Pet parents in Australia know that old dogs can learn new tricks.
Australian senior dogs Bella, a 16-year-old stray Kelpie, Lilly, an 11-year-old Greyhound, and Grace, a 6-year-old Rottweiler, are proof positive. Their new pet parents say that adopting a senior dog has been a “great alternative to a puppy.” Despite some challenges (the biggest one is coming to terms with the short time they’ll have together), an older dog is the “perfect pet.”
Bella
When Bella’s family relocated, they surrendered her to an RSPCA shelter in Adelaide. Then, she was adopted by dog dad Malcolm Wright.
“We hit if off straight away,” he told ABC Australia News, adding that Bella is deaf. This proved to be a learning curve for both of them, but she’s learning fast. In addition to her deafness, she is rather slow and docile. Both of these traits appeal to 78-year-old Wright. “I think people need to understand if they show kindness to an animal like this, you get it returned in the love from the animal,” Wright said.
Lilly
Georgia Bell had been following the Greyhound Adoption Program in Victoria for quite a while before she saw a post for Lilly.
“I needed a dog who was going to be okay with being home alone for long hours due to my work commitments and able to have other dogs around them as I have another Greyhound and a Dachshund,” Bell says.
Bell says she had trouble finding another dog who would get along with her 4-year-old dachshund Roy, who has what she calls “small man syndrome.” Still, GAP advised her that Lilly could be perfect. “They were not wrong! When I met Lilly with Roy, there was instant calm,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it. When she walked out of the kennel to do a meet and greet, I actually became teary because her nature was so gentle and sweet.”
Still, Lilly has some challenges. She has Pannus, an eye disorder common in greyhounds. She’s also missing most of her teeth and only able to eat soft foods. Bell said she has “fallen in love with this dog for so many reasons, and I know that she may have only a good year or two left with me. I have also had people question if my heart will be strong enough to cope with losing her…however, Lilly’s last few years are all about her — not about me. It is as simple as that.”
Grace
The 6-year-old Rottweiler had spent six months in a shelter before Ruby Black found her.
Grace was overlooked at the shelter as an older dog who had just had surgery and potentially needed more. “At the shelter she was unhappy and manic, we knew she needed to get out of there,” Black told ABC News. “Even though we knew she might cost us some money in the future I also knew that she was a great dog with such a gentle soul. She deserved a shot at a loving home for the rest of her life, even if it might be short.”
Black said a senior dog has been a great alternative to a puppy. “Having a dog will always be a challenge and a big responsibility, but getting an older dog takes off a lot of the pressure and negates a lot of the problems that younger dogs might have, so in several ways it’s a lot easier and more accessible,” she added. “If you want to get a dog but know you won’t be able to handle the commitment of a puppy, an older dog is definitely a better choice rather than getting a puppy, being unable to handle it, and giving it to a shelter.”
These three Australian senior dogs are lucky pups. Let this be a reminder to adopt, don’t shop.
