According to a recent petfinder.com survey, senior dogs have the hardest time finding a forever home. Many never find a home and spend their last days in a shelter. November is Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month and we’d like to help bring awareness to their plight and improve the adoption rate. Arrowhead Pooper Scoopers is extending our #BigScooPUP event through November. Anyone who adopts a senior dog in November will receive a free scoop.
Puppies are the most adopted shelter pet, but they require a huge time commitment and work. Senior dogs can be a much better pet choice for many reasons.
No Training Needed
Older dogs have already been housebroken and trained at basic commands. Many have mastered more complex commands and are much more adept at understanding their humans’ requests. If they don’t already have a repertoire of cool tricks, older dogs have greater physical and mental capabilities and can learn them quicker than puppies. So, the old adage, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks is really just an old wives’ tale.
The Calming Effect
Puppies can be mischievous and active and can get themselves into trouble. Senior dogs have a calmer demeanor which will spread to all members of the family. An older dog can bring a sense of calm to your household and can adjust much quicker to their new home. And while senior dogs are still fun and playful, they don’t require constant attention and supervision.
Love and Appreciation
Older dogs know they have been rescued and they show it…for the rest of their lives. Being taken out of its home and sent to a frightening new place can be very stressful for a dog. If he is not able to be fostered outside of a kennel area, a shelter can be a noisy, crowded, scary place to be. When you save a senior dog from a shelter, he knows he has been rescued and will show his gratitude forever by becoming a loyal companion. Dogs who have been not had the best start in life are much more likely to bond totally and deeply with their new family. There are few things more satisfying than saving an animal.
Consider adopting a senior dog and giving a special pet a forever home. If you re-home a senior dog in November, Arrowhead Pooper Scoopers will give you 1 free scoop to get you started with a clean yard. Call Arrowhead at 602-391-0160 and mention the #BIGScooPUP or visit www.arrowheadscoopers.com. But we’d also love to see pictures of your new furbabies. Post a picture on our Facebook page and share your adoption story with us. If you aren’t in a position to provide a home for a senior dog right now, save a life by sharing this post with others to raise awareness of the need for senior pet adoptions.
