Senior Rescue Covers Vet Bills For Life So Old Dogs Can Experience Loving Homes

It’s no secret that older dogs have a difficult time getting adopted. Many people are concerned that they will not be able to handle the veterinary costs necessary to keep a senior pooch healthy.

While this is certainly a valid apprehension, Old Dog Haven – a Seattle rescue group – has found a way to alleviate this problem. They pay 100% of the veterinary bills for the life of each adopted dog.

As incredible as it sounds, the group run by Judith and Lee Piper has been rescuing senior dogs from shelters and re-homing them with this system for twelve years. In that time they have brightened the final days of more than 4,800 old and ill dogs.

 

Rather than calling their successful placements “adoptions”, the Pipers refer to them as “permanent foster homes.” This means that the burden of each pet’s veterinary expenses remains with Old Dog Haven instead of transferring to the new family. It not only takes a load off their wallets, it gives rescue families the boost of confidence they need to open their hearts and homes to a senior pup in need.

 

The Pipers live on 5 acres of bucolic farmland outside the bustle of Seattle in Arlington, Washington. The couple has a kennel license allowing them to keep up to fifteen dogs in their own home. The frailest dogs pulled from shelters across western Washington are cared for personally by them.

 

At any given time, Old Dog Haven has about 250 dogs over the age of 8 living in 140 foster homes across the state. Most live about a year, many live for four years, some up to six or seven years. Regardless of how long they remain in “final refuge” with the Pipers or one of their dedicated foster families, they know love and comfort that many have never experienced before.

 

In her book, My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts, author Laura T. Coffey of the TODAY Show documents the Pipers’ incredible work and the impact it has had across the rescue community in the US. Their efforts to prove the value of senior dogs have inspired other rescues such as The Grey Muzzle Organization and the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary.

Shelters across the country have also changed the way they handle senior pet adoptions as a result of the movement the Pipers set in motion. Instead of showing them as pitiful and desperate, they are celebrating the benefits of adopting a senior dog with special photo shoots, videos, senior pet adoption specials and outings for old dogs to meet the community.

Running Old Dog Haven is a 24 hour a day job with $80,000 a month in vet bills, but the Pipers cite the tremendous support of their donors and volunteers for keeping it all going.

Follow Old Dog Haven on Facebook for adoptable dogs and wonderful success stories. To become a donor or “final refuge” foster parent, visit their website.

H/T to TODAY.com

Featured Image via Facebook/Old Dog Haven