Seniors Helping Senior Pets On “Make A Difference Day”

Most of the time when someone decides to adopt a pet from a shelter, Humane Society, pet store, or pet adoption clinic, the first thing that comes to mind is which puppy or kitten will I go home with.  But what about the dogs and cats that have reached that senior status, having already gone through many years of life and are already trained or set in their ways?  These senior pets are most likely not chosen for adoption and remain in the hands of the shelter.

Thankfully, there are people out there who decided to make it their mission to help these senior pets get adopted and bring awareness to the public about just how great a companion a senior dog or cat can be.  Judi Leonard of Milpitas, California, a 56 year old senior herself, is one of those individuals.  A lifelong animal lover and owner of an adopted cat, Leonard was inspired last year when reading about Make a Difference Day and has taken it into her own hands to help senior dogs and cats.

She started by contacting her local Human Society and was put in contact with senior volunteer, Jan Stevenson.  Together the two women co-founded Seniors 4 Seniors and have planned a senior adoption event to take place this Saturday, Make a Difference Day.

“Our mission is to find ‘forever homes’ for the older pets by pairing them with the young at heart for companionship and unconditional love,” Stevenson says.  She hopes to “help the public realize how adoptable senior animals are and how enriching they can be to a senior person’s life.”  On Saturday, they hope to find homes for 20 senior pets by having a series of fundraisers, including a wine tasting, garage sale, and setting up a table in front of the local Safeway where Leonard collected donations, to cover the costs of adoption.

Thanks to people like Leonard and Stevenson, senior pets will find themselves in the hands of a loving companion instead of remaining at their local Humane Society.