Thoughts on Re-homing an Older Dog

One by one, they pass by my cage,

Too old, too worn, too broken, they say.

Way past his time, he can't run and play.

They shake their heads and go on their way.

A little old man, arthritic and sore,

It seems that I am wanted no more.

I once had a home, I once had a bed,

A place that was warm, and where I was fed.

Now my muzzle is grey, and my eyes slowly fail.

Who wants a dog so old and so frail?

My family decided I didn't belong,

I got in their way, my attitude was wrong.

Now I sit in this kennel, where day after day,

The younger dogs are chosen and taken away.

When I had almost come to the end of my rope,

You saw my face, and again I knew hope.

You saw past the grey, and legs wobbly with age,

And felt I deserved a life beyond this cage.

You took me home, gave me food and a bed,

And gently stroked my poor tired head.

We snuggle and play, and you talk to me low,

You love me so dearly, and make sure I know.

I may have lived most of my life with another,

But you outshine them with a love so much stronger.

And I promise to return all the love I can give,

To you, my dear person, as long as I live.

I may be with you for a week, or for years,

We will share many smiles, you will no doubt shed tears.

And when the time comes, that God deems I must leave,

I know you will cry, and your heart, it will grieve.

And when I arrive at the Bridge, all brand new,

My thoughts and my heart will still be with you.

And I will brag to all that will hear,

Of the person who made my last days so dear.

One By One - Author Unknown

I have had Jack and George for several years, and had no intentions of getting a third greyhound when I read Jerry's story on the Croftview website. I have been a regular visitor to various kennels over the years and although I have certainly seen some lovely dogs I can't really explain why the story about Jerry made me so determined to meet him. I was worried about convincing my fiancée as although he is fond of the dogs he certainly isn't as obsessed with having greyhounds all over the living room as I am.

I showed him the picture of Jerry and he immediately said we could go and meet him at the weekend. I think he just looked very sad and bewildered in the photo, which was only to be expected when a dog of his age ends up back in kennels after five years of living in a home.

As soon as I met Jerry I knew we had to have him. He was basically in good health although he had chewed a lot of his fur off, as he was very itchy all over. He got on fine with my two and just had a slightly lost look in his eyes.

On the practical side, one of my main concerns was finding a company who would insure such an old dog, but I contacted the broker who had sorted out a good deal for my other two and he found a company who would take us on.

When I first met Jerry he was still entire and his teeth were appalling, so I asked the kennels to arrange to have him castrated, microchipped, and his teeth cleaned all in one go before he came home with us. Although I was worried about the possibility of complications due to his age, I felt it would give him the best chance of settling if these things were done before he arrived. The kennels were great and they sorted all of this out the week before he came home. They were also very accommodating about allowing me to collect Jerry on the 27th of December despite having a policy of not re-homing dogs over the Christmas period (for obvious reasons). They felt that since he was coming to an experienced, quiet, adults-only home, the sooner he could move in the better.

I visited Jerry three times before finally collecting him on the 27th, which was exactly one month after I first met him.

As I write this Jerry has only been with us for four days, and already I can't imagine life without him. He has been clean in the house from day one and I couldn't wish for an easier dog. The first walk we went on he was on the lead and muzzled as we had little idea about his past, and I wasn't sure how he would be with other dogs. Within 48 hours it became clear that he was fine with other dogs and all he wanted was a chance to wander around and follow my two. He is now off the lead and unmuzzled, and understands that if he comes back as soon as I call he will be rewarded with something tasty! He rarely wanders far anyway, and as a friend pointed out, why would he want to? My two have taken to having a third dog in the house without complaint, although as I always knew they were pretty laid back I was never really worried that this would be a problem.

Thus far life with Jerry has been a joy. He just seems so very grateful for everything, and I look forward to watching his personality develop in the coming weeks. Already he is starting to come out of himself, and does the occasional happy skip while out walking or will bark playfully at one of the other dogs.

I do understand that he will not be with us as long as if I had chosen a younger dog, but it is a very good feeling to give this chance to a lovely dog that might have otherwise spent his remaining years in kennels.

Special thanks must go to all of the staff at Croftview Greyhound Rehoming Kennels in Kent. They were very patient with my endless neurotic phone calls, and flexible with their re-homing policy to ensure that this lovely old dog was able to come to his final home as soon as possible. They made a real effort to share all the information they had about him (both good and bad) and took great care of him while he was there. Cathy in particular works very hard to keep the website up to date and accurate, and without this source of information I would never have come to know about Jerry.

Sadly I am writing this postscript only 5 months later, having lost Jerry to cancer. Despite the pain of losing him so quickly, I still strongly believe that older dogs are worth considering, and this experience has not put me off. Having Jerry made me realise there are many advantages to older dogs.

  • They are less active so will happily settle for a quick walk round the block if it is pouring with rain.
  • They tend to be quieter and calmer in the house than their younger counterparts, and are unlikely to start chewing on your sofa or shredding your antique rugs.
  • They are grateful for everything you do for them.
  • Depending on their background your dog may go through a personality change and show a renewed interest in life. The joy you get from watching a senior hound have his first run off lead, play with a toy, or chase a ball is indescribable. I know this is a phase that many rescue dogs go through, but there is something very special about seeing an older dog rediscover (or perhaps discover for the first time) the joy of life in a home.
  • It is a hugely rewarding experience to give a dog that was destined to end its days in kennels, the chance to end his days surrounded by love and fleecy blankets.

And finally, every dog is special, and no matter what dog you choose, and how long he is with you, your heart will be broken when he leaves. I would still not trade one single minute of the happiness and joy that having Jerry as part of our lives bought to us.

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Information contained herein is provided 'as is'. No warranty is given or implied. It is based on my personal experience, and that of others to which I can personally attest. However, dogs are individuals, and what works for one may not work for another.

© 2000-2012, Fiona Moore. Please feel free to copy and distribute for personal and non-profit use, but please acknowledge the authorship and source. If this information is to be published on a web site, please include a link to this site. Thank you.

The proper address of this site for acknowledgements and links is http://www.fionas-fastdogs.com/

The original location of this page was http://www.truffy.com/fastdogs/care/general/olderdog.php