November is National Adopt A Senior Pet Month — a month dedicated to helping older pets find loving forever homes.
Shelters and rescues across the country hope those looking to adopt a new furry friend will consider adding a senior pet to the family this month. If you care about sweet senior animals, then please help spread the word throughout November. We can help older pets find homes together.
Here’s what you should know about older pets during Adopt A Senior Pet Month.
Senior Pets Have Trouble Finding Homes
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Many people walk into a shelter or scour a rescue’s website hoping to adopt a new puppy or kitten, completely overlooking the perfectly adoptable older dogs and cats in kennels and cages in their search.
In many cases, the absolute most difficult group of homeless pets to place are older dogs and cats.
Senior pets tend to spend the longest amount of time at shelters or rescues before finding their forever homes. That’s if they find one at all.
Canines and felines of advanced age have higher euthanasia rates than their younger counterparts. They can often live the rest of their lives out in a shelter kennel.
Facts like these make National Adopt a Senior Pet Month so important.
The Benefits Of Adopting Senior Pets
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There are plenty of benefits to selecting an older pet over a younger one. Because senior pets are typically calmer and less energetic than puppies and kittens, it’s easier to teach them new tricks. In fact, many senior pets are already pros at performing basic commands.
Their low-key natures can also make them ideal for households with children, so long as kids know how to gently interact with older animals.
Many people find themselves unprepared for the energy and needs of a young pet. But a sweet senior moves at a much more manageable pace. They’re less demanding and usually fit in well in many kinds of households, including apartments.