For loads of love and laughter, consider an older pet
What does it really mean to adopt a senior pet?
As part of the Pinellas County Animal Services’ 7+ for $7 adoption promotion, dogs and cats ages 7 and older are available for a $7 adoption fee through the end of September. We have over a dozen older pets, just waiting for a loving forever home.
The real value of adopting a senior has very little to do with their adoption fee.
It’s in the years you spend together. The adventures you share. The quirks you come to know by heart. The place they make for themselves in your family.
With older pets, their personalities are more established. They usually require less training. They’re often calmer. You can skip the midnight zoomies, the chewing everything in sight, and the need for constant supervision.
We could tell you about all the reasons senior pets make wonderful companions, but we thought there was a better way to answer that question: Ask the people who have lived it.
Their answers were full of love, laughter, unforgettable moments and one common theme: Not one of them would change their decision to adopt a senior.
Here’s what a few had to say:
Remmy
“I would choose her all over again.”
In 2017, Mandy came into Animal Services to make a donation. She left with so much more: her new best friend, Remmy.
Together, they traveled the entire East Coast, went on adventures, and even moved to another state. Remmy, estimated to be around 7 or 8 years old, was there for holidays, life events and all the little everyday moments in between.
“We grew up together,” Mandy says.
Mandy and Remmy shared nine amazing years together. And if she could do it all over again, Mandy says there’s no question she would choose Remmy.
Mandy’s only regret? She wishes she had found her sooner.
Ziggy
When Kristen met Ziggy this past March, he was a scared senior with a few patches of missing fur.
Today, he’s a different dog.
Kristen says 13-year-old Ziggy is happy, spunky and acts “like he owns the joint.” His fur has grown back, and he’s proven himself to be a total lovebug who gets along well with his cat and dog siblings.
Most importantly, Ziggy has made himself right at home.
Kristen says she and her family are so happy to have given him a place to enjoy his senior years, and even happier that he’s become such an important part of their family.
Meg
Patty adopted 8-year-old Meg from one of our rescue partners in 2014 and spent nine love-filled years with her.
Meg was “independent, but affectionate,” according to Patty. She insisted on taking the driver’s seat in the car, preferred chasing wildlife to playing fetch and enjoyed the occasional bite of filet mignon.
Meg also had a way of leaving an impression on the dogs around her.
Meg even taught Patty’s younger pup, Charlie, the ins and outs of being a dog — lessons Patty says Charlie later passed on to the next puppy.
One thing Patty is certain of: Meg had a good life.
More life lived. More love to give.
For these adopters, age wasn’t a reason to pass a dog by. It was simply one part of the story.
What came next was a friendship, a companion through life’s biggest moments and a bond they wouldn’t trade for anything.
Senior pets have more life lived and so much more love to give.
The next time you visit the shelter, don’t walk past the gray muzzle. You might just meet your best friend. View all our adoptable pets at Pinellas.gov/adopt-a-pet.