Shelter begs owner not to abandon 16-year-old dog. He has a new home now
A gentle senior dog is in the loving arms of a new family after he was surrendered to an Indiana shelter.
The day Beckett was left at the Humane Society for Hamilton County in Fishers, staff members were shedding tears of sadness for him. Not because he was nearing the end of his days, but because of the cold nature of how he was abandoned by the only family he’s known for 16 years.
“Today, a woman came in and surrendered her 16-year-old dog that she has had his entire life. She very callously told my front desk staff that he was having accidents and she didn’t want to deal with it anymore,” Rebecca Stevens, the president of the shelter, said in a July 25 post.
“Flabbergasted, a manager came out to make sure we were clear about what was happening because this dog, although 16 years old, is still walking and eating and drinking and thinking that life still belongs to him. He wasn’t on death’s door. Knowing how incredibly difficult it would be for this sweet dog to be here at this point in his life, both visually and hearing impaired, our team begged her to reconsider.”
The shelter even suggested something that they’ve never offered an owner with a healthy pet: euthanasia.
“We would rather see him go today, with her, even though she did not care, than to see him sit in a kennel, distressed, and confused in the last days or weeks or months of his life,” Stevens continued.
“She refused. Without emotion, she just didn’t want (to) deal with it and decided to leave this up to us.”
Stacy Clark, the adoption programs manager for the shelter, told McClachy News that there are many senior animals in their care and it often takes longer to adopt them out. This led the shelter to create the “Frosted Faces Program,” a program that offers “additional support and resources to adopters” of senior pets.
“Saying goodbye is never easy, but it’s part of the promise we make when we bring them into our lives,” Clark said.
Beckett now has a warm home to spend out the rest of his golden years.
“The 16-year-old dog who was surrendered after a lifetime with the only family he had ever known. They said it was his time, but Beckett showed us he wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye,” the shelter said in a July 28 Facebook post. “And today… Beckett went home.”
The shelter posted a video of the adorable dog greeting his new family.
“Thank you to his new family for giving Beckett the peaceful, joyful final chapter that every senior soul deserves. Old dogs are not broken. They are precious. And Beckett is proof that it’s never too late for a new beginning,” the shelter said.
Fishers is about a 20-mile drive northeast from downtown Indianapolis.