The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® has designated November as Adopt a Senior Pet Month. The Brownsburg Animal Clinic team joins the ASPCA® in encouraging you to consider welcoming an older dog or cat into your household.
Kittens and puppies are cute! But adopting an older pet has advantages.
- Adult dogs and cats need less monitoring and training than puppies and kittens do.
- Many senior pets up for adoption are already house-trained.
- Senior pets tend to be less destructive than younger ones.
- Senior pets are already mature and fully-grown, so you know what to expect in terms of size and temperament from the beginning.
- Opening your home and heart to a senior pet is a nice thing to do.
Senior pets are the least likely to be adopted from shelters. Your decision to adopt a senior dog or cat offers obvious benefits to the pet, allowing them to enjoy their remaining years in the comfort of a loving home.
To help you make a better-informed decision about adopting an older pet—and to help any of our clients provide better care for aging pets—we’re linking to a video from the American Veterinary Medical Association titled, “Elderly Pets and Your Veterinarian.” In less than six minutes, the video provides a good overview of health concerns of older pets.
Finding Your Senior Pet
To find the right senior pet for you, we encourage you to visit Misty Eyes Animal Center and the Hendricks County Animal Shelter.
If you’re interested in adopting a dog of a specific breed, visit the American Kennel Club’s Rescue Network. Visit the Specialty Purebred Cat Rescue website to find surrendered and abandoned purebred cats available for adoption.