November is my favorite month. Many of my friends join me in celebrating birthdays this month (ever think about what holiday is 9 months before November? Think cupid). It’s the month when we get to celebrate our right to vote and commemorate our veterans. Then there’s Thanksgiving, that wonderful holiday when we give thanks for all our friends and blessings. But you might not know that November is also Adopt-a-Senior-Pet month as well as Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness month.
Perry
I’m going to focus on the last two causes in this blog because I have a furry friend who crosses into both territories. His name is Perry. He is a healthy, frisky senior boy whose looks and behavior bely his 9 years. He lives at an Alzheimer’s facility.
Perry, the welcoming party
Perry is the house pet for an Aegis memory care center in my neighborhood. I met him when I began taking my dogs over to entertain the residents once a month. He is a big, lovable lug who welcomes our company and wanders easily amongst the residents, bringing a little light to their lives.
Recently Perry got nervous when a toddler came to visit with his mother, and he nipped at the toddler. After four years as the facility’s mascot, Perry is now looking for a new home where he won’t be faced with those scary little two-legged creatures. Other than that issue, Perry is a lovely dog with a lush, thick short coat and brown eyes that would melt an iceberg.
The Joys of Adopting Senior Pets
I’m a big advocate of adopting senior pets, having three of my own. I took Scooty and Ernie in at 11 years old and they’re now almost 14 and 15. They have been such a pleasure. They folded into the pack as easily as if they had been together all their lives. They have been much easier to integrate than younger dogs I’ve adopted in the past. They came with good manners, potty training and basic obedience. They already had walking on a leash down pat.
As seniors, their exercise needs nicely match those of their new, mature human “Mom.” I’m grateful to their previous owners for preparing them so well for their new home. After bringing such well-adjusted seniors into my life, there is nothing in me that would want to take on the work and time-consuming responsibilities of training, socializing, and raising a puppy.
Pros and Cons
Yes, my time with them may be shorter than if I’d found them at a younger age. Yes, there are occasional medical expenses, but all pets have illness and accidents to manage. Yes, they might be a little grey around the muzzle and have a few granny bumps, but that doesn’t detract from the inner beauty shining from these oldsters.
Help for Perry
If you know of anyone who might be willing to give Perry a loving home for his final few years, please pass along a link to this blog, www.AnimalsReign.com/blog. If he ends up in a shelter, his chances of survival would be slim. Here is a link to his full story on Petfinder.com.
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14994863
Technorati Tags: Adopt-a-senior-pet month, Alzheimer’s Awareness month, dog rescue, living with a senior dog or cat, a home for Perry, Aegis Memory Care Center
Related articles:
Grey Muzzle – Helping Senior Pets August 27, 2009
Does My Dog Qualify as a Service Dog? September 8, 2009
