National Adopt a Senior Pet Month Promotion Aims to Encourage Adopters to Consider Older Animals
SAN LUIS OBISPO — In honor of National Adopt a Senior Pet Month in November, Woods Humane Society is waiving adoption fees for all senior pets (age 7+) this month. The adoption promotion aims to help the shelter’s “more mature” pets find comfortable, loving homes for the holidays, and for their golden years.
“Senior pets can get overlooked due to their age, but these animals have so much character and offer so many wonderful benefits to adopters,” says Woods CEO Neil Trent.
Woods’ senior pet promotion is the most recent of a series of adoption promotions that the nonprofit adoption center has offered to encourage adoptions, remove financial barriers to getting a pet, and help make room to transfer in more animals from nearby over-crowded shelters that are experiencing high numbers of stray and surrendered animals.
Woods says it currently has six senior dogs and cats available for adoption (overall seniors make up about 8% of Woods’ pet population) and the length of stay for these senior pets is typically longer than that of younger animals. That trend has intensified during recent years as the pet industry has experienced a “puppy boom” and an increase in demand to adopt puppies. In 2021, the average length of stay for these older animals was 20.3 days, which was an entire 7 days longer than that for younger adult animals (13.1 days) and 12 days longer than the length of stay for puppies (8.3 days). In 2022, the average length of stay for senior pets has gone up to 29 days.
“This increased length, nearly an entire month in the shelter, puts added stress on these animals and restricts our ability to help more pets in need of transfer,” says Trent.
To inspire the public to consider adopting an older animal, Woods offers these 4 Great Reasons to Adopt a Senior Pet:
- Senior pets are often already house-trained, know basic commands, and are familiar with living with people, which can make for a smoother transition into a home after adoption. Puppies and younger animals, conversely, often require more training and orientation.
- While puppies and kittens need a high amount of exercise, seniors are less demanding. A couple of short walks (for dogs) is usually sufficient.
- Similarly, senior pets can have lower needs and expectations for play time, mental stimulation, and one-on-one attention than their younger counterparts. This can equate to lower expenses for things like toys, bones, and treats, as well as less time spent swinging a wand toy or playing tug-of-war. A comfortable bed and your reassuring presence are all the entertainment they need.
- When it comes to seniors, their eyes say it all: They have so much gratitude to show their new families. They’ll thank adopters with soulful, loving gazes and the loyal companionship that is the priceless gift of senior pets.
To view all of the currently available senior pets at Woods, visit WoodsHumane.org/adopt or visit in person during daily public hours from 12 to 5 p.m. (adoption hours are from 12 to 4 p.m.). For more information about Woods, visit WoodsHumane.org or call (805) 543-9316. Woods Humane Society is located at 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo. and at 2300 Ramona Rd., Atascadero.
