Senior dogs are Soulmates

by Julie Parker,
SDRO Board Member, Adoptive Dog Parent, and Dog Foster Mom

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. Still, I planned to wait a while before adopting another dog out of respect for Coltrane. I found that I was absolutely miserable within a week. Dogs are just such a part of my life that it seems I am mentally unhealthy without them.  

Flashback: I remember walking into my previous vet in Cottage Grove, and a man holding a scruffy old dog was just walking out. The receptionist looked at me and said, “I just love that old man. He adopts old dogs, spends what it takes to get them healthy, and loves and cares for them for the rest of their lives, and then he does it all again.” I thought at the time, “Wow, that’s something I’d like to do.”

After Coltrane passed, my chance arrived. I wanted an old dog. I love old dogs. I had never heard of SDRO, but someone told me about the small organization out of Corvallis. I started watching the website and put in an application for Indiana, a 12-year-old Husky Mix.   However, I was second in line, and she got adopted. I had a conversation with Jenny, the SDRO adoption coordinator. We went through the “resumes” of several dogs, and she thought Lacey, a 13-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback Mix would be a good match. Lacey arrived at my home on December 30, 2020, transported by her intermediate mom, Ann, who was caring for Lacey after Lacey’s dad died. She cared so deeply about Lacey that she was sobbing as she left.

I could write so much about Lacey, but nobody asked me to write a book. She was a wonderful companion, soulmate, and friend. She was one of the best dogs I’ve ever had, and let me tell you, there’s some stiff competition in that category. She was happy, stubborn, and demanding.   When we went on a walk, if I wanted to go right and she left, she would merely sit down or sometimes lie down. I loved this about her. She enriched the lives of so many she knew. I had the pleasure of enjoying her company for 3 years and 2 months until she passed, surrounded by loving human friends, in February 2024. 

I have decided to be a foster mom for a while because I want to help old dogs, and this seems like a great way to do that. My first foster dog was just adopted, and when the adoption is final, I’ll be ready to take another one. It’s such a wonderful journey.

SDRO has a special need for volunteers interested in fostering larger dogs. To learn more about fostering for SDRO, visit our Foster page.