On Aug. 12, help us celebrate Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day!

I've read the heartwarming stories here, but have yet to see where anyone adopted a dog that had anger issues. Lola looked like my sweet Bambi who was 16 when she passed. Lola was a polar opposite of Bambi. I was told she was unadoptable and would be going to Highway Heaven. I found her on Petfinder.com. I drove three hours to find her. The other dogs at the foster home were adorable and begging for attention. Not Lola. She sat far away from the others and snarled. I tried to pick her up and she snapped at me. My friend was with me and was agasht that Lola caught my attention. It's taken a couple of years and lots of love to get Lola turned around. She still isn't crazy about some people or other dogs, but she is devoted to me (as I am to her). Alot of my friends purchase fancy dogs from expensive breeders, but I'll take all the love and affection I can from the dog nobody wanted.

Lynn

I always adopt older cats. They are already housetrained and you get to see their adult personality, so you know exactly how that cat will fit into your home and lifestyle.

For the past 30 years we've only adopted black & white, or black cats. I love Jellicle (black and white) cats made famous in TS Elliot's Poem of the Jellicles and the sleek elegance of black cats, especially big black cats, but mainly because they have been waiting for a home for so much longer.

Most of the cats I have homed have to be the only pet in the house, but that's fine too.

I love all colours and breeds of cats, but there always seems to be so many more black and black & white cats waiting a long time for a home. Fur is only skin deep, and they are just as loving as any other cat. Even better, black fur doesn't show up on business clothes like other fur. Purrfect.

I volunteer with Boston Terrier Rescue of Greater Houston. We don't have any events planned for Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day, but we are promoting it on our Petfinder Home page and on our Facebook page. We created a slide show featuring our older, senior and special needs rescues to share with our volunteers, friends, fans, and prospective adoptive parents. Check it out:
http://tinyurl.com/BTRGH-special

Thanks!
Fay Barclay
BTRGH volunteer

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/bostonterriers.html

http://tinyurl.com/BTRGHfacebook

Fantastic! As I type this, I am surrounded by 7 Senior Dachshunds ages 9 to 14. 3 of these wonderful dachsies are fosters for Dakota Dachshund Rescue. I am Board Vice-President and Senior Advocate. There is nothing better than a senior..they understand "No", are typically housebroken, chew new shoes or the leg of the cherished table that belonged to your great great grandmother.

And, in their way, they can teach us some valuable lessons:
1) How to grow old gracefully.
2) Naps are a good thing.
3) If life gives you lemons, make lemonaid.

They have been dumped, surrendered because they are old and no longer cute or an elderly owner died leaving them homeless! Either way, in a new home environment, they do everything they can to show their gratittude. Theirs is the strongest bond ever experienced.

There may be some gray on the outside ...but, There is a whole lot of love on the inside. Seniors Rock!

Thanks, Bob Donham aka "The Donham-Oleson Retirement Home for Senior, Elderly and Geriatric Dachshunds".

Yet, as a group, we know that our Seniors will be with us a long time.

As a trainer, I can tell you that unless you are dealing with a particular behavioral problem, which can always be improved if not eliminated, older dogs are more willing to please and don't test their boundaries like the youngsters. They are the best!!!! Will forever be an older dog advocate.

My husband and I adopted a large black lab named ike from the cabarrus county animal shelter. I think he was overlooked due to his size and the fact that he is heartworm positive. We went to the shelter really to find out about another dog but when i saw ike it was real puppy love at first site. My husband even fell for him and he likes dogs just not like me lol. His heartworm treatment is going well and he has gained weight. He went from ashy to classy. Special dog month is a great thing, because educating people on these animals can save many lives. Some see heartworms as a death wish for animals but its not true, look at ike. I think this is a great program.

What a great idea! At The Grey Muzzle Organization we'd sure love to believe that our senior pets are not "less adoptable" -- maybe we can all change that perception and reality in the future. But that's certainly where we are right now, and it's great to see Petfinder helping publicize the value of these great pets!

Deaf dogs are AWESOME! They can't hear it when you come in late at night, they won't bark at strange noises, and they are just as loveable fun and playful as any other dog. Check out my deaf foster, Stoli on PetFInder -
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12735791

My eight cats range from 14 years to five months, plus one foster kitten of about six weeks. My adults don't decide to remind me that they love me at 3:00 a.m. or think that the curtains are a challenge equivalent to rock wall climbing, which Louie (5 mos.) has succeeded at more than once. I love them all, but it's definitely a more peaceful (and less destructive) household with my adults! :)

Thank you for pointing out that the "perfect pet" isn't necessarily that little fluffball, as he too will grow into a big baby of 10-15 lbs.

I've had Blue, my blind Aussie mix, for almost 4 years now. And while I had no experience with blind or special needs pets before, he changed my entire life for the better and I couldn't imagine not having him in my life. Blind dogs will need more attention, training and patience but you will be rewarded with more love that you could ever imagine. Give a special needs pet a chance to win your heart.

I am a big fan of shelter/rescue dogs! I adopted a senior - possibly 8-10 who had been abandoned - male toy poodle and he was the sweetest cuddler! He also considered me his maid!! LOL!! He knew several commands and was good for the groomer, but had been around poor quality air - possibly smokers - and developed chronic severe bronchitis which eventually was so severe he could only survive in an O2 box, so was PTS last May. I still miss him, but have another shelter dog aged 7 who is currently as active as a puppy!!

We absolutely LOVE our 'unadoptable' dog! :) He was considered a special needs adoption because of his neurological deficits. All we had to do was help him out a little by elevating his food and water bowls and getting the heck out of his way when he runs (hehe). He was also considered a special adoption because he was having adjustment problems in his foster mom's home. He had been adopted and returned because the family's resident dog nipped him and ever since then he lacked all confidence and was getting picked on by other dogs in the home. All he needed was some one on one attention, love, and help building his confidence. He also had a great older sister to help him out! :) (Our first adoption is a great big sister and helped him out.) I would definitely recommend adopting ANY 'unadoptable' or 'hard to adopt' pet. They are FULL of love, desperately in need of a home!

Thank you for introducing this section and the importance of adopting less adoptable pets. My husband and I only adopt senior dogs and cats. We've had 6 senior Boston Terriers and one senior cat, and I would never adopt another younger dog or cat again! We have also adopted two medically challenged dogs. Although they were harder to manage - they gave us absoutely no problems! I think they know they've hit the jackpot!

I never cared much for the puppy or kitten stage and was happy to see it pass! Our seniors had plenty of good years, walks on our local towpath, and a quiet house to finish out their years.

I encourage everyone to consider adopting a senior pet or adult pet over a kitten or puppy. It's been the best experience for us!

I am an avid supporter of pet adoption, and when my husband and I went to adopt 5 years ago, we added two members to our family from the local pound - Grace, a 9 month old black Lab mutt, and Ben, an older special needs Aussie. We tried to give Ben the best 4 years of his life. By his last year with us, he was going blind and deaf, and already had an incontinence issue. Spinal degeneration was the last straw, and he finally passed last year at the ripe old age of 15.
In those previous 3 years of his life while he was still healthy and active we found the best example of why an older dog can be the most amazing addition to a family. Ben was impeccably behaved, easygoing and very attached to us. He also trained Grace in behaviors and helped her learn to access her easygoing side. She, in turn, taught him to play fetch and wrestle with her and kept him young as long as possible. They were a fantastic pair, and we miss Ben every day. Nowadays, Grace is the old lady of the house at age 6 and is returning the favor by teaching her younger sister Stella (2 yrs, another black Lab mutt) to behave properly!

I think this is fantastic! My fiance and I adopted our dog from the local animal shelter in February and we adore her! She is an 8 year old Jindo and was in the shelter for 6 months before we adopted her. It was just lucky that someone in the shelter watched out for her, otherwise an 8 year old dog would not have lasted 2 months in a kill-shelter.

Indiana is the sweetest, spunkiest dog. My fiance never owned a dog before her and always tells people she turned him into a dog lover.

Good job Pet Finder! This is a fantastic cause!

Thank you for the kind works about "Opie" who we adopted from Debiesshortnsweetrescue. Everyone always tells us, What a lucky little dog", but we feel the shoe is on the other ffoot every day! WE are the lucky ones to have found Opie. He has enriched our lives. He is doing very well. He is very happy and everyday brings a new joy. He is playing with sqeeky toys and socks now! Adopting this older dog, and a dog with disabilities was the perfect decision for us. Opie is a perfect gentleman.
Well behaved, kind to everyone, perfect manners.Everyone loves Opie!

My first cat, Angus, was either two or five when I adopted him. The shelter said five, the vet said two. His energy level led me to believe he was two. After 11 months with Angus, I learned that he had FIP. Two weeks later, he passed away in my arms. In those 11 months, I grew, learned about unconditional love and came to understand the amazing bond that exists between human and animal. He was such a beautiful boy cat and I miss him so much. It was extremely painful to lose him, but I was so protective of him from day one, loved him immediately and constantly, and am so thankful that he chose me to be his human for the short time he had left on earth. Please understand that this was a rare situation. I share this story because of the powerful impact the experience with Angus had on my life.

In March I adopted a seven year old tuxedo girl named Ernestine. She was declawed by a previous owner and then put out on the street. Friends of mine found her and took her in. She was beat up pretty badly b/c she had no way to defend herself against other animals. My friends suggested I visit Ernestine and consider taking her into my home. My original plan was to adopt a kitten, but when I met Ernie I knew she was choosing me the way Angus chose me. I stopped looking and adopted her. She's wonderful! I call her Ernestine Button because now that she has a big apartment to herself with no other cats to bother her she seems to be getting younger. It's beautiful to see a cat change like this! It's so rewarding! Please consider adopting an older pet.

I HAVE 3 BLACK GREYHOUNDS, FORMER RACERS WHO HAVE RUN A TRACK AROUND MY ORANGE TREES. THEY ARE ELEGANT, LOVING, BIG LOVES, AND ARE SO GOOD-THEY LET ME SLEEP ON MY BED WITH THEM! THEY SHINE LIKE PATTEN LEATHER, AND EACH HAS A GLITTER SILVER COLLAR FROM DAYTONA BEACH HUMAIN SOCIETY (VOLUSIA COUNTY) WHICH IS THEIR BLING. GOOD GRIEF, SOPHISTICATION PLUS! BEAUTY BEYOND BELIEF. I AM READY FOR #4. ANYONE HAVE AN IRISH WOLFHOUND OR SCOTTISH DEERHOUND? BLACK IF POSSIBLE! [LEASE DON'T OVERLOOK A BIG BLACK DOG. YOU GET BIG LOVE!

Does anyone know a family or a no-kill shelter that would take in a ten year old female tabby? She is fixed, declawed, an energetic, quiet female who has been left without a home after the recent death of her owner.

Thank You,

Jenny

I would like to make a comment on a breed stereotype. I adopted a female Chow/Schipperke mix many years ago from a local shelter. Some people think Chows are mean. Not so. She was very shy of me at first because I was a man and she didn't like men. But she was so beautiful that I came down to the shelter for 3 straight days to win her over. I succeded!

She loves small children, she is quiet and extremely loyal. Never makes a mess in the house. I really love the chows. so dignified and clean. She is not at all mean. A great dog in my opinion if you live in an apartment or townhouse.

She is 12 1/2 years old now and gets around very well. She still has a few good years left in her too! I would reccomend an older dog because they just get better with age.

I adopted a senior dog in January. Best decision I ever made. She is so calm and well behaved and loving. People stop me on the street to comment on her training. Please consider an older dog, you won't regret it.

OMG! What a great thing to do! I JUST adopted a special needs dog the beginning of July. And I am so glad I did! My new dog child, Neuro, got attacked by another dog and sustained some deep puncture wounds on his head, which led to some neurological problems. I think I was the only one that wanted to see him, because when I asked to see him at the shelter, like 5 people jumped up to help me. We clicked immediately and I feel like my life is complete now. He is such a joy to have around, despite having to adjust our household to accomodate his disability. He loves his new big brother, which is my other dog, Skeeter, and it is SO CUTE to see Neuro follow him around like his shadow, copying everything he does! Skeeter is a great role model, and is helping Neuro overcome his disability. Now that I know there's an Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day, I will definitely be campaigning locally!

Older dogs are a little slower, and therefore much more huggable when you need a TV companion, or maybe you are a little slower yourself! They make the best and are the most loveable companions!

Roberta, thanks for letting me know -- I'll see if I can get that fixed and let you know!

-Emily

Hi - Love the idea of less adoptables as most of my dogs are :( BUT I was unable to download the widgets w/o superscript showing on my PF page. Have not had this problem before and would love to use them :).

Thanks - Roberta and the Furry Crew