One of the most rewarding things you can do is to adopt a pet from a shelter. Thankfully, adoptions are more popular than ever and many people are rescuing their pets. However, of the dogs being adopted, many people choose puppies and younger dogs instead of older dogs or dogs with special needs.
Many shelters are combating this by lowering adoption fees for older dogs. You can’t fault someone for wanting to adopt a pet that they’ll get to spend more time with. Younger dogs tend to have fewer health problems upfront which is also a factor. Unfortunately, this leads to senior pets overcrowding shelters. One woman named Melani Andrews, bucked the trend of adopting younger dogs and instead asked for one shelter’s oldest resident.
Sacramento’s Front Street Animal Shelter rescues animals of all ages and hopes to find them a suitable home. The shelter tries to find homes for its rescues as quickly as possible.
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According to TODAY, A 12-year-old dog named Jake was taken off the streets and rescued by Front Street.
In addition to having bad teeth and skin, he also had untreatable terminal cancer. A Front Street staff member called Jake a very “good boy,” but he was overlooked because of his age and diagnosis.
This is when Melani Andrews entered the picture. She asked the shelter, “Who is the oldest and hardest dog to adopt?” Then, they introduced her to Jake.
Since Melani’s husband passed away, she needed a new companion. Jake seemed like a good fit and after spending a little time together at the shelter, Melani decided she’d become Jake’s guardian angel.
Ever since getting Jake home, the pair have been inseparable. Melani’s wish of finding a companion and a friend to, “Spend her life with”, has come true.
While Jake isn’t up to trips to the beach or hikes, he does enjoy playing in Melani’s backyard. According to Melani, he likes to “torment the dog next door through a hole in the fence.”
Since August, Melani and Jake have been bonding. Melani has found the experience rewarding even though Jake came with a tricky diagnosis.
Melani is determined to make sure Jake enjoys what time he has left and to make his final days the best of his life.