posted February 15, 2017 11:33 AM            

The Senior Dogs Project was founded in 1997 partly because of our family's adoption of a ten-year-old Golden Retriever named "Misty" (in the photo at the right). We fell totally, hopelessly in love with her as soon as she came to live with us. Shortly after we adopted her, a neighbor approached us, knowing of our recent adoption of Misty, asking if we would help a friend of hers who lived down the street and wanted to "get rid of" her old Golden Retriever. Long story short, we couldn't take her but did try to find her a home. Ultimately, there was nowhere for her to go -- the shelters we contacted said they would have to "put her down" immediately; the rescue agencies said basically the same thing. Since those early days, much has changed. We've worked hard for that change -- through this website and through our support of agencies and shelters that promote the adoption of older dogs. Here's the long version of the story and an in-depth description of what we do:

We adopted Golden Retriever Misty when she was ten years old. The folks who gave her up never dwelled on her age as a disadvantage, and we didn't either. In fact, we were so delighted to get her, it never occurred to us to think of her as 'old.' She loved playing ball, riding in the car, going on hikes, and, perhaps, best of all, swimming -- even in the frigid waters of mountain lakes that still had ice floes in them. What may have endeared her to us most, though, was her unquenchable desire to spend all her time with us. She would never station herself more than a few feet from one of us in the house, and, at night, she slept at the foot of our bed.

Misty lived to 14 years and 4 months. It was wrenching to lose her, and we still miss her. Would we adopt an older dog again, even though the time together may be shorter than with a puppy? Our answer is an unconditional "yes," and we do, in fact, continue to adopt only seniors.

Living with Misty demonstrated to us that older dogs have a great deal to offer. Their maturity makes them excellent companions, and their ability to form a new bond with a new family is amazing and wonderful. Getting to know Misty was a constant source of delight and discovery. We may have had only four years with her, but they were years of superb and enduring quality.

Misty taught us that senior dogs deserve to be celebrated and valued, to be protected from discrimination because of their age, and to be given the best health care available. It is the mission of the Senior Dogs Project to disseminate this message.