15 Incredible Senior Pet Adoption Stories

December 9, 2021

At Stella & Chewy's, we are committed to helping overlooked older pets find their forever homes through our Journey Home Fund. In honor of National Adopt a Senior Pet Month in November 2021, we sponsored the adoption fees of senior cats and dogs adopted from shelters across the US and Canada! We are happy to share that we were able to help 415 senior pets find their forever homes this November! Here are some of the pets who found their homes:

COCO & ZOEY
"After adopting an 11 year old senior chihuahua named Katrina and caring for her until her passing in August of this year (at an amazing 15 & 1/2!) my husband and I wanted to foster dogs as a way to help out other seniors in memory of her. We received Coco (12) & Zoey (10), a bonded pair from Texas just over three weeks ago. We knew bonded pairs were difficult to adopt out, and senior dogs are too, so we knew they may be with us for a while. after about 2 weeks we could tell they felt comfortable and looked forward to seeing us. Coco and Zoey are very, very sweet and snuggly dogs who live for pets and love to snuggle on the couch. They are amazing dogs and we are happy that we've decided to allow ourselves to foster fail and officially make them part of our family." - Hannah

CAMI
"We contacted Peyton’s Safe Haven looking for their input on rescuing another beagle after ours passed away. Taryn suggested Cami right away because she had no teeth and we are very well rounded in special diets department, having horses that choke and colic easily. Taryn knew we were the perfect fit for Cami and quickly had her transported from Texas to NJ. And she was right. The moment Cami came home it’s like she’s been here forever. Where she was abused and neglected before and living outside, she’s loving and adjusting well to indoor life and tons of love and snuggles. We love her so much! And we love helping senior dogs too. This is our second senior adoption and we’re never going back. They’re at the absolute best stage of their life and people can’t see that past their age but they really should." - Brianne

LOLA
"After losing my dog Bartlett to colon cancer, I was lost. It was several months until I was ready to look for my nest best buddy. I started following pet apps on social media and viewed oh-so-many dogs! I had decided that I wanted to adopt a senior dog because I had heard that there were so many seniors that do not get adopted, and I wanted to a make difference in a senior dog's life no matter how long that life may be. One day I came across Lola's photo and low and behold, it was LOVE at first sight. I had looked at so many possible dogs - and some much closer to home, but Lola was it. I knew I needed to meet her. So, I planned to make a 3.5 hour trip to meet her where she lived with a wonderful foster. I knew I needed to make sure we were the right fit for one another before I committed to her so I spent two days in Conway SC visiting with her. And that was it. Lola was my new best buddy and she came home with me on that second day, November 16th. And now we are so happy. We are going to have a wonderful life together." - Monica

VULPES
"I had adopted a senior boy a few years ago and he passed away a few months ago. I realized that I no longer wanted to adopt puppies and my heart really pulled toward older animals with health issues because the likelihood of them being adopted is so much lower. When I saw Vulpes on their site I fell in love, she looked a lot like my other beagle baby and I knew she would fit in with my other babies. She came right to me as soon as I walked in the door and it was love at first site. When I brought her home last night she immediately found the dog bed that my Nigel had slept on and cozied right on in it and fell asleep. I feel like she's found the perfect home for her." - Skylar

EVE
"Eve had a leg amputated prior to my adopting her. I am a combat veteran who has struggled since returning home from Afghanistan. I adopted her because she is a constant example to me of perseverance. She inspires me every day to keep going." - David

ARCHER
"Do you know any pet writers who have written about a hundred articles on dog breeds, behavior, and even dog adoption stories but DOESN'T have a dog? That was me until today! While living in Michigan, I was a dog and cat mom and even worked in a local pet shop. But I haven't had a pet since our beloved chocolate lab, Bear, died in 2013. Fast forward to a new life in Maryland with my partner, Matt. I was a dog walker and occasional sitter when we lived in Fells Point. "You smile every time you see a dog," he said one time. We eventually moved to Catonsville but traveled a lot and didn't feel it was a good time to adopt. We're not traveling near as much these days, and I work from home, so we started looking for a dog. We decided on an older dog who enjoyed the finer things in life, like taking leisurely strolls around the neighborhood, meeting new friends at the brewery and dog park, or spending a quiet night at home, snuggled up on the sofa. On a whim, I scrolled through PetFinder and saw "Marley's" profile. I'm not a spontaneous person at all. In fact, I wait 24 hours before making any decision, but my gut told me this was the dog for us! We arranged to do a meet and greet and were immediately smitten with "Mr. Sweet Face." His zoomies, while short-lived, are nothing short of hilarious. (He scootches his body against the couch and moves the ottoman for about 30 seconds). He loves food puzzles, his senior Kong, and oh my goodness, when he smells something yummy; his snorfles are off the chart adorable. But what we love most of all is his sweet and loving demeanor. He loves to love and be loved. You could say that Archer shot his love arrows through our hearts, and we are forever under his love spell!" - LisaMarie

MARGE
"We found Happy's Place a few months ago through petfinder.com. We haven't had a dog in 12 years due to the fact that we had twins right before our boxer passed. Following Happy's Place, we fell in love with the idea of adopting a senior pet and had our hearts set on finding our match. After about 4 or 5 applications, we were paired with Marge. We met and fell in love with her instantly. She was instantly a part of our family (including our cats and chickens.) The transition could not have been any smoother. We are so grateful to everyone caring and advocating for senior pets" - Amy

BELLA
"Bella and I were meant to be. I am a senior who lives alone. I had been thinking of perhaps finding a little dog as companionship and a walking Buddy! Bella’s face came up on Koda's Amigos Facebook page. I just knew, filled out the forms, had a virtual home visit and I picked up my sweet girl on Nov 5th! She had a rough go for about a year and a half, being surrendered to a humane society the having 3 different foster homes so she was timid and scared. I am happy to say that after 5 days of us getting to know each other she has made amazing progress and we are definitely life long buds! Thank you for promoting senior dogs in November. I actually had no idea that November is in fact Senior Pet Month! What a blessing to also find that you are reimbursing adoption fees! Being a senior myself I am on a pretty fixed income. This refund is a blessing for both Bella and me! Thank you so so much. Sincerely Fran Smith" - Fran

LACEY
"After months of searching for the perfect dog for me, I saw a photo of Lacey online and had a feeling! She has a complicated past but is the sweetest girl I've ever met - so grateful that I get to love her!" - Katie

DUSTINA
"Dustina originally hails from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She used to live with a family there but when the family moved homes, they left Dustina on the streets. Neighbours attempted to take care of her but Dustina, who already had skin problems, developed a severe case of mange when the Puerto Vallarta SPCA rescued her. After Dustina's skin improved tremendously and fur grew back after several months, she was deemed adoptable and sent to Canada to live in a foster home in October 2021. After going for a walk with Dustina and her foster mom, we put in our application to become her parents. We are extremely happy to have Dustina in our lives." - Raymond

RAGNAR
"We have been looking for an older dog to share our home with, we absolutely fell in love with Ragnar! His sweet face, look at the picture, how could we not :) " - Margaret

BOOTSIE
"Chris went to the vet to get food for our own pets. He overheard a woman speaking to a vet tech about having to surrender a cat or have her put down. Chris immediately called me and wanted to find a home for her. Soon after, we decided to take her in to foster her ourselves. Since then, she has become a member of our family. We needed her as much as she needed us." - Celeste

KELSEY
"Kelsey was found on the streets as a stray who was pregnant. The lady who found her brought her to a shelter where she gave birth. She was then relocated to a partner rescue for a few months before we adopted her! She had to battle through heart worm, lyme and anaplasmosis to get to where she is today! Today (November 14, 2021) is when the adoption became official! We're so glad to have found her and she's an absolute dream!" - Maggie

CEDRIC
"I have volunteered with Last Chance Cat Ranch for 2 years and always loved Cedric (and his sister Tag, who passed away a few months ago). I am finally in a position to give the toothless wonder a fur-ever home, but knew he would need a friend as he's lived with many other cats for his entire life. Little Kirkley came to us very feral, but turned around, and she and Cedric get along quite well. It has been 5 years since my 'heart cat' had to be put down, and I am ready to have floofy love in my life again!" - Krystyne

BEAU
"I am a first responder with anxiety and occupational stress. I've also recently ended a 5 year relationship. I've wanted a dog for a long time and I knew when I met Beau he was the one. He was at the shelter a long time & I was the first person to even look at him! He is shy and oh so sweet. He is so happy here and walk every day which is good for me too. So I wonder…. who is saving who?" - Donna

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Find more information about how to adopt a pet and the awesomeness of senior pet adoption!