Did you know that November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month? According to the ASPCA, in 2024 there were 5.8 million dogs and cats available for adoption in pet shelters across the US, with as many as 41% of them being senior pets. Unfortunately, senior pets are less likely to be adopted than younger pets, with the adoption rate for seniors being only 25% compared to 60% for younger animals. Wow! How incredibly sad for these poor souls. Obviously you would expect more time with a younger pet, but there are many advantages to adopting a senior pet including the fact that you know his/her personality more readily, have less housetraining (if any, most likely) to do, typically have fewer behavior concerns (think chewing), and are fully aware of the pet’s full-grown size. Another advantage is that many organizations offer reduced fees for their older pets, and there are many groups that assist senior people find senior pets, also at sometimes reduced prices. Some of these organizations include:
- The St. Louis Senior Dog Project: https://www.stlsdp.org/
- Pets for the Elderly: https://www.petsfortheelderly.org/
- Best Friends Senior Dogs for Seniors: https://bestfriends.org/partners/senior-dogs-4-seniors
Another reason for adopting an older pet is that it just feels amazing to rescue a pet that you know might not have otherwise had the opportunity to live its remaining years out with comfort and love.
If you can afford it, getting pet insurance as soon as you adopt is definitely worth looking into. Companies like ASPCA, Embrace, MetLife and PetsBest offer coverage for older pets. But because the policies won’t cover pre existing conditions, the sooner you enroll your pet the better. Use Pawlicy Advisor to compare plans.
In an effort to support pet adoption, at Best Friends we offer a complimentary exam to anyone who adopts a pet. We do ask that the exam is done within 2 weeks of adoption and that you bring your adoption paperwork with you to your appointment. If you’re interested in making an appointment for a pet that you recently adopted, please send us a text or give us a call! We’d love to meet your new older friend!
