It's a dog's life.........

CA-35

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Before Beth and Michael Clark came along, Rocky was just a feeble, elderly dog who may have otherwise never found a home to live out the rest of his days. Luckily, the couple laid eyes on him one day when dropping off donations at the Anne Arundel County Animal Shelter in Maryland.
"He was really frail," Beth Clark told ABC News. "Really skinny. He just looked incredibly sad. I looked at my husband and was like, 'We're getting him now.'"
The adoption process was seamless, and on that same day in 2015 when Clark first saw Rocky, she took him home. She said she didn't even ask about Rocky's previous owners or past life -- it didn't matter to her.

"I just didn't want this 17-year-old dog to die in a cage," she said.

The couple knew Rocky might not last long after taking him home. He was old, but they were happy to offer him a family for his final days. But he ended up living longer than anyone expected -- and long enough to meet Hazel, the Clarks' new daughter, who was born last month.
When baby Hazel was brought home, Rocky greeted her with curiosity and excitement. Almost as if he had been sticking around long enough to welcome her home, Rocky passed away that same night, Clark said.
"I think I was a little bit over excited just to have her come home and have them meet, because Rocky was my first baby," Clark said. "We didn't really notice at all the change in him until a little bit after. That was a little bit hard. We had a really hard night." Clark and her husband stayed with Rocky during his final hours, while Clark's mother watched Hazel. The couple was "broken," Clark said, but grateful that Rocky and Hazel got to meet.
Chris Weinstein, a volunteer at the shelter and a board member for Friends of Anne Arundel County Animal Control, helped the Clarks through Rocky's adoption. She said the shelter has a great track record at finding older animals homes, even though it's often a harder journey, and she hopes other people follow the Clarks' example.
"You know when you see [an older] dog, this is what you're going to get," she said. "It's not like a puppy ... when you don't know how big it's going to be, or what its personality is going to be like."
She said the Clarks are the reason Rocky had a happy end to his life.
"When Rocky left [the shelter], he was so frail looking we didn't think he'd last for much time at all," Weinstein said. "He looked better a year later than he did when they took him. Love and affection and some good food really helped Rocky. He had a wonderful last part of his life thanks to this couple."
Clark said she hopes other people consider giving older dogs loving homes instead of just focusing on puppies.
"We really want people to realize that you don't have to get a puppy for a dog to be your soulmate or a family member," Clark said. "A dog will love you no matter what -- no matter what the age."
 

Cabarone

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Awww, man, this is the kinda story renews your faith in people...we should all be so caring to all elderly creatures ("Hello In There")...God bless 'em...
 

dreadnut

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Good on you! My daughter and son-in-law are running a Boston Terrier rescue shelter from their house, they currently have six of them, all old and with various infirmities. They get lots of TLC though!
 

5thumbs

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Hah! You all knew I would be jumping into this thread, right?

The Rocky story brings a tear to my eye. Good job, Beth and Mike!

Adopting a senior is a gamble - a wonderful companion for perhaps a limited time. But if you don't gamble you can't win, right.?

I have probably posted more dog comments than guitar on this forum, but that's my priority. I appreciate the wonderful sounds of my Guilds but they cannot compete with a snuggly nose or a wagging tail. You dog and cat and … people know what I mean.

The story of Jasper (my avatar) can be found with a search. He has become a part of the 'Thumbs family and every day I rejoice that we found each other. Feeling his feet on my chest in the morning demanding breakfast never fails to put a smile on my face, and his happy-dance when we return from travels is something to behold.

So, yeah, a senior can be a great thing. Already housebroken, probably knowing some commands, past the furniture-chewing stage and just very happy for some love and companionship.

So if you are looking for a four-footed friend, definitely consider the older ones.

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twocorgis

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There is nothing in the world better than an old dog IMHO. They don't even know how to be bad. For many years, I've been sending contributions to Old Dog Haven to help support the wonderful work that they do. If they weren't out in Joe land, I'd probably be on their list of fosters.
 

Mark WW

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Our current dogs a Chessie and a Weim are both adopted. My wife and I are 65 and have decided any more dogs that we bring home (adopt) will be seniors. It breaks our heart to see these old pups abandoned in their final years.
 

Mark WW

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Come to think of it we...Americans tend to dump our parents at nursing homes as well. I spent 35 years selling to Nsg Homes and it was really sad.
 

Rich Cohen

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There is nothing in the world better than an old dog IMHO. They don't even know how to be bad. For many years, I've been sending contributions to Old Dog Haven to help support the wonderful work that they do. If they weren't out in Joe land, I'd probably be on their list of fosters.
I basically agree with your "old dog theory." However, I can attest to the fact that the older of our two dogs, the one that is now 10 has become of recent somewhat testy in certain situations.
 

CA-35

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I can attest to the fact that the older of our two dogs, the one that is now 10 has become of recent somewhat testy in certain situations.

Rich I had a Basset Hound that lived until he was 17, and in his later years he became more stubborn and less patient then he ever was before. I find myself becoming that way as I age as well.
 
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