Adopt-a-(senior)-pet

Holly, ID# A0940982, has been at the West L.A. shelter since May. She’s already spayed and is listed as a German Shepherd mix. Holly is 11 years old; Jessica is listed as 10, but she behaves like a much younger dog. They’re reportedly mother and daughter -- you have to look closely to tell one from the other, but Holly does have a few gray hairs on her muzzle and she’s a little slower and more deliberate than Jessica. They have always been housed together and they are deeply devoted to one another. Recently another volunteer and I bathed the girls in preparation for a mobile dog adoption event (lifting them into the wash basin was quite a challenge). Both were apprehensive, but their sweet dispositions (and a few treats) allowed the baths to go off without a hitch! When bathtime was over, we took Holly and Jessica to a play area so they could romp and chase each other around on the grass. (Holly still acts like a mom and tried to groom her daughter, despite the look of protest on Jessica’s face. The look clearly said, ‘Mom, don’t embarrass me!’) They played with such wild abandon that all I could do was smile and shout, ‘Go, girls, go!’ What a joy it was to see them running freely, two beautiful dogs enjoying some well-deserved playtime.

Jessica, ID# A0941207, has been at the West L.A. shelter since May. She’s already spayed and is listed as a German Shepherd mix. It’s hard to understand why they have not been adopted to date; it probably points out a sad reality, that people do not want older dogs. How sad, because these dogs have so much love and loyalty to give to some lucky person! We hope that someone out there will fall in love with the two of them -- they have spent their lives together and to separate them now would be truly sad. Holly and Jessica are just a few of the many older dogs that are housed in our local shelters. Senior pets have so much love and loyalty to offer and ask for nothing more than a forever home where they can curl up and feel safe and loved again.