Time to head down to the SPCA and bring home a senior pet

By Tim Goodwin - Nov 19, 2013 | 0 comments

Barley peeks around the corner of his cage.

Chloe enjoys some well deserved scratches.

Some cute kittens wake up from an afternoon nap.

Tiger stays true to his given name, letting out a huge roar.

James, a 13-year-old, gets his play on with a toy mouse.

Birch, 12-year-old hound/lab mix, does his best statue impersonation while getting a few pats from Shannon Camara.

What’s that, James? You need a new home with someone who will love you? One that will feature older housemates with preferably no dogs and maybe one other cat?

I’m sorry Birch, can you say that again? Oh, you also need a new home to call your own where you can have room to play and enjoy a few nice belly rubs?

James, a 13-year-old domestic short hair with gray tiger markings, and Birch, a 12-year-old English Setter, Blue Tick Coonhound and Golden Retriever mix, are two of the older animals housed at the Merrimack County/Concord SPCA.

And they have a lot to give someone looking for a new pet. (But for the record, they can’t really talk. We just have the rare ability to translate animal noises into words.)

As part of Adopt a Senior Pet Month, both James and Birch, as well as many other cats and dogs, are available to the right person at a discounted rate through the end of November.

Many of these animals have been abandoned, rejected or given up and want nothing more than to have a new place to call their own. While most people want to adopt kittens and puppies – especially since they are so cute and cuddly – older animals also make good pets, and you don’t have to deal with those growing pains of chewing, clawing and learning the proper places to use the bathroom.

“The older ones, they are usually overlooked,” said Shannon Camara, manager of communications at the SPCA. “People feel sometimes that the older ones won’t have as much time.”

In reality, an adult cat will curl up in your lap just like a kitten will, and older dogs provide companionship and a reason to exercise, much like a puppy. And don’t think you can just visit the SPCA and look. There is about a 99 percent chance you will want to take one home. But just remember – that’s a good thing.

“They just want to be loved,” said Camara. “And we’re just trying to find them homes.”

As part of the November promotion, adoption fees are discounted for senior pets, which are animals 7 years of age or older. Through the end of last week, 13 cats and two dogs had been adopted as part of the program, thanks in large part to the Veterans Day Weekend Adoption Event at PetSmart.

“In that weekend alone, 13 were adopted,” said Camara. “In total, we’ve adopted 21 (this month), but not all of those have been senior pets.”

Prior to the SPCA’s collaboration with PetSmart over the weekend, there were plenty of senior cats and dogs ready to get in your car and hit the open road to their new life. Most just want a couch to curl up on instead of a cage and for someone to pet them.

But the SPCA won’t place an animal just to open up a cage. The goal is to match the right animal with the right person. The goal is to foster a longstanding relationship. Since they medically evaluate each animal and get to know each one inpidually, the SPCA staff have a good idea of what will make a good home. It’s just a matter of the right person coming through the door. And that could be you.

“We try to make the best match possible,” said Camara. “Just like people, they have their own quirks.”

In addition to dogs and cats, the SPCA also has bunnies, hamsters and, of course, kittens. At any given time, the adoption shelter will house up to 80 animals, mostly cats, and are always in need of help. With a small staff, they rely heavily on volunteers. And with lots of hungry animals, donations are crucial.

“We have lots of children who will come in with things from our wish list,” said Camara.

And don’t forget that Dec. 7 from noon to 2 p.m., there will be an open house at the SPCA, and by late winter the organization will be moving into its new location on Silk Farm Road. To learn more about the SPCA, visit its website at concordspca.org.