His eyes tell a story. A sad story of abuse, neglect, and desolation. An innocent soul who never asked for too much – food, water, and love. An animal’s ability to endure their entire lives with none of these is a testament to their spirit and will to live. How they have endured cruelty and neglect, yet still have love to give, and hope to feel, is unfathomable.
Each passing day, that hope may diminish slightly, but he perseveres. Each time someone walks by his kennel, he desperately yearns that they will pick him. He doesn’t know that his face is crooked from being hit by a car. Or that his tongue falls out of the side of his mouth because he has no teeth. Or that the combination of his skeletal appearance, stitches under his eye, and bandaged leg gives the impression that his days are numbered. And maybe they are. But all he hopes for is that one day, he too can feel what it is like to want for nothing. To not be hungry, thirsty, shivering, or discarded on the road like garbage. He has never felt these things before – but he deserves better.
Unfortunately, animals cannot advocate for themselves. So, who is there to advocate for them besides us? When you adopt a senior pet, you are single handedly changing a life for the better. You are giving a living breathing being the life they always deserved, and something to live for. The resilience and forgiving of dogs are unmatched. This senior dog we adopted, who lived a life of abuse and neglect, only has love to give. His tail wags nonstop. He yearns for constant pets and affection. And while his body remembers the pain, and his brain carries past trauma, there is now life in his step.
Dogs do not comprehend the future. They understand the past, and they understand the present. How many tomorrows he has left may be something that you will ponder, but it hasn’t crossed his mind once. What he cares about now is that he has food, a cozy bed, and most importantly, love. His eyes are sad no more. They look at you with love. With gratefulness. Sometimes they are tired from going on a long walk around the farm, with a body that has endured more bad than good. But these eyes are no longer sad, and they will never be again.
So many people pass over the seniors because they do not know what the future holds, or how many tomorrows they have left. But adopting a senior is a selfless act that fulfills the faraway dream when the only thing left is a little bit of hope.
Their lives are in our hands.
by Sarah Berkowitz, FOTAS Board Member
