It was a snowy December day when foster volunteer (and now SDRO adoption coordinator) Theresa Stephens and her husband drove to Central Oregon to pick up their first SDRO foster dog, Sadie.

My dog Allie's play date with Gretel, her St. Bernard buddy, was an upbeat tussle of dogs and balls until I noticed the tears in Gretel's owner's eyes. "Karina!" I said, "What's wrong?" My eyes swung to Gretel, but she seemed just fine. What on earth could be so wrong?

I was distraught after I lost Coltrane, my 14-year-old black lab mix, and Quinn, my 15-year-old black lab mix, nine months earlier.

Holly was our first foster and after just a few days, like many other SDRO fosters, we joined the ranks of "failed foster" because we kept her. We couldn't have asked for a sweeter, more well-mannered and congenial soul. She was such a part of the family.

Rocky is the reason my husband and I have adopted so many senior dogs. He was just the greatest dog!

People often ask me, "Why adopt a senior dog?" My answer is simple - "Why not?" These wonderful dogs have given their lives to make people happy and now their people (for whatever reason) can’t be there for them any longer.