Less Adoptable Pet Week
“Give me a chance….”
It’s Woof Wednesday and today I’m writing about less adoptable pets. We want our fur-kids to be a match made in doggy heaven for them and for us, and the less adoptable pets may get short shrift. In the “bad old days” chances are the less-than-perfect matches never saw the light of day. That’s changed, though, with dedicated rescuers and caring owners who discover furry gems despite any so-called imperfections. I just wrote a new article about adopting disabled pets you can find here.
In fact, the awesome folks over at Petfinder.com have declared September 17-23 to be LESS ADOPTABLE PET WEEK to give them a much needed paw-up in visibility. You can find puppies (and kitties) of all ages, shapes, sizes with obvious or hidden challenges.
The thing is, folks, most of these pets haven’t a clue that they’re any different than other pets. And there are advantages to adopting these fellows. Older pets already have all the puppy (or kitten) hijinks behind them and are known quantities, already trained, and ready to warm your lap. Besides, “old” is a state of mind and pets don’t read calendars.
Only one leg? Pets don’t let that slow them down! Hard of hearing or deaf? hey, my Magical-Dawg practices “selective hearing” too and you make accommodations for such things. Learn more about living with a deaf pooch in this article.
Maybe the pet is blind. Hey, I interviewed the owner of an old–AND BLIND–Bloodhound for my " target="_blank">Aging Dog book, and “Green Machine” still worked for the police searching out and rescuing the lost. Pets don’t let perceptions (or lack thereof) slow them down. Learn more about how to live with a blind dog in this article.
If we’re lucky, we’ll eventually have pets that become “less adoptable” simply because of age. But no matter the imperfections there’s one universal truth–there’s no damage to their ability to give and receive love.
Have you ever adopted a “less adoptable” pet? Why were they labeled as such? What challenges did you face and — was it worth it? (I’m waiting for a resounding YES!)
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay tuned for more news about my forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!
Filed under: Dog Training & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, blind dogs, deaf dogs, dog adoption, dog care, dog training, less adoptable pets, petfinder.com, www.amyshojai.com
