Charlie, Ora and Siren were featured in our August Anim@ls newsletter. They were all senior dogs who as a group had been waiting more than 250 days to find their forever homes. The good news? All three have been adopted and are spending their senior years with the most amazing pawrents!
Charlie explores the great outdoors with his new Dad!
Charlie spent more than 100 days in the BC SPCA’s care before he was adopted, but his forever home was worth the wait! This eight-year-old Jack Russell who loves adventure was adopted in August and has spent most of his days since then on the water fishing and paddle boarding with his guardian Michael.
Michael wasn’t looking for a senior dog when he was searching the BC SPCA’s adoption page. “I was looking for a small dog who loved adventure,” he says. “When I came across Charlie’s profile, I knew I had to go get him. His age wasn’t a factor for me.”
He adds, “I love to be on the water fishing and boating so I needed a dog who liked adventure and Charlie is up for all of it. He loves to go out on the boat, and doesn’t hesitate to jump on the paddle board and head out on the water with me.”
Michael says Charlie was raring to go from the minute he left the animal centre. “He didn’t hesitate to hop into my car. We hadn’t even left the parking lot, and he was looking out the windshield with an ‘okay, let’s get going’ expression on his face.”
Besides being the best adventure buddy, Charlie is also perfectly happy curled up on Michael’s lap. “He has two speeds,” says Michael, “100 miles an hour or fast asleep.”
This very curious and social dog is also becoming a big hit at Michael’s office. “I take him into work with me,” says Michael. “I have a little bed set up for him. He can’t get enough of the people who work with me. He wants to meet everyone. He is up for as many belly rubs and scratches as he can get.”
Michael says Charlie has changed his life. “I am more physically active, and I have become a better cook so I can give Charlie the best meals. He is eating a lot of the salmon we catch on the boat.” If anyone is hesitant about adopting a senior dog, Michael says they shouldn’t be. “I really can’t say enough about Charlie. I won the dog lottery.”
Ora finds her human
It had been Rach’s dream to rescue a senior dog for several years. “I feel like senior dogs are often overlooked and forgotten in favour of younger dogs,” she says. When she saw Ora on the BC SPCA’s website she knew she had to meet her. “I don’t think my family or anyone at the animal centre was surprised I wanted to take Ora home with me, but we all wanted to make sure Ora was as happy as I was about the decision,” says Rach.
She was. “I first met her outside and she immediately came over to me, her tail wagging. Ora seemed very happy to be with me.”
A few meetings later, Ora was officially Rach’s. “She was very excited to get going and jumped right into my car,” she says. “We had a few stops on the way home so she could go for a walk and have a bathroom break and each time she was jumped right back into the car with me.”
When they got home, Ora immediately started exploring, smelling everything. “Once we settled for bedtime, I let her decide where she wanted to sleep and she decided on the bed with me was the best spot,” says Rach. “She’s been sleeping there ever since.”
Ora has also been exploring her new neighbourhood. “She loves her walks. I always make sure she gets a chance to smell all the smells,” says Rach. “She loves a post walk nap. Every time she has a nap she kicks out her back legs, so if you are sitting near her, you need to be mindful you are not in kicking range.”
Rach adds, “Miss Ora loves to let you know verbally when she wants something,” she says. “If you aren’t giving her your full undivided attention, sometimes she will also give you a gentle smack with her paws just to remind you she needs some more love.”
“I am getting so many steps in since I adopted Ora,” says Rach. “I just love coming home to her and seeing her happy face. She is the perfect companion.”
Siren – a “meet-cute” story
Sarah lost her 16-year-old cat, Yuki, in July and was coming into the animal centre with her boyfriend Trevor to donate a scratching post, when Siren, who was in the reception area, immediately jumped up and licked Trevor.
“There was an immediate connection,” says Sarah. “The BC SPCA staff asked if we wanted to take her for a walk, so Trevor and I headed out with her. She was so gentle and kind. I hadn’t expected to meet a dog that day, so we dropped her back off at the animal centre, but we never stopped thinking about her.”
So, after a few days, Sarah and Trevor headed back to the centre to adopt Siren. “When we got her home, she had so much energy, I called the centre and asked if they were sure she was a senior. But after her initial excitement about her new home and surroundings, she settled in quickly.”
One of the things Siren has been enjoying is the close to an acre fenced backyard she calls home where she can run and explore to her heart’s content. “She is a bit of a Houdini, so we always keep an eye on her. If there is the tiniest hole in the fence, she will find it.”
Sarah adds Siren loves to play with her toy pelican and gets the zoomies often. “She gets so excited when she sees us returning home. She stands in the window and when you come in the front door, she just covers you with licks.”
Siren has also turned out to be an amazing travel companion. “We have already taken her for trips to Sooke and Vancouver and she was so good,” says Sarah. “She loves to be in the car with us, visiting new places.”
Although Sarah wasn’t thinking about adopting a dog the day she walked into the animal centre, she thinks it was all meant to be. “Siren has been such a joy and has brought so much beautiful energy to my home,” says Sarah. “I can’t imagine life without her now.”
Golden years, happy tales
These three stories show dogs are never too old for a fresh start: Charlie’s paddle-board adventures, Ora’s enthusiastic neighborhood strolls, and Siren’s backyard sprints prove senior dogs still have plenty of sparkle, stamina and love. Their new families were surprised (and delighted) by how quickly these pups settled in and how much life and joy they bring every day, even pushing their owners to keep up!
If you’re thinking about adoption, consider a senior. Learn about our wonderful senior animals currently looking for their forever homes and you may end up winning the dog lottery, too