The "adorkable" senior dog named Bunny
Choosing to adopt an older dog can be rewarding in many ways. For my friend Shelah Barr, owner of Happy Hounds Massage, the little old dog she met transformed into an adorkable bundle of curiosity and seeker of sunshine.
In Shelah's own words, this is what happened:
I first laid eyes on Bunny in 2009. I had gotten calls from a few volunteers about a dog who had just arrived at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue who seemed to be in pain. I can't believe what I saw when I got there - what a mess! She had been on the streets for a while, then someone had shaved her entire head, ears and body, but left the long curly foxtail encrusted fur on her legs and paws. She had a rash, was hopping off one back leg and goose-stepping with the front ones, trying to get someone to pay attention to her. What a clown. Anyway, I checked her out and had my suspicions about her knees so after a quick visit to the vet the next thing I know she's had surgery on both knees and I'm rehabbing her! And now I can't get rid of her.She's the oddest dog I've ever had. She has immense curiosity about people and things - she walked up to a guy jackhammering with genuine interest in the jackhammer and him! She's not afraid of anything, loves big dogs, thinks cats are the best thing ever, and has the strangest penchant for sitting and laying down in driveways. She's recently expanded her proclivities to crosswalks, wheelchair ramps, and a nice cozy space right next to the active streetcar tracks. She even plopped down in front of the neighbor's house where the driveway was going to be built. People like to theorize why she does that, but I think we'll never really know why. Just another mystery that is Bunny!
You never know who you'll fall in love with, but I think Shelah now definitely knows why senior dogs rule.