Old vs. Young
When you weigh the options of bringing home a shelter pet the age of the animal always plays a significant role. As a volunteer for the Boxer Rescue, one of my rolls is to be a foster home for dogs in transition from their former life to their new loving home. When the announcements come into our email group about available dogs you can bet I will pass by any puppy and try to be the first volunteer to offer the sexy senior a spot on my couch.
Its not that I don’t love puppies, I had a litter of 7 almost exactly a year ago – the seniors just crawl into my heart. Puppies are fun to mold but seniors are pleasant to share – they have experienced life, they know what they want and they know how to get it. They rarely challenge you for anything but love – and yes food – but they more often than not just want to be with you.
The White Face
As humans we generally think of youth as the cornerstone of health, beauty and all that we strive for with the millions spent on beauty products that make us look younger. With dogs however, I have found myself drawn to the seniors, the older the more I want to squeeze them! With Boxer’s especially they get that white face that never lies, it shows the life of the dog through the peppery white hairs to the clouding eyes that say, ‘love me harder, hold me closer and you know what, let me get away with it because I’m old!’
Senior Pets Will Work Harder for Your Heart
So when your family heads off to the shelter this season or you are pursuing PetFinder – please let the grey hairs catch your eye. Yes I have heard the argument that you will fall in love with a dog that wont be around as long but the flip side is that pet shouldn’t be spending what little time it has left not knowing the warmth of constant companionship.
Let a senior into your life, let them into your heart and I promise you peace over that crazy kitten or puppy that will eat the ornaments off the tree or crawl onto your counter to take a bite out of the Thanksgiving Turkey.
