Monday, February 06, 2012

Adopting Older Animals

Laughing Orca commented on my last post and said she took in an older, toothless Chihuahua dog so it didn't have to go to the pound where it probably wouldn't have been adopted and would have been put down. Thank you!
My sister adopted an 9 year old Lab that just wondered into her yard so it didn't have to go to the pound. It even had a microchip but the people that had her had given her to someone else because they couldn't afford her, and those people couldn't be bothered to feed her or keep her in their yard. This dog needed $1000 worth of surgery to correct an eye problem but my sister and brother-in-law didn't think twice about it, just had it done. Molly has a wonderful, loving home now and another big dog to play with. Thank You!
About 9 years ago my sister took in 2 German Shepard puppies from her neighbors. Those neighbors then moved, abandoning the 8-year old mom of the pups. Sarah had 4 dogs, and I had 3 - neither of us really wanted another dog. Sarah took the old dog to the local rescue shelter even though she didn't want to. Soon after she was at the vets with one of her dogs, chatting with another couple there with their friends. The friends were from visiting Illinois. On admiring Sarah's puppies, in for their shots, Sarah told them about the mother dog. The couple from Illinois decided to adopt her, but had to stay in New Mexico a few extra days so she could be spayed, per shelter rules, and then took her home to Illinois. Thank You!
I am thinking it was about 7 years ago that my email friend from England lost her older dog, and adopted a young dog but one that was grown from her local rescue shelter. Pixie has a wonderful home. Thank you!
About 4 years ago one of my neighbors took in a Great Pyrenees female that was being used as a breeder under bad conditions. Now she has a good home. Another neighbor took one of her pups she had soon after she went to her new home. The first neighbor took in another Great Pyrenees when some people lost jobs and were having to move out of a home with a yard to an apartment and had to part with their dog. Several months later that dog was able to go back to her first family when they were again able to have a home with a yard when they found a job. Thank you! (for those that don't know Pyrenees dogs are, on average, about 100 to 150 pounds.
Eight years ago my nephew's wife found a Border Collie pup running down the road and caught her. They were moving soon and decided it would be to hard to take her with their two boys, then aged 15 months and 5 months. They looked for an owner and so did I after I agreed to take her. She is laying beside me as I type this and I love her dearly. I, also, have a 2 year old German Shepard cross that I got from the animal shelter in Albuquerque. I did take a puppy as I have house cats and the cats always except a puppy better than a grown dog. But this isn't always so as my sister's cat and the Lab, Molly, made friends quickly. And the older Great Pyrenees loves kittens.

2 comments:

  1. All of my horses, except the mustangs, were rejects...I used to gather up stray dogs and cats as a kid. Now, it's horses!
    ~Cheryl Ann~

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  2. One of my biggest pet peeves are people who have to move and decide it's too much trouble to take their older, much loved family pet with them. They always start off by saying, "please adopt my baby". Well, if it were your baby, why would you just get rid of it when your life changed or times got tough?

    My family moved from New Mexico to South Carolina all on our own, no moving company, and no help, and my twin sons were just barely 2 years old. We would not have dreamt of leaving behind and re-homing our two dogs and 2 cats, who at the time, the dogs were both over 10 years old, and the cats over 5 yrs old, and who had traveled with just my hubby and I, just 8 years earlier...on another cross country trip from Maryland to New Mexico. Also without any movers or help.

    I know others feel differently about their animals, but once we adopt our dogs or cats, they are family, and we don't dump family just because our lifestyle changes or times get tough.

    ~Lisa

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