“I grew up with a lot of pets,” Steve told The Dodo.  “Both my parents were animal lovers and they pretty much always let me have whatever I wanted as long as I could take care of it.”

So he’s always had a handful of dogs, but the death of one in particular really struck him hard.

“I was just so distraught about [that death],” he said. “A month or two went by and I still felt so horrible about it. I decided that the only way I would feel better was if something good happened that probably wouldn’t have happened if he had not died.”

He decided to go to the shelter and adopt the dog that was the least likely to ever have anyone give it a home before it died.

“So [I adopted] a 12-year-old Chihuahua [named Eeyore] with a heart murmur and four bad knees and I brought him home and that was just the beginning of all the animals.”

Every day Steve gets up at 5 am to prepare breakfast for each animal. They all have unique diets and some take medication, so they require individual care. He goes to work, but returns at lunch to give them treats. On the weekends, they are busy with grooming and vet appointments.

Despite it being like a canine convalescent home, life is never boring in this house. In addition to the dogs, over the years he has had cats, ducks, pigeons, chickens, a rabbit, a pig, and a pond full of koi. The pig, Bikini, is best friends with Irish wolfhound, Enoch. And his chicken, Oprah, loves to ride the Roomba around the house.

“[The] rabbit, someone just left him in my front yard is how I came to get him. I assume someone knew I had lots of animals and thought ‘Yeah, he’ll give him a good home.’ So, I found him in my front yard one morning and I put him in the chicken coop because I wasn’t sure what to do with him.”

It was all just meant to be. Bikini was raised around dogs, and Stuart (the bunny) is fearless and gets along with everyone. Of course, it probably helps that all the dogs are old and spend most of their time snoozing.

“They’re just wiser animals,” he explained. “You kind of know what you want out of life once you become a certain age. These dogs know who they are and it’s easy to develop a relationship with a person or pet who knows who they are.”

Steve says he’d never be able to live this way with this many puppies. The seniors are all low-energy, and make like very chill and rewarding.

“Like right now, I’m outside on my patio and it’s a beautiful day. Bikini’s laying in the yard and the dogs are all laying around the yard. They just makes it feel like home. It’s just fulfilling knowing that these guys are happy and loved and well-taken care of. It makes my days worthwhile.”

This is just the tip of the iceberg! To see more insanely adorable photos of this awesome brood, follow Steve on Instagram.

The post Man Is Addicted to Adopting Senior Animals No One Else Wants appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Until now.

On a recent episode of Pit Bulls and Parolees (a show about the Villalobos Rescue Center, a hybrid rehabilitation shelter that rescues Pit Bulls and provides a work program for parolees), Mouse was brought into the home of an elderly couple, and they are absolutely beside themselves with joy to begin sharing their lives with this friendly rescue pup.

And for Mouse, the long-awaited union is well deserved. Over ten years ago, the Pittie mix was found amidst the tragic aftermath of Katrina. She was holed up in an attic, though it wasn’t that of her owners; rescuers figured that she must have floated in through a window, when the flood waters were at their highest. Once the floods receded, she stayed in the space for shelter–for three weeks. It is a mystery as to how she survived that long without food or clean water.

But somehow, Mouse had an unshakable will to live. And good things come to those who wait–years later, she has finally found a home!

As you can tell from the video, there’s no doubt that Mouse has been paired with the perfect humans to love and care for her forever. The best part about this story is plain to see: as ecstatic as Mouse is to be rescued by this loving family, her new parents are just as thrilled to be rescued by her.

The post Elderly Couple Adopts Senior Dog Who Survived Hurricane Katrina appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

No one knows how long the old dog had been surviving on her own in the woods next to a busy road in Long Beach, California. But in October, when the animal rescue group Hope for Paws went to bring her in, it was obvious the dog hadn’t had a positive interaction with humans in quite a while.

Woken from a sound sleep, the black and tan dog’s bewilderment turned to fear as she bit one of the rescuers and tried to flee. As shown in the Hope for Paws video of the interaction, the rescuers let the dog—later named Dorothy—run away until she wore herself out and collapsed.

After trying to reassure Dorothy with petting and soothing words, the organization’s founder, Eldad Hagar, carefully picked her up and brought her to a waiting car.  Watch:

Frosted Faces

Hope for Paws provided the 11-year-old canine with medical care and worked helping the aging dog trust people again. Then the Frosted Faces Foundation stepped in; based in San Diego, Frosted Faces rescues senior dogs abandoned in the shelter system in Southern California. The non-profit foundation places rescued seniors with “forever fosters,” families who agree to care for the dog for the rest of its life. With the help of its veterinary partners, Frosted Faces covers the dog’s medical care and stays in touch with the foster family.

On November 9, Frosted Faces posted a progress report from Dorothy’s new family on its Facebook page that she is adjusting smoothly to her new family and new life. “Things are going well. Dorothy is spending more time off leash and she sticks close to us and if she does wander away she checks in with us after a few minutes. We took a nice long walk last evening and another one this morning. She is very good on the leash.”

Benefits of Age

November was Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month, and while Dorothy’s story had a happy outcome, there are still countless shelters across the country are full of older dogs and cats that go unadopted for a variety of reasons. But here’s why, according to a study from Petfinder, you should consider otherwise.

– Senior pets are generally calmer and require less training, if any. Puppies and kittens may be adorable and entertaining, but their energy can turn destructive if they get bored or aren’t well-trained.

– Mature pets are a good fit for families with children. Senior pets have been around the block and tend to be more patient, low-key and sociable than younger, more excitable, animals.

– Older pets don’t require constant attention. Senior dogs and cats don’t need the supervision and exercise that younger pets need. While older pets make great companions, they simply don’t require as much time and energy.

Senior dogs also seem to understand their good fortune in finding a loving family, notes Hagar of Hope for Paws, which rescues dogs of all ages and works with several rescue groups that specialize in senior pets. Older dogs “are so appreciative of having a nice warm bed, good food, and most importantly—love and touch—something many of these dogs never had,” Hagar tells Pet360.

The post An Amazing Rescue Transforms An Abandoned Senior Dog’s Future appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Mallory Danger Paige (yup, her middle name really is Danger!), is a storyteller and adventurer – and a completely nomadic writer who travels with her 10-year-old Labrador Retriever, Baylor.

She writes at coffee shop “offices” all across the North American continent, where she records her experiences on the road in both words and images.

Along with her own blog, The Operation Moto Dog, where you can follow her adventures, she has been published in many magazines and even has a print and eBook, Operation Moto Dog: The Alaska Chronicles. 

Her Start

Paige and Baylor started their journey on June 15, 2015, when she left Bend, Oregon, her hometown, with a quest to see every US state, ever Canadian province, and Mexico.

Her first destination? Alaska – a 6,000 mile journey from Bend. They camp in wild places whenever they can – BLM or National Forest land. She stops every day for a couple hours to work on her computer.

The Journey

Along the way, she has encountered strangers that have turned to friends, every type of wildlife imaginable, broken bikes, and Good Sanitarians in the most unlikely places.

Like Mike Carpenter and John Thomas who happened by when her bike (named Rufio) had lost its oil drain plug and stopped, 30 miles from nowhere in Alaska.

The two men had a spare KLR drain plug. And a washer. And a full bottle of oil.

They asked for nothing, but gladly got her bike going again and then continued on their way.

While many people would be afraid to follow their dreams and just “go for it,” Paige is not only doing what she dreamed about, but wants to encourage others to follow their own dreams.

“You needn’t be fearless or perfect to create a life you love,” she says.

Want more of her amazing stories from the road? Follow her and Baylor’s journey on their blog, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

The post Senior Dog Travels North America In A Sidecar And Loves Every Single Minute appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

But you should know that senior dogs are just as amazing as those energetic pups! And they’re just as cute too! They are very loving and very sweet! They are also the best in giving hugs and kisses!

And to further convince you to adopt a senior dog, check out the video below and see the reasons why you should adopt a senior dog!

So if you’re looking for a sweet and loving dog, a kind and patient companion–then go ahead and adopt a senior dog! They will be the bestest best friends you will ever have!

The post Reasons Why You Absolutely Need To Adopt A Senior Dog appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Hope for Paws received a call about a senior dog living on a freeway off-ramp. They were told that the dog had a badly injured leg. When they got there, the dog was sleeping; so they took this opportunity to capture him. Rudolph was so scared, that even with his injured leg, he tried to fight off and get away. And as he was trying to break free, he bit his own tongue. You can see in the video that Rudolph was struggling to get away, but after a few minutes, you will see what a sweet dog he really is. Watch the video below!

Rudolph has been through a lot. And after living a hard life in the streets, he deserves a chance to be taken cared of in a home where he is loved.

The post An Injured Homeless Senior Dog Gets A Chance At Happiness appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

The senior dog wanted Ream to know their 89-year-old neighbor was on the garage’s floor and needed help.

“I got up to get a glass of water, I stood up, and I was a little dizzy,” the senior citizen told KSBY News. “Before I knew it, I was on the floor and fell. I called [Lifeline] for two hours. I must have pushed that button more than 20 times,” but no one came to help. The woman hoped someone walking outside would hear her, but the only one who came to her rescue was Levi.

When Ream realized his dog wasn’t in his usual spot he started calling the dog’s name, and when he noticed the Levi pacing in and out of the garage, the man followed him.

“I went in with [Levi] and heard my neighbor in a very weak voice saying, ‘Help me, help me,’” Ream said.

Fortunately, the elderly woman did not suffer major injuries from the fall, she was just very sore after spending hours lying on the floor.

“You’re a good boy, Levi, thank you for saving my life,” the woman told the dog.

The post Senior Dog Saves 89-Year-Old Woman appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Temperatures had plunged well below zero when Madera wandered away from her Ester, Alaska home early in February.  Given her age and blindness, chances of finding her alive were considerably low.  But partly in thanks to another dog, Madera was found and is now safe at home.

On February 6th, Ed Davis’ wife let Madera out to relieve herself.  When it’s bitterly cold, she doesn’t dawdle, but for some reason, on this negative 40-degree night, Madera ambled away.  An autoimmune disease caused her to become blind, so no one would imagine she’d go far.

Davis was working at his job on a pump station for the trans-Alaska oil pipeline when she went missing, and had very little hope of finding her when he returned home on the 19th.

“My best hope was to walk those trails and look for a track that might be hers,” he told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. “My best hope was to find a frozen dog.”

Davis doesn’t believe she’d have ever been found alive had it not been for Constantine Khrulev, who had been out riding trails on his fat bike, which is designed for rugged terrain like snow. He was accompanied by his own dog, who was wearing a bell.

Madera heard the bell, and whined as the dog trotted past her.  Khrulev in turn heard her, and ventured into the woods.  He discovered the 11-year-old Labrador seeking shelter beneath a tree.  She was 100 yards off the trail, half a mile from home.

“She was not going to be found accidentally,” Davis said.

Khrulev carried Madera to one of the Davises’ neighbor’s homes.  Though she had lost about 14 pounds, she was in surprisingly good health.  She will now be recovering under the watchful eye of her family in the warmth of her home.

The post Blind Senior Dog Survives Two Weeks in Alaskan Cold appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

This old white Lab feels it’s his responsibility to look out for his younger and smaller siblings. So when they’re all going for a walk with his humans, he thinks it’s his job to walk his little Dachshund brother. This old Lab looks so sweet when he’s holding the Dachshund’s lead in his mouth. They all look so adorable taking a walk together! You gotta see this!

Awww…dogs are just the sweetest, aren’t they? Have you ever had a dog who helps you watch over your other dogs? Or maybe a dog who helps you around the house? Leave a comment and share your story with us!

The post This Senior Dogs Takes His Little Buddy For A Walk Every Day appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

When Linda Quinn, from Coxheath, Nova Scotia, Canada, went out to walk her dogs on November 30, 2014, the last thing she thought was that she would be saving a senior dog from drowning in a river. Not only did she save the pet, she also helped reunite the dog with the worried owners.

Quinn took her two dogs for a walk near the Sydney River in Coxheath. She heard dog cries and followed the sound, and found a dog trapped by rocks and concrete at the foot of a train trestle. What worried the woman was the river’s rising tide, and if she didn’t act quickly the dog would drown.

The woman rushed back home to drop off her own dogs and came back with Carmen Dunn, a friend. Both woman worked quickly to move the rocks away from the dog and tried to get the pet to safe ground, but when they realized they wouldn’t be able to reach safe ground with the dog, the women called authorities.

The Coxheath Volunteer Fire Department was nearby and soon after the call was made, they arrived at the scene to rescue the dog. The Cape Breton SPCA also arrived and it was thanks to their officer Nancy Lynk, that the rescued dog was reunited with the rightful owner.

Officer Lynk recognized the distinctive pink collar the dog was wearing from a Lost Dog reports Karin Shute-Sellhorn made about her missing 14-year-old dog named Duchess.

After the dog was pulled out of the water, authorities contacted Shute-Sellhorn and an emotional reunion took place.

Duchess had been missing for a week. Her owner said the dog had been taking medication for an ear infection, which made her disoriented prior to getting lost. Shute-Sellhorn took her pet home and scheduled a vet appointment to make sure her best-friend was in perfect health.

The pet owner was thankful that caring individuals like Quinn and Dunn went out of their way to help a dog in need, her dog.

The post Senior Lost Pet Gets Rescued from River and Reunited with Owner appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.