angryinkeddrunk:

Main Reasons: 

-You know their temperament already. Their issues, fears, likes, dislikes, etc. (if they even have any downsides)

-They most likely don’t need to be trained.

-They are/can be just as fun loving and fun as a baby animal.

-They are less likely to be adopted because people don’t give them a chance.

-The longer they stay in a shelter, the more deteriorated their mental state can become and, as I said above, they are less likely to be adopted. 

Let me tell you the story of my dog Brutis:

 My husband and I went looking for a dog at our local shelters to get our first dog. We met many happy, fun dogs but nothing was really sticking (plus we had a breed/weight restriction at the time on our apartment). 

 I looked into a cage/kennel that was full of little dogs. Way in the back I saw a little black and white dog. He didn’t come up to the cage to greet me but we were making eye contact. He was 5 years old and he wasn’t excitable like the other dogs. He wasn’t happy but he wasn’t angry (as many little dogs can be with strangers). He looked….sad. Something came over me and I said “I want to see that one.” The lady responds “Okay, great! He might be a little shy…” so we go into one of the little fenced off grass areas and wait. The door opens and she exclaims “I WAS WRONG!!” When she lets him off the leash, he takes off running full speed around the grass. I mean full speed. He was insanely fast. He does a lap and comes to a full stop in front of us, rolling over so we can scratch him. His tail going a million miles a second. Tongue out. Big smile. We played fetch with him and he was beyond happy to be out of that cage. He was the one. 

I wish I could find the photo from when we first brought him home but it escapes me right now. He sat in my lap the whole way home, head on the window, smiling. We took him home and he was wonderful. 

I found out later why he was so sad. He was owned previously by an elderly man who had taken him in for surgery on his little elbow. While he was in surgery, his owner died. So poor Brutis, with no one to take him in, went from a surgery table to a shelter cage. He was confused and depressed. Poor guy. I would have been sad too. :(

Let me tell you about him:

He loves to sleep and he is extremely mellow. 

He is also extremely social for a small dog. Very VERY confident. He loves everyone, especially new guests/going over to someone’s house.

He is always happy. I call him “happy boy” and “wiggle butt” because his tail is always wagging. (Plus he will wear a tie)

He is kind and gentle, a major cat lover.

(watched a tiny kitten for a few days and he kept it warm)

While selective with his dog friends, having that typical and fearless “little dog syndrome” (he’s a major alpha dog), he always gets comfortable eventually and has made many friends who he loves to visit. Lifelong friends.

(with his favorite lifelong dog friend/sister-in-law, Annie)

He is a soft and sensitive boy. He just wants to make you happy and is very sad when he doesn’t. It only takes a look to make him feeling guilty. He just wants to be a good boy.

While he is a very happy boy, he is also a very serious boy. He likes his naps and is a grumpy old man when they are being disturbed.

Overall he is a sleepy, sweet, happy, grumpy “old man” and he’s perfect.

Please consider giving an older/shy seeming animal a chance. They need your love and they can be wonderful pets. You can turn their lives around! xo