There’s an interesting new trend making its rounds through the wild and wonderful interwebs, and who would have guessed it to be a handful of geriatric party animals? Literally. My introduction to the phenomenon was by way of Instagram and a special little pooch named “Marnie.” If you do a Google Image Search for “Marnie the Dog,” thousands of images will come up depicting WKH FRFN H\HG ÁDW QRVHG WRQJXH ERDVWLQJ 6KLW 7]X rescue pup who resides in The Big Apple. Marnie has become “Instafamous” for her adorable smile, crooked stance, and clever phrases. Alas, Marnie’s story wasn’t always so glamorous. Marnie, initially dubbed “Stinky”, was found wandering the streets of Connecticut in 2012 at 9 years old. The Legend of Marnie says that she was, very literally, stinkin’ up the place, but the furry wonder would soon be rescued and given an entirely different life! Marnie is one in dozens of senior dog stories that I, per- sonally, have come across on the internet. So, imagine how many more there are out there! Either by way of Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, or their very own senior dog adoption efforts, these pups are really making a dif- ference in the world of senior pet adoption! My favorite senior pet rescue effort is “Susie’s Senior Dogs.” This website, www.susiesseniordogs.com, works tirelessly to promote the rescue and adoption of homeless senior dogs across the country. They use their very own “Susie” as the face of the campaign and have had wild success! Typically, when we consider the addition of a dog to the IDPLO\ ZH DOO WKLQN ´3833< µ 3XSSLHV SXSSLHV SXS- pies. They’re cute, clumsy, snuggly, and sleepy, and they’re a truckload of work. Though some folks may have the energy and know-how to rear a puppy from 6 weeks on up, there are some of us who just don’t have the time or patience. (Or carpet cleaner. Or patience. Again.) For those of us who fall into the latter category, I’m here WR H[SODLQ WKH EHQHÀWV RI VHQLRU GRJ DGRSWLRQ For starters, adopting a senior dog from a shelter may MXVW VDYH LWV OLIH %RWK OLWHUDOO\ DQG ÀJXUDWLYHO\ ,PDJLQH an older dog living out the remainder of their lives in a ZDUP KRPH ÀOOHG ZLWK ORYH DQG ODXJKWHU DV RSSRVHG WR a small, concrete kennel in a crowded shelter. Every ani- mal deserves the love of a family, right?! Many folks are deterred by the idea of adopting an older dog from a shelter because, often, older dogs have the reputation for being “bad dogs.” This is not necessarily true! Many dogs end up at shelters for reasons that have nothing to do with their behavior. Dogs are dropped off at shelters for several other reasons: allergies, their own- ers are unable to care for them anymore, their owners are moving to a location that doesn’t allow pets, the guardian passes away, loss of job, changes in their schedule, etc. There are shelter dogs out there who will sit, stay, and are completely house-trained. Their families were just unable to keep them. (I have personally adopted a dog ZKR ÀW WKLV GHVFULSWLRQ An older dog will be much more mellow and less en- HUJHWLF WKXV PDNLQJ WKHP D JRRG ÀW IRU WKH HOGHUO\ RU small children. Without all the jumping around and hy- peractivity, an older dog could be the mild companion suitable for situations in which a puppy would just be too much work! Older dogs have left their puppy-demeanor behind, so when you meet them, you’re typically seeing 54 FEBRUARY 2015 PROMOTING EVENTS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE INTHEVUE.COM
