad story, so here is some information to help interested people in adopting an older dog.
Older dogs tend to not have the usual problems with chewing, potty training, and adolescent personality issues. An older dog will not grow any bigger that what they are when adopted. An older dog may be easier to train, with their attention span a little longer than puppies. They are more experienced and there is a good chance that someone has worked with the dog while in the shelter to make them adoptable. The ASPCA continues this discussion by including ideas that support the previous statements, such as, they are super cuddly, they mess less, they settle into their surroundings more quickly, they may be more of a couch potato, and the new owners get to be a real hero, saving a dog that may not normally be saved.
The Senior Dogs Project website has state by state listings for adoption areas in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, and even include a listing of organizations dedicated strictly to older senior dogs. In Maryland, House with a Heart - Pet Sanctuary is in Laytonsville, Maryland. Sher Polvinale created this sanctuary with her late husband, Joe, dedicated to give senior and special needs dogs a place to live out the rest of their lives comfortably. House with a Heart or HWAH has been featured on multiple television interview shows, which can be viewed here.
The Senior Dogs Project also includes a great list of agencies that can help find the perfect senior dog for adoption. This list includes WARL and the Washington Humane Society among others in Washington D.C. In Maryland, the Humane Society of Prince George’s County, and petharbor.com work hard to find homes for the seniors that end up in their shelters.
A Pet Lover’s Companion, shows a giant directory of everything that is pets in the Washington D.C. metro, Maryland and Virginia areas. There are plenty of ways in the D.C. Metro area to adopt a senior pet this month and help save a life.
In case there is not a lot of time in the schedule to go to shelters personally and look for the senior dog of choice, The Grey Muzzle Organization is dedicated to helping homeless senior dogs. If what folks are looking for is to help senior dogs without adopting one themselves, than the Grey Muzzle Organization also gives out grants once a year to non-profit organizations focused on helping senior dogs.
There is still a bark in an older dog, and why not let that older dog bark and lick and enjoy life with a new owner this month in the District instead of spending the time in a cage in a shelter waiting to die. This is not a time for violins, just a time for action, to save some senior dogs from loneliness, boredom and a lack of cuddles.
