Brutus, photo courtesy of PAWS and More Animal Shelter
Harriet, photo courtesy of PAWS and More Animal Shelter
November is National Adopt a Senior Pet Month, and area animal shelters remind people older pets make great family members, too. When most people consider bringing a new animal into their home, their first instinct is usually to look at younger dogs and cats. However, Amber Talbot of PAWS and More Animal Shelter in Washington says senior pets generally require less work. She says, “Thinking about a senior pet means that they’re already trained, they might be calmer, they’re fully grown so you already know what size they’re going to be, and what type of grooming requirements they need.”
Talbot says the most unfortunate part of senior pets is a lot of them come to the shelter after living most of their life in a home due to people moving or no longer being able to care for them. Often it’s difficult for them to adjust to a homeless lifestyle, so the urgency to find them a home is much higher. Talbot says generally a pet is considered senior after the age of seven. She reminds people, “They still have so many good years left that they should get to enjoy a family. It’s hard to think about that they’ve had this great life, and now for them to have to end it in a shelter environment is just heartbreaking.” Senior animals are the most overlooked animals in shelters, but Talbot believes they can be the perfect addition to a family willing to give them a try. To see more pictures of senior animals currently available at PAWS and More, click on the link below. For more information about Adopt a Senior Pet Month, listen to the In Touch with Southeast Iowa interview with Talbot starting Thursday.