A friend of mine recently attended a wedding where one of the readings was about how falling in love is like owning a dog. In addition to making me want to borrow a time machine so that I could go back and include this poem in my own wedding ceremony, it got me thinking about the ways in which senior dogs embody love.

 

The poem in question is "How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog" by Taylor Mali. With a tip of my metaphorical hat to Mr. Mali, I thought I'd add a few verses of my own specifically about senior dogs.

Send us your photos, we're celebrating Senior Dog Adoption Month on Grouchy Puppy all November! 

Senior Dogs like you are special! As well as their owners!

Annabelle is my new friend. My friend Becky fostered then adopted her last month.

She was in the animal shelter as a stray in Boone, NC. The FootHills Golden Retriever Rescue, Inc. pulled her out when she was fostered until Becky found her online. She is now in a happy home with a very happy family.

Senior Dogs do Rule!

Have a wonderful day!

Friends,

Ramona

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For the fifth year in a row, Virgin America will be flying a plane full of homeless Chihuahuas from San Francisco to New York as part of Operation Chihuahua. Boo, the world's cutest dog is going to make the most adorable flight attendant this flight. 

Muttville Senior Dog Rescue reached a milestone this week by rescuing its 2,000th senior dog. Varsha, a nine-year old cattle dog mix, was found wandering the streets of Oakland.  A good Samaritan coaxed her into a car and got her to Oakland Animal Services, where she was given shelter. Covered in scabs with a large portion of her hair missing -- and considered geriatric -- Varsha was not going to be an easy case, so three days later, OAS's rescue partner Martha Klein reached out to Muttville.  Varsha possessed the mild-mannered temperament required of Muttville dogs, and Muttville rescued her.

It's Veterans Day and this year is special around here, because it marks 60 years since my dad served in the Korean War. He says he was lucky to make it home. Many of the soldiers who were part of the same transport didn't return. He taught me about the importance of doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do. This principle guides me when it comes to my efforts toward making a difference in the world of dog lovers and senior dogs.

So, thank you Dad! Thank you for your loyal service to our country. Thank you for showing me what it means to give fearlessly all those years ago. And thank you for being so sweet with Cleo. The both of you in your dotage couldn't be cuter senior citizens.

 

Keeping my dog happy and healthy is a top priority for our family. As he grows in his golden years, his needs have changed and care has taken on new forms. How do we make choices and decisions for his care that are best for him as a senior dog?

When I went to nursing school, I learned about the ethical principles that form the backbone of our code of ethics. Applying these principles to Emerson's care has helped me to make choices that are based on love, respect, compassion, and kindness.

Principle #1: Beneficence
This one's easy! The principle of beneficence represents compassion, promoting goodness, and taking care of others. This is the main principle I use every day with Emerson. Each day he gets a comfy bed, healthy food, emotional and physical engagement, and all the love we have to give. He also gets medicine to keep his arthritis pain at bay, and he has regular visits to the vet to make sure he’s staying healthy.

It's been a great #Cleo8 Homecoming Day today! We had beautiful photo cards sent from all over the world. Did you see the video Life and Dog sent, with the Miley Cyrus music? All of the Muttville senior dogs we shared are the sweet pups. I shared Shirley and Ranger earlier this summer, but they are still with a foster family. Let's help them find a forever home before the holidays.

Since the party is now over, how do you say thank you to all the wonderful people and pets who shared well wishes today? We decided a word cloud filled with your words would be perfect. This cloud reflects all the feelings from the day, some of the people and pets who stopped by, plus how we feel about senior dogs and Cleo. 

 

... Ty and Buster and the rest of the GoPetFriendly.com Team wanted to let you know we're thinking of you today. Congratulations Cleo and Sharon!

- Amy, Rod and the boys

 

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Happy Homecoming Day! from Fresca, Muttville senior dog for adoption

http://www.muttville.org/mutt/fresca-1785

Happy 8th Anniversary of life with your humans, Cleo!  You and I, we don’t need perfect vision to see the joy an older dog brings to people! Thanks for Influencing Positively by showing folks that being blind is no big deal.  Woof, Fresca

Now this is how an artist sends their greetings! We're celebrating #Cleo8 all day!

Get to know the artist from our Influence Positively Interview

Learn about Okey's Promise, Art for a Cause

Happy Homecoming Day! from Sparky, Muttville senior dog for adoption

http://www.muttville.org/mutt/sparky-1660

Zzzzz, wake me up when it’s time for Cleo’s party. I can’t wait to tell her how much I admire her motto: Give Fearlessly, Sleep Anywhere.