Rufio is an eight-year-old Cocker Spaniel with a few problems.
Photo via indefinitelywild.gizmodo.com
Here’s a great essay from the Indefinitely Wild site about the realities of adopting an older dog. Wes Siler and his his partner, Lara, recently adopted an eight-year-old Cocker Spaniel named Rufio from the No-Kill LA shelter. From the very first ride home from the shelter, Rufio proved to be less than easy, and the other dog in the household, Wiley, wasn’t too pleased having to share. But rough spots get patched over, and new challenges come up regularly. It’s a great read about the realities–wonderful and not-s-great–about rescuing a dog. I think you’ll agree with Siler’s ultimate lessons from the experience:
So is adopting an older dog worth it? Well, you’re asking me that after I just spent all night sitting awake, cradling a cocker spaniel with allergy-induced scratch attacks in my arms and trying to rock him to sleep while I didn’t get any. But I’m still going to give you an unqualified “yes.”