Comments on: We’ve Adopted Another Senior Dog: Duff! http://prime.peta.org/2008/12/weve-adopted-another-senior-dog-duff Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:48:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Lori aka BeagleMom http://prime.peta.org/2008/12/weve-adopted-another-senior-dog-duff/comment-page-1#comment-2636 Lori aka BeagleMom Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:29:28 +0000 http://prime.peta.org/?p=1202#comment-2636 I'm so very glad you adopted an older pet. I adopted two older beagles and I prefer to adopt the "senior" dogs! So glad Duff is with Ma and Pa! I’m so very glad you adopted an older pet. I adopted two older beagles and I prefer to adopt the “senior” dogs! So glad Duff is with Ma and Pa!

]]> By: Jeni http://prime.peta.org/2008/12/weve-adopted-another-senior-dog-duff/comment-page-1#comment-1400 Jeni Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:49:52 +0000 http://prime.peta.org/?p=1202#comment-1400 We just adopted an 11-year-old cockapoo from the Humane Society. His owner and best friend went into assisted living and could not take him along. Bud is our first family pet and we thought we would just try to give him a good retirement home. He has surprised us and is becoming more and is moving, playing and interacting more and more each day. We are the family our friends deemed the least likely to ever have a dog, but we have all fallen head over heals for our new family member. He is the perfect first dog for us. He is teaching us about the joy of having a pet and the unconditional love he affords us. He is awesome. We couldn't have asked for a greater gift. Just don't go see Marley and Me! You'll cry your eyes out. We just adopted an 11-year-old cockapoo from the Humane Society. His owner and best friend went into assisted living and could not take him along. Bud is our first family pet and we thought we would just try to give him a good retirement home. He has surprised us and is becoming more and is moving, playing and interacting more and more each day. We are the family our friends deemed the least likely to ever have a dog, but we have all fallen head over heals for our new family member. He is the perfect first dog for us. He is teaching us about the joy of having a pet and the unconditional love he affords us. He is awesome. We couldn’t have asked for a greater gift. Just don’t go see Marley and Me! You’ll cry your eyes out.

]]> By: LYNDA in CT http://prime.peta.org/2008/12/weve-adopted-another-senior-dog-duff/comment-page-1#comment-1201 LYNDA in CT Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:58:10 +0000 http://prime.peta.org/?p=1202#comment-1201 We lost our Beagle/ Basset, in February 2007. We rescued him in North Carolina and had him for a short 10 1/2 years. We went everywhere with him! All he wanted to do was be with his family, and it mattered nothing as to where we took him. After losing him, we went to our local rescue and found a charming wild Beagle!!! It was not easy at first. We had no idea of his past, but wanted his present and future to be a love-filled one. It's been a year and a half now, and that wild one, just wants to be home, on the bed, under the blankets! He checks his bowl frequently to make sure he has food and water. His dances of glee, which he performs, upon a return from a short outing for me, takes my breathe away, each time. Where would we all be, if not for these fur-babies? All they ever wanted was to give love, and receive it, everything else just falls into place. We thank God each night, when he tucks us in that we are all together! We lost our Beagle/ Basset, in February 2007. We rescued him in North Carolina and had him for a short 10 1/2 years. We went everywhere with him! All he wanted to do was be with his family, and it mattered nothing as to where we took him.
After losing him, we went to our local rescue and found a charming wild Beagle!!! It was not easy at first. We had no idea of his past, but wanted his present and future to be a love-filled one.
It’s been a year and a half now, and that wild one, just wants to be home, on the bed, under the blankets! He checks his bowl frequently to make sure he has food and water.
His dances of glee, which he performs, upon a return from a short outing for me, takes my breathe away, each time.
Where would we all be, if not for these fur-babies? All they ever wanted was to give love, and receive it, everything else just falls into place.
We thank God each night, when he tucks us in that we are all together!

]]> By: donna f http://prime.peta.org/2008/12/weve-adopted-another-senior-dog-duff/comment-page-1#comment-1187 donna f Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:08:41 +0000 http://prime.peta.org/?p=1202#comment-1187 I have a 9 year old sheltie that I did buy him from a breeder when he was 8 weeks old. He is a double merle, a genetic defect and no one wanted him.. He is a loving companion and so alert due to his deafness. In the past, those that don't meet the "standards" are euthanized. But he was born and deserved to be loved. I value every day I have with him. I have a 9 year old sheltie that I did buy him from a breeder when he was 8 weeks old. He is a double merle, a genetic defect and no one wanted him.. He is a loving companion and so alert due to his deafness. In the past, those that don’t meet the “standards” are euthanized. But he was born and deserved to be loved. I value every day I have with him.

]]> By: Marta Mares http://prime.peta.org/2008/12/weve-adopted-another-senior-dog-duff/comment-page-1#comment-1183 Marta Mares Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:59:07 +0000 http://prime.peta.org/?p=1202#comment-1183 Árgentina is a country which has a Federal Law for the Protection of Animals, to which almonst nobody pays any attention, either in big cities like Buenos Aires or in the small towns like the one my husband moved to some 18 years ago. This is a mountain, touristic place Stray dogs abound because of thel ittle care paid to spaying females or neutering males. Through the years here I gave shelter to many dogs, some horses and donkeys, such as many other good intentioned people do. Some I kept, some I could give away after restoring their natural beauty. this means that most of my adopted companions were senior dogs (also donkeys and horses only useful to feed private zoos wild animals). Alll of them, without exceptin responded with deep love to my care and reciprocal love. Some 17 went through our lifes, since their life span was mostly short. Nowadays, myself getting near the point where puppies or younger pets would be faced with being orphaned again, andm y property reduced to a large house and garden, I have only three dogs (two dobbermans, one mixed breed) and one kitten. All three came from the street. The largest dobbie whose origin and age is ignored appeared lost in town 3 years ago just few days after my 14 year old dobbie bitch died. He was in poor condition, very nervous, with signs of mistreatment, starvation, andm ostly of aving being chained or somehow imprisoned. He was nice but intensely nervous, capable of destroying everything around if left inside a closed environment. He did destroy my whole laundry room, curtains, etc. and used to howl desperately if left alone. After three years of love being rceivved and given (he is the Alpha dog at home) he turned out to be the sweetest creature you could imagine. Like all of my former dobbies, he is tender, childish, playful , possessive but never aggressive. He sitll does not like to be left alone but I try to leave something house and dog sitting when I have to travel. I ignore the age of all these three dogs. Guess the smaller ones to be around 8 and when he (Joaquin) appeared the vets said he could be around 11. After the care of these 3 years, nobody would give him more than 8. Love does miracles. <I expect to survive all of them despite the usual, almost unbearable pain when they pass away. But if it happens that they go first I will go to the shelter -a hiddeous, sorrowful place where the poor things languish- and get another real senior friend/s among the many abandoned there. They are the best pals one can get. Árgentina is a country which has a Federal Law for the Protection of Animals, to which almonst nobody pays any attention, either in big cities like Buenos Aires or in the small towns like the one my husband moved to some 18 years ago. This is a mountain, touristic place Stray dogs abound because of thel ittle care paid to spaying females or neutering males. Through the years here I gave shelter to many dogs, some horses and donkeys, such as many other good intentioned people do. Some I kept, some I could give away after restoring their natural beauty. this means that most of my adopted companions were senior dogs (also donkeys and horses only useful to feed private zoos wild animals). Alll of them, without exceptin responded with deep love to my care and reciprocal love. Some 17 went through our lifes, since their life span was mostly short. Nowadays, myself getting near the point where puppies or younger pets would be faced with being orphaned again, andm y property reduced to a large house and garden, I have only three dogs (two dobbermans, one mixed breed) and one kitten. All three came from the street. The largest dobbie whose origin and age is ignored appeared lost in town 3 years ago just few days after my 14 year old dobbie bitch died. He was in poor condition, very nervous, with signs of mistreatment, starvation, andm ostly of aving being chained or somehow imprisoned. He was nice but intensely nervous, capable of destroying everything around if left inside a closed environment. He did destroy my whole laundry room, curtains, etc. and used to howl desperately if left alone. After three years of love being rceivved and given (he is the Alpha dog at home) he turned out to be the sweetest creature you could imagine. Like all of my former dobbies, he is tender, childish, playful , possessive but never aggressive. He sitll does not like to be left alone but I try to leave something house and dog sitting when I have to travel. I ignore the age of all these three dogs. Guess the smaller ones to be around 8 and when he (Joaquin) appeared the vets said he could be around 11. After the care of these 3 years, nobody would give him more than 8. Love does miracles. <I expect to survive all of them despite the usual, almost unbearable pain when they pass away. But if it happens that they go first I will go to the shelter -a hiddeous, sorrowful place where the poor things languish- and get another real senior friend/s among the many abandoned there. They are the best pals one can get.

]]> By: Alixxandraaa http://prime.peta.org/2008/12/weve-adopted-another-senior-dog-duff/comment-page-1#comment-1173 Alixxandraaa Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:44:26 +0000 http://prime.peta.org/?p=1202#comment-1173 Horray for people that adopt these animals that needitthe most. =]]] Horray for people that adopt these animals that needitthe most.
=]]]

]]> By: Nini Sanchez http://prime.peta.org/2008/12/weve-adopted-another-senior-dog-duff/comment-page-1#comment-1135 Nini Sanchez Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:14:38 +0000 http://prime.peta.org/?p=1202#comment-1135 Thank you for such an inspiring story!!!! Yes, no other dog will ever take the place of Patty... nor should one. But, taking in a senior dog is the greatest gift to yourselves and to the memory of Patty. Some day you will all be together again! And, until then, Duff completes your family!!!! God bless all of you! Thank you for such an inspiring story!!!! Yes, no other dog will ever take the place of Patty… nor should one. But, taking in a senior dog is the greatest gift to yourselves and to the memory of Patty. Some day you will all be together again! And, until then, Duff completes your family!!!! God bless all of you!

]]> By: Natalie http://prime.peta.org/2008/12/weve-adopted-another-senior-dog-duff/comment-page-1#comment-1134 Natalie Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:06:28 +0000 http://prime.peta.org/?p=1202#comment-1134 I agree completely: Nothing better than a second-hand dog!!! (Bonus if the dog is a senior)! I adopted, to the bewilderment of so many friends and family members, a 3 and a half year old pit bull whom had lived the first two and a half years chained up, neglected, and fought with other dogs. Then he spent over a YEAR at the no-kill shelter where I fell in love with him. Aw, almost brought a tear to my eye just to remember the day! Atticus may have not been a senior, but I suppose 3.5 years old is already an age that most dogs become "unwanted" to people looking for a new addition. When the dog is a pit bull with scars on his body and face, and has a violent past and a horrible case of separation anxiety due to the neglect he has grown up with, the potential for adoption greatly decreases. If he had been at a regular shelter, he would have been killed in no time, as most sadly are. When my boyfriend at the time stopped by this shelter (Operation Kindness in Dallas, Tx), we were originally hoping for a puppy. We perused the puppy room and met a bunch, but no one who really stole our hearts. Then my then-bf, Sean, went to walk around the big-dog room. He came back to me saying, "Natalie, come check this guy out." I walked over and bent down to see a white pit bull with grey spots completely soaked down the front of his chest from his slobber who was doing crazy jump-spins off of one side of his wall. He stopped when I bent down to say hello, and he looked so innocent and sweet. I stuck my hand through the bars of his gate in front of his face and he licked and licked and licked my hand, appreciatively. Sean thought I was a little crazy but I could just tell what a sweetheart Atticus was. :) A shelter employee noticed us at his cell and said we should take him outside to play with him a bit. We agreed, and outside he just lied in the grass, thrilled to be in the grass and getting petted by us three. The employee lady told us that when the shelter's rescue van found him, he was walking alone on a street in a bad part of Dallas, dragging a chain so huge and heavy that he could not even be lifted into the van- they had to call help to come chop off the awful chain! They said he'd been there the longest at the shelter and he was all the staffs' favorite animal. :) Because of his bad separation anxiety (hence the drooling and zombie-like jump-spins off the wall), he was allowed to come stay behind the front desk at the end of visiting hours when the front doors were locked. They said he was so happy just to have human contact that he would curl up at the feet of the front-desk staff and keep them company. Often staff members took turn taking him to their house to spend the night because they loved him so much, but none of them were able to adopt him permanently. Atticus is the love of my life, and also the love of Sean's life. He is such an amazing dog: incredibly sweet and loving, quite intelligent, and extremely well-behaved. He even has had the awesome ability to convince people that aggressive breeds are not necessarily aggressive dogs! He's napping by my side as I type this... Oh, and if any of you are wondering, his dad Sean and I both get to spend equal time with him because we trade him off every 3 or so days :) Luckily we are great friends, but even if we weren't, I know neither of us could bear to part with him... So Atticus went from living tied up on a chain outdoors in Dallas in crazy-extreme temperatures to living it up in a Los Angeles Downtown apartment as well as a condo in Venice Beach! He's one happy camper, let me tell you... :D I encourage all my family and friends to adopt... and why get a puppy when you get a wiser and more fun, already housebroken new friend?? Happy Holidays everyone! -Nat & Atticus I agree completely: Nothing better than a second-hand dog!!! (Bonus if the dog is a senior)! I adopted, to the bewilderment of so many friends and family members, a 3 and a half year old pit bull whom had lived the first two and a half years chained up, neglected, and fought with other dogs. Then he spent over a YEAR at the no-kill shelter where I fell in love with him. Aw, almost brought a tear to my eye just to remember the day!

Atticus may have not been a senior, but I suppose 3.5 years old is already an age that most dogs become “unwanted” to people looking for a new addition. When the dog is a pit bull with scars on his body and face, and has a violent past and a horrible case of separation anxiety due to the neglect he has grown up with, the potential for adoption greatly decreases. If he had been at a regular shelter, he would have been killed in no time, as most sadly are.

When my boyfriend at the time stopped by this shelter (Operation Kindness in Dallas, Tx), we were originally hoping for a puppy. We perused the puppy room and met a bunch, but no one who really stole our hearts. Then my then-bf, Sean, went to walk around the big-dog room. He came back to me saying, “Natalie, come check this guy out.” I walked over and bent down to see a white pit bull with grey spots completely soaked down the front of his chest from his slobber who was doing crazy jump-spins off of one side of his wall. He stopped when I bent down to say hello, and he looked so innocent and sweet. I stuck my hand through the bars of his gate in front of his face and he licked and licked and licked my hand, appreciatively. Sean thought I was a little crazy but I could just tell what a sweetheart Atticus was. :)

A shelter employee noticed us at his cell and said we should take him outside to play with him a bit. We agreed, and outside he just lied in the grass, thrilled to be in the grass and getting petted by us three. The employee lady told us that when the shelter’s rescue van found him, he was walking alone on a street in a bad part of Dallas, dragging a chain so huge and heavy that he could not even be lifted into the van- they had to call help to come chop off the awful chain! They said he’d been there the longest at the shelter and he was all the staffs’ favorite animal. :) Because of his bad separation anxiety (hence the drooling and zombie-like jump-spins off the wall), he was allowed to come stay behind the front desk at the end of visiting hours when the front doors were locked. They said he was so happy just to have human contact that he would curl up at the feet of the front-desk staff and keep them company. Often staff members took turn taking him to their house to spend the night because they loved him so much, but none of them were able to adopt him permanently.

Atticus is the love of my life, and also the love of Sean’s life. He is such an amazing dog: incredibly sweet and loving, quite intelligent, and extremely well-behaved. He even has had the awesome ability to convince people that aggressive breeds are not necessarily aggressive dogs!

He’s napping by my side as I type this… Oh, and if any of you are wondering, his dad Sean and I both get to spend equal time with him because we trade him off every 3 or so days :) Luckily we are great friends, but even if we weren’t, I know neither of us could bear to part with him… So Atticus went from living tied up on a chain outdoors in Dallas in crazy-extreme temperatures to living it up in a Los Angeles Downtown apartment as well as a condo in Venice Beach! He’s one happy camper, let me tell you… :D

I encourage all my family and friends to adopt… and why get a puppy when you get a wiser and more fun, already housebroken new friend??

Happy Holidays everyone!
-Nat & Atticus

]]> By: Jan http://prime.peta.org/2008/12/weve-adopted-another-senior-dog-duff/comment-page-1#comment-1132 Jan Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:18:43 +0000 http://prime.peta.org/?p=1202#comment-1132 I have rescued many senior dogs and placed them. One old 16 year old poodle came to me so thin we did not think he would survive. All teeth rotten and his canines had rotted away leaving holes up into his nasal passages. With nutrition, vet attention and love this formerly uncared for dog was adopted by a young girl. He plumped up and became beautiful. They travelled everywhere together for two of the happiest years of his life. I also ended up keeping a 12 year old Jack Russell that was so badly abused he would bite first and ask questions later. I knew he would never be successfully rehomed so I kept him. He did learn to trust and became my constant shadow, although he still would bite if he felt threatened. No one else wanted him but when I was ill he never left my side. He died of kidney failure 6 years later , knowing love and gentle touch. I now have all senior rescue dogs and they are all wonderful in their own way. I get the great feeling to know I have saved and enriched the life of the dog and the new owner. Dog breeders should hang their heads in shame and so should anyone who supports such greed and cruelty. I have rescued many senior dogs and placed them. One old 16 year old poodle came to me so thin we did not think he would survive. All teeth rotten and his canines had rotted away leaving holes up into his nasal passages. With nutrition, vet attention and love this formerly uncared for dog was adopted by a young girl. He plumped up and became beautiful. They travelled everywhere together for two of the happiest years of his life. I also ended up keeping a 12 year old Jack Russell that was so badly abused he would bite first and ask questions later. I knew he would never be successfully rehomed so I kept him. He did learn to trust and became my constant shadow, although he still would bite if he felt threatened. No one else wanted him but when I was ill he never left my side.
He died of kidney failure 6 years later , knowing love and gentle touch. I now have all senior rescue dogs and they are all wonderful in their own way. I get the great feeling to know I have saved and enriched the life of the dog and the new owner. Dog breeders should hang their heads in shame and so should anyone who supports such greed and cruelty.

]]> By: Fred Remus http://prime.peta.org/2008/12/weve-adopted-another-senior-dog-duff/comment-page-1#comment-1127 Fred Remus Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:26:42 +0000 http://prime.peta.org/?p=1202#comment-1127 don't mean to be a curmudgeon, but i would hardly call a 7 yr old dog a senior. my 9 yr old, maggie, would like to prove to you how she is hardly 'over the hill'. i feed her and our other dog, carey, a home-made diet and all their trats are home-made as well. they are a perfect weight for the age and size, both being large pups. have sparking teeth, and are as active as they always were. we are lucky to live in rural new york state, with lots of nature preserves and hiking trails galore, so we trek in the forrest every day, unleashed and unfettered, just as it should be. anyway, thank you for promoting the love that is there at your local pound. don’t mean to be a curmudgeon, but i would hardly call a 7 yr old dog a senior. my 9 yr old, maggie, would like to prove to you how she is hardly ‘over the hill’. i feed her and our other dog, carey, a home-made diet and all their trats are home-made as well. they are a perfect weight for the age and size, both being large pups. have sparking teeth, and are as active as they always were. we are lucky to live in rural new york state, with lots of nature preserves and hiking trails galore, so we trek in the forrest every day, unleashed and unfettered, just as it should be.
anyway, thank you for promoting the love that is there at your local pound.

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