Don’t Give Up on Your Old Dog

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It happens quietly. One day, your dog can no longer walk beside you on long walks. He struggles to hold his bladder through the night. His breath is unpleasant, his steps slower, his body no longer the strong and eager frame you once knew.

This is the stage too many people overlook, the stage where love matters most. And yet, it is too often when dogs are abandoned.

Please, don’t give up on your old dog.

Prepare for this time early. Set aside funds for dental work, medical tests, and treatments that may ease their aging bodies. Think ahead about living arrangements—stairs, slippery floors, crowded apartments, or other dogs in the home—and how your companion will manage them. These considerations matter, because one day, your old dog will depend on you more than ever.

Do not leave him in a shelter with the thought that “someone else will care.” Most times, they won’t. He will sit alone, confused, and heartbroken, wondering why you left and when you might return. The stress of abandonment will weigh heavily on his older body and mind. He will not recover as easily as he did when he was young.

But if you choose to stay—if you choose to care—your old dog will remind you of why this stage is so worth it. For years, he gave you everything he had. He tried to be the companion you always wanted. Now is your chance to give back.

And if you long for joy, consider adopting a senior dog. Yes, puppies are irresistible, but an older dog offers something different: a kind of medicine for the soul. Their gratitude, their relief at being seen and loved again, is unlike anything else.

In our care, every old dog knows love. But we also know they would rather spend their final years with the people they once called family. We do not give up on them, and we ask you—please—don’t give up on them either.