OPPOSITE of what you think it would be... Scene: 'home' life as normal as it gets...you adopt an older dog, say, an 11 year-old...it sleeps a lot, maybe has some quirks you have to attend to...you get attached to it, and then you rue the day it has to 'cross over' pretty soon, and you are left with an emotional investment that has gone to waste... HAS IT??? I am here to tell you that when you adopt an older dog the opposite happens...you quickly take and remove a self-centered focus and replace it with the idea of an others-centered focus, 'giving' to a creature who has had a hard life through no fault of its own...you can NOT outgive the love an older adopted dog has to give you...their love is unconditional, and as much as we 2-leggeds talk about how we know all about unconditional love, many don't know squat about it. It's awesome to experience. Do it, and you'll be glad you did...very glad, indeed. 
The mighty Mercy-Girl
Good ol' Snowball, in a Gaston County snow......and a look-alike step-brother "Yoda", who wasn't really that old....Snowball had been abused by her owner, and at 14 was a psychotic mess...yet with Love and coddling she came to trust again accept the hand that fed her, even if for only a year or so... And Yoda-Boy, for whom Mercy is named...
Yoda running and smiling once home from the shelter......when I got Mercy from the shelter, she looked SO much like Yoda that I would look at her and say, "Mercy!" and, well, the name stuck...
Yoda (L) and Mercy (R)...Yoda was only about 7 or 8 when he developed some form of cancer that was a) incurable, and b) not worth spending $2,000 to find out which type of cancer it was...I graciously put him down in my arms a little over a year ago... I tell you all that because we would all do well to ensure we have an outlook on life that does just that...looks out. If you ever want to heal yourself or feel better, do something for someone else. And furry ones are a pretty cool choice.
Coconut, possibly the most Spiritual of all..."Life" is a huge circle, and each of us is but a very small little blip in the greater scope of the ages...and we would all do well to embrace the "Tao of Adopting Older Dogs" in order to be more in Harmony with the Circle of Life's energy flow...the Joy is in the giving to others, including animal companions...NOT in reaping egoistic glory for the "me"....the rewards are instant, and far-reaching. Here's a cyber-toast to all my 'companions' that enriched me beyond words...
8 comments:
This blog deserves a big "Right on!" My wife and I adopted an old stray that was wandering around my office at work. Sure, she is around 10 years old, but that makes no difference. I have never seen such an affectionate dog in my life. They make great companions. Nice blog Bob!
Will
Good for you! SO many need homes. Some will always favor puppies, some will favor spending stupid amounts of money on some 'designer' dog, but long live those that embrace the older abandoned dogs out there - you know one of life's richest secrets!
What a wonderful blog! I also adopted a dog from the shelter and she looks identical to your black dogs. I always wondered what kind of dog she was. Thank you for your story, it hit home.
While Yoda and Mercy are colored almost identically, their coats and builds were quite different. Yoda was thinner-boned and had a wavy, more oily coat. Mercy definitely has some Border Collie in her and has THE thickest, softest, silkiest coat all the time. Thanks for adopting your dog!
loved this particular blog,Bob....As you know,I have cats,but am thinking about getting a dog,and would prefer an older one.They do make the best pets,and reading your blog just now helped me come to this decision.Thanks!!!
Bob, thanks for the heartwarming story and the lovely pics of all your dogs!
One of my brothers and his family adopted a "middle-aged" female yellow lab a couple years ago. "Harley" had been through the "system" herself - abused we think initially, then adopted by a family, but then sadly that particular family had no time for her, but DID have the good sense to find her a home. Enter my brother and HIS family! "Harley" now has a loving home, and all 100+ lbs of her likes to sit as close to "ON" a person as she can. My brother's kids all use her as a "pillow", and she's just as happy as a clam with that - you hear her give a heavy sigh and her big thick tail just "whumps" the floor rather incessantly!
Thanks again for the inspiration to your readers!
Let the stories speak for themselves! Thank you all for your inspirational stories! Spread the word! The world can change one adoption at a time...!
bambilyn, a cat occupies our household as well. She, like our dog, was a stray. She was very young when we found her whining under my parents house. Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever owned a pet that wasn't a stray, or unwanted by someone else. They make such loyal pets.
Will
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