[News] Old Dogs, New Tricks

[fasteddie]

He was middle-aged with a few ailments but still a lot of spunk, looking for love and a new family.

Luckily for the Yorkshire terrier, his adoption ad appealed immediately to Kathy and Rob Pearson.

"We figured he was middle-aged, like us, so he would fit in," Kathy joked.

Many people would balk at taking in a senior dog with little history, but the Waterloo couple were eager to share their home with a deserving four-footed companion.

And there are many older animals needing homes -- and a second chance -- after they're handed over to shelters and rescue groups by owners who no longer want them for a variety of reasons, from financial problems to life changes.

Many of these homeless animals appear on online adoption sites like Petfinder.com. Think of it as a matchmaking site for pets and people.

That's where the Pearsons found little Bogey.

The family was looking for a small dog about two years ago, after their cat died. They had always shared their home with pets, both dogs and cats, all adopted from the humane society.

This time they turned to the Internet. For a couple of months, Kathy cruised Petfinder.com whenever she had a spare moment. The site and other similar online adoption posts make it easy to search by breed, size, age, sex and geographic area.

"It makes it a lot easier to look further afield than your local society when you're looking for a pet," Kathy said.

Not only does Petfinder list animals up for adoption at shelters and humane societies, it also advertises for grassroots groups that rescue unwanted dogs, usually of a particular breed.

The Pearsons first picked out a dog being cared for by Canadian Yorkshire Terrier Rescue, but it was already adopted. Then Bogey appeared.

The rescue group was "brutally honest" on its report, Kathy said. Bogey coughed a lot -- so much that the adoption group named him Buckley, after the popular cough syrup.

Eventually, rescuers figured out that Bogey was allergic to the cigarette smoke in his foster home. He also apparently suffered from severe separation anxiety, and he got upset and barked when left alone or crated.

But those things didn't deter Kathy.

"It all sounded to me like stuff you could work on and I sort of had a feeling it would work out," she said.

A representative from the Toronto-based group came out to visit the Pearsons, who also had to fill out an application and supply references before being considered for an adoption.

Rescue groups work diligently to find a suitable home for an animal, no matter what its special needs, because they want a good match that will last.

Special needs, whether health or behavioural, are just one reason aging animals like Bogey are given up by their families. Some owners go through a huge lifestyle change, such as a new baby, financial stress or a marriage breakup, and they feel they can no longer care for their pet.

Unfortunately, many animals are surrendered simply because they're getting old and the owners don't want to deal with increasing health problems and vet bills.

That's a common explanation heard by Jim Wood, co-ordinator of Danes in Distress. The Cambridge-based group finds new homes for surrendered Great Danes, from Ontario to the Maritimes.

"They say, 'You guys either take the dog or we're going to euthanize it,'" Wood said.

"There's a number of legitimate cases where they just don't have any options," he said, but also many cases when an owner hands over a dog because they simply don't want it anymore.

"I've had my eyes opened since I've come into rescue," said Wood, who shares his home with three Great Danes, two of whom were rescues.

Wood's group recently found a new home for an eight-year-old dog. Its elderly owner died, and the family didn't want the pet.

About two out of five dogs taken in by the group are five and older, Wood said. That's quite elderly for Great Danes, who have a life expectancy of only eight to 10 years.

The group gets 50 to 100 dogs a year, surrendered by the owners or from shelters that notify them when a Dane comes in. The group has a long list of people interested in adoption, so dogs are in foster homes for only a couple of days to be assessed before going to new homes.

All potential adopters need to have home tests, interviews and references.

"It's going to be a permanent home, not a stop-gap situation," Wood said.

All that hard work to find a good match pays off. Less than half a per cent of the dogs are returned.

Plus, older dogs have a lot going for them.

"They've got the advantage of some experience and training. They make wonderful pets," said Jane McCamus, manager of the Guelph Humane Society.

Unlike cute but rambunctious puppies, "they're quite happy to lay there and have a rest," said Bonnie Deekon, executive director of the Cambridge and District Humane Society.

That's why the Pearsons wanted an older dog. Their three children were already grown and the couple didn't want to go through the sleepless nights and hectic days of raising another youngster.

Older dogs will be vaccinated and usually spayed or neutered and, best of all, already house-trained.

"People are very happy when they take on these dogs," Deekon said.

And shelter staff are also pleased when a senior canine finds a new home.

"It's a tremendous sense of satisfaction to see a lovely older dog hanging out on the couch with their new family," McCamus said.

All the local humane societies get older pets for adoption, although the majority of their dogs and cats are young.

Before accepting an older dog or cat, Cambridge asks for a clean bill of health from a veterinarian, and Kitchener-Waterloo will have its onsite veterinarian examine it.

At the Guelph Humane Society, older pets are examined by a vet and have blood tests. Minor medical work will be done before the animal is put up for adoption. The humane society has a special fund to pay for those minor procedures, like dentistry work, needed for senior animals, McCamus said.

None will take a seriously ill animal.

"We can't find a home for an unhealthy pet," said Elizabeth Bonkink, who's in charge of community relations for the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society.

Owners are asked why they're giving up the animal, although, Deekon said, "Lots of people don't always give us the full story." And lots of times when people say they're bringing in a stray, it's obvious the animal has been a family pet.

When owners bring in an animal because it's sick or they simply don't want it any longer, Deekon said society staff will try to educate them about making the right choice.

"There has to be some responsibility for the owners," Deekon said.

They'll take healthy older pets for legitimate reasons, such as the owner moving out of the country or into a retirement home, "and we'll do the best we can," Deekon said.

Finding a new home for an older animal is not as easy as placing a cute and playful youngster.

"It is more of a challenge to adopt them out. Most people want puppies," Bonkink said.

Yet, she said, the average age of dogs dropped off at the shelter is seven months and the common reason is the pup becomes more than the owners can handle. That's not usually a problem with older dogs.

"You know what you're going to get," Bonkink said. And that means "you're more likely to find a better match."

Bogey fit into his new home immediately. His anxiety disappeared, he plumped up to a healthy weight, and today he coughs only occasionally -- when excited.

"He settled in really well. He seems pretty happy," Rob Pearson said.

And even though Bogey's almost 10, Rob reports that the senior is always up for a walk or tossing around his stuffed toys.

"He's pretty spunky for an old guy."

http://www.therecord.com/NASApp/cs/C...=1024322216168

[puppylove123]

that was cute! more people need to have the same thoughts as this couple. so many people just get the puppy because its really cute and later ill give it away because its too old, or sick, or not playful anymore.

[marzec]

What a fabulous story! I grew up in Kitchener but now live in Michigan and I am thrilled to hear resuce stories like this. thanks.