When senior dogs Pooky, a female Malamute, and Duke, a male Weimeraner mix, were brought to the Seattle Animal Shelter after their owners’ divorce, the Shelter committed to keeping the pair together. The two had been together their entire lives and were bonded with one another; they even took cues from each other. The Shelter makes every effort to keep any bonded animal pair together, since separating them adds to the trauma of losing their home, but it can be difficult to find an adopter for two large-breed senior dogs. Weeks passed, and Pooky and Duke remained at the Shelter. To help ease their stress, shelter staff looked for a foster home that would give these two pals a comfortable place to live until a forever home was found. Enter Christian and Kristina.
Christian and Kristina wanted a dog, but at this time in their lives they didn’t know if they could make a lifetime commitment to one. Since they lived in a condo, they thought a low energy dog may be the best, and since they both work, they believed a senior dog (or two in this case) would require less time commitment than a puppy or young dog. Senior dogs can be overlooked in shelters, even though, according to Shelter foster care coordinator Laura Mundy, “Senior animals make wonderful pets. Their personalities are known, they know the drill of being a companion animal, and they often don’t require as much exercise as some of them younger counterparts.” Enter Pooky and Duke.
Christian and Kristina were told that the two dogs may take a little time to ease into their new home environment. However, within a couple of minutes of walking in the door and checking out their new digs, Duke leapt up on the couch, Pooky laid on the corner of the bed, and there they both slept for 12 hours. Kristina says that it was like they could finally sleep the shelter stress away in the calm environment of a home. The dogs soon revealed their personalities to their foster parents, and it became clear that each dog was like one of their foster parents. Pooky tended to be more like Christian; both enjoyed a walk, but had no desire to work out more vigorously. Duke loved to run, as Kristina did, and so she gained a jogging buddy.
The dogs became so comfortable in their foster home that Pooky, who Kristina calls “a diva” (she means this in the best possible way) would bicker with her. She recalls that Pooky “always had to have the last word” when speaking with Kristina; she says,“her personality was larger than life.” Duke, on the other hand, was laid back. As Christian and Kristina had expected with senior dogs, the pair were completely trustworthy in the house, even when alone during the workday. They were just two wonderful senior dogs who deserved a great forever home.
In January, the pair caught the eye of potential adopters in West Seattle, and Pooky and Duke were soon on their way to their new home, where they were greeted with memory foam beds and top-of-the-line grub. Kristina is confident that Pooky’s forever home lives up to her diva standards. Christian and Kristina admit that fostering is bittersweet, but they know that Pooky and Duke will live the rest of their lives happy and loved.
The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation helps animals like Pooky and Duke through grants that help pay for veterinary care and supplies. Please consider donating to SASF to help more animals at SAS.