Older Dogs Need Love, Too: Consider Adopting a Senior Dog!
In American society, we oftentimes relate “old” to “useless”, but this should certainly not be the case when it comes to living beings such as cats and dogs. Shelters across the country are filled with dogs aged 7+ years, an age at which a dog is considered past his or her prime. Of the nearly 700,000 shelter dogs euthanized each year, many are older dogs that simply did not get adopted. Too many potential dog owners have their eyes on puppies, but senior dogs can give possibly years of joy to any family and should not be passed up if you’re a prospective adopter wandering your neighborhood animal shelter. While many believe that older dogs may require more medical care and more attention, actually the opposite could be true. In fact, adopting a puppy means an unsure medical future; with a senior dog, you already know if there are any issues and can understand the medical needs of the pet before making a commitment. So, why else is it a good idea to adopt a senior dog? Let’s take a look! 
Giving an Old Dog a New Home
Imagine bringing a new dog home that DOESN’T do its business in the house, or chew up everything in sight! With aged dogs comes wisdom; senior dogs are beyond the puppy years that typically sees new shoes destroyed and carpets ruined. Senior dogs can come housetrained and, in some cases, even crate-trained. Past owners have done all the hard work, leaving you more time to simply enjoy the dog’s company minus the messes and shredded slippers. Senior dogs are who they are. Their personality and behaviors have been well-established, so there should be fewer surprises as there might be with a puppy. And with much less energy and the reduced enthusiasm of their younger counterparts, they won’t need anywhere near the amount of exercise a younger pup would demand, so there’s that too. And if you’re worried about huge vet bills because of a dog’s advanced age, consider that you won’t have the expense of spaying or neutering, an older dog will likely be current of any vaccinations, and they’re past the age where they could contract any puppy-related diseases. Sure, they’ll need basic care, but a dog of any age has health care needs. This should NOT deter you from adopting a senior dog! 
In With the Old
While we’ve covered some of the major benefits of making a senior dog a part of your life, what are some other positive things about adopting an older canine?- Less food: due to less exercise, a senior dog simply requires less food daily than a puppy
- More love: senior dogs might be more ready to offer total devotion; a puppy needs more time to become a devoted pet
- Lots of gratefulness: many say that an adopted senior dog just knows that he’s been saved; their gratitude will make them an inseparable companion for the rest of his days
Basically, when you adopt a senior dog, you’ve given a wonderful animal a second chance at a happy life. Your newly adopted senior dog may not have as much life left as a puppy, but the love you’ll get back will last a lifetime just the same. As Abraham Lincoln said, “And in the end it's not the years in your life that count; it's the life in your years.”
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Written by Harrison Howe