SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

I have a black lab that’s entering his ninth year. He’s the last dog I’m going to raise as a pup and for life. The commitment is too much especially as my kids will probably all be gone from home in the next 3-5 years. What I will probably do once this one is gone is foster older dogs. Dogs that might have 1-2 years left of a good life. I envision that if I do that then part of what I need to do is ensure the senior dogs know they have a home, know they are loved on, know they can give back love and have a deep sense of security and place. A home. Once they have that then it’s only a question of time – based 100% on how they are doing – before they will have me beside them when they are euthanized. I want the last thing they feel to be family, and the last thing they see love and caring.

Oh bless you. Sometimes I think the absolute worst most heart-breaking thing I see working with my local humane society is senior dogs being surrendered. Sometimes an owner dies and no one else can take the dog in and I get that, but so often it's "we're moving" or they're just plain dumped. The poor dogs don't understand what's happening, they're confused, often sick, depressed. I'm not ever going to get over the old Chihuahua that was dumped and made it to the shelter on his last legs. I held him while he gasped for breath and he died in the few minutes it took for me to go grab a crate for him to take him to the emergency vet. He should have passed in his home with his loved ones, not in an animal shelter after wandering the roads for who knows how long. I have the same plan you do. I'm not getting another puppy or young dog. I know exactly what kind of dog I'm going to rescue when that becomes realistic again (I have 6 dogs now).

Over the last few days, almost 100 beautiful doggies took their first-ever plane ride, going to the state of Washington in hopes of finding forever homes there. They were taken from one of our over-crowded animal shelters and were set to be euthanize3d. They all seemed happy and excited to get on the plane! It warmed my heart to see them escape death.

Dee, so sad about the Chi baby.

I look at senior Golden Retrievers all the time and would SO love to adopt one. I'm really thinking about it. Most of their owners have died or had to go into nursing homes.

Older dogs are my plan, too. We rescued my current dog as a puppy because the family outvoted me, but it was on condition that from now on, H & I will only adopt seniors. I'd like to do more traveling as we get older, so I figure we'll adopt an older dog and enjoy the love, then take a break after we lose them to enjoy the freedom, and then take a break from travel and enjoy the love again.

We adopted a rabbit that most people thought was "too old" (7), and we had several good years with her. She was the sweetest bunny that ever lived.