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Dummy Helps Comfort Senior Rescue Dogs At This One-Of-A-Kind Sanctuary

Written by: Dina Fantegrossi
Dina Fantegrossi is the Assistant Editor and Head Writer for HomeLife Media. Before her career in writing, Dina was a veterinary technician for more than 15 years.Read more
| Published on July 24, 2021

If you are a senior dog lover and are yet to follow Vintage Pet Rescue on social media, you need to get on that ASAP! Not only do they specialize in rescuing and rehoming elderly and disabled dogs, they also share some of the most heartwarming and hilarious content you will ever see.

Take, for example, Farc. The name Farc is a blend of Marc—one of the founders of Vintage Pet Rescue—and the word “fake.” Why? Because Farc is a life-sized Halloween dummy dressed in Marc’s clothing.

Photo via Instagram/FarcTheVPRDummy

Farc was born out of necessity in the winter of 2019 to help soothe a special Pug named Shorty. Shorty adored his dad, Marc Peralta, so it was increasingly difficult to adjust to life without him when Marc would travel. The poor pooch would bark and cry nonstop during Marc’s absence. His mom, Kristen Peralta, could do nothing to console him.

Photo via Facebook/Vintage Pet Rescue

Until that is, Kristen’s mom came up with a brilliant solution. She purchased a simple dummy from Spirit Halloween, and she and Kristen set about transforming the mannequin into Marc 2.0, aka Farc.

Photo via Facebook/Vintage Pet Rescue

They added tattoo sleeves to match Marc’s inked arms. They dressed him in one of Marc’s worn shirts and added a brightly-colored Best Friends Animal Society hat. With a cozy blanket across his lap, Farc became the next-best thing to Marc himself.

Photo via Facebook/Vintage Pet Rescue

Shorty adored his inanimate pal, and so do many of the other VPR residents. Farc looks and smells just like Marc and he is ready to cuddle 24/7. Some might say Farc is even better than the real thing! (Just kidding, Marc.)

Photo via Facebook/Vintage Pet Rescue

Come Christmas, Farc serves as Santa—or Fanta, if you will.

Photo via Facebook/Vintage Pet Rescue

And when husband and wife must travel together, he morphs into Fristen (Farc + Kristen).

Photo via Facebook/Vintage Pet Rescue

Two-and-a-half very eventful years have passed since Farc first came along. He has seen several special seniors come and go, survived a pandemic, and even established his own Instagram page.

Photo via Instagram/FarcTheVPRDummy

Sadly, Shorty has since passed on, but thanks to his legacy, generations of vintage pups will always have a cozy lap to snuggle on.

Photo via Facebook/Vintage Pet Rescue

Learn more about VPR and the Peraltas’ mission to rescue at-risk seniors in the video below. And don’t forget to follow Vintage Pet Rescue and Farc for all the old dog cuteness you can handle! 

Featured Image via Facebook/Vintage Pet Rescue

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