November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month. Sometimes people pass up older dogs in shelters but an older dog can make a wonderful pet, needing less time and work than a puppy.
November is designated by the ASCPA as Adopt a Senior Pet Month. It seems many people who go to shelters are looking for puppies. Puppies are cute but I wonder if these families realize how much time and effort must be put into raising a puppy whose cuteness will last only a few months. Puppies chew, puppies cry at night, and puppies leave messes. They require considerable time for socialization, training, and cleaning up after. For working families with little time, an older dog would seem a better fit. They say older is wiser and that goes for dogs too. Older dogs are usually more calm, already housetrained, and sometimes obedience trained. They've already lived with and loved a family before and by some twist of fate, ended up lonely and homeless. These dogs are so grateful to be rescued and loved again. A dog 5 or 6 years old is considered older, but most breeds still have another 8 to 10 years to be a valued member of your family. I adopted my older dog at the age of 7 and she is now a spry 13. She has enriched my life immensely. If you really don't have the experience or the time to devote to a puppy, please consider opening your heart and home to an older dog.
