“How can you be so selfish?”
This thought crosses Wendie Prince’s mind each time someone tells her that they don’t want to adopt a senior dog.
“Some people are concerned about their own emotions not the dog,” says Wendie, the founder and president of Senior Houndsabound, a rescue for bassets and beagles ages 10 and up in Orlando, Fla.
“Many don’t want to adopt a senior because they are afraid of the heartache they will go through when the dog passes away,” she says. What they don’t realize is that the joy of having a senior dog in their home even if for just a couple of years outweighs the sadness of losing them.
Once you bring a senior home, “you won’t be able to remember what it was like not having him there,” says Wendie. “It will feel like that dog has been part of your family for that long.”
A determination to help
A few years ago, Wendie realized that individuals weren’t the only ones reluctant to give seniors a chance. The rescue group she was vol
unteering with at the time was hesitant to take in seniors, as well. “They were saying no’ to some seniors because their chances of getting adopted aren’t as high as younger dogs,” she says.
Determined to give senior dogs a chance at finding their forever homes, too, Wendie founded Senior Houndsabound in June 2007. She runs the rescue out of her Orlando home. To date, she has rescued 29 “bounders,” the nickname she lovingly gives to the hounds in rescue.
Wendie first fell in love with seniors in 2001 when she proudly adopted Sunny, a 12-year-old basset hound.
“I had her for two years before she passed away,” says Wendie. “That’s when I realized that I wasn’t crazy about younger dogs and that seniors were really a better fit for me.”
The mellow demeanor of seniors
Relaxed, peaceful, and gentle are some words Wendie uses to describe seniors. “They don’t demand as much attention as younger dogs,” she says. They are content sleeping, eating, lying in the sun, sleeping some more, and eating again, she says.
“Seniors are very mellow, which suits my lifestyle,” says Wendie.
In fact, this mellow demeanor meshes with a number of lifestyles.
“Some people tell me that they are looking for a puppy. But then they tell me about themselves and I think, Why wouldn’t you consider a senior?'” says Wendie. Puppies require a lot of training, patience, and time that a lot of people these days don’t have, she says.
Senior citizens also do well with senior dogs, she says. “They can chill out together and the person won’t have to worry as much about what might happen if their dog outlives them,” she says. Wendie can recall a number of stories in which someone passed away and left their senior dog behind. “Many times, the surviving family doesn’t want that dog and it ends up in rescue again,” she says.
Parents of children who have recently left for college or moved out should also consider adopting seniors, says Wendie. “Taking care of a senior dog is a great distraction,” she says. Empty nesters often miss having someone around to take care of, and the dog can fill that void. At the same time, they won’t have to put up with “baby behavior,” such as chewing on furniture, says Wendie. And, because older dogs aren’t as demanding of attention as puppies, empty nesters will still have time to enjoy their newfound freedom, she says.
Common misconceptions about seniors
In the past three years, six of the 29 dogs Wendie has rescued have been adopted.
She recognizes that the number is low, but isn’t surprised.
The preconceived notion that seniors cost too much only to die too soon is a tough one to overcome.
“Many think that a senior is going to come loaded with issues that they don’t want to deal with,” says Wendie. But all dogs have their issues. All dogs old or young, adopted or purchased have baggage, she says.
Chances are, a senior dog up for adoption had a family at one point and is already housetrained and accustomed to being around people. “They acclimate fairly quickly to their new home,” says Wendie.
Again, she stresses that people shouldn’t focus on their own unhappiness when the dog passes away. It is more important to focus on the happiness that they can bring to that dog’s life even if for just a couple of years.
“You’ll get so much joy from looking in their eyes and seeing that they feel happy and safe with you,” says Wendie. She remembers crying tears of joy when one basset, Delta Burke, asked for a belly rub for the first time.
Moments like those, she says, make everything worth it.
How others can help
Anyone interested in making a difference in the life of a senior hound can visit Senior Houndsabound and contact Wendie.
There are currently 10 hounds available for adoption.
For those unable to adopt, Wendie is in need of volunteers to help with designing and updating the rescue’s website. She also welcomes volunteers to assist with fundraising events, which are the main source of revenue for the rescue.
Each month, Wendie hosts a “Buff n’ Puff” event for the hounds. Anyone can come to Orlando to help bathe the dogs and trim their nails. “The hounds love the one-on-one attention,” she says. The volunteers get together for lunch afterwards.
Wendie also raises money for her rescue by compiling a basset hound calendar each year. In the fall, people can submit pictures of their bassets and encourage friends and family to vote for their dog. The top 12 dogs with the most votes make the calendar. Votes cost one dollar each, and all proceeds go to Senior Houndsabound. Last year, 10,700 votes came in, meaning $10,700 for the rescue. “It brought tears to my eyes,” says Wendie.
Wendie is also raffling off 12 gift baskets in February, including one with around $400 worth of tickets for Central Florida attractions and another with gift cards to different stores with locations nationwide. Contact Wendie to purchase a raffle ticket.
In April, Wendie is having a yard sale to raise money for Senior Houndsabound. “I’ve already started filling up a storage unit with stuff for the yard sale. It’s a great way for the community to get good deals while giving back to a good cause,” she says.
But anyone, anywhere, can help simply by staying loyal to their dogs as they turn old and gray. Wendie will never forget Hazel, a beagle relinquished by her family at 16 years of age. “When she first arrived to my rescue, she waited for them to come back. For days, she sat by the fence where her family left her. Then she stopped. She knew what was going on. It broke her spirit and it broke my heart,” says Wendie.
Though she describes the situation as “sad,” it is one more reason why she will continue on her mission to open her home and her heart to seniors in need.
Photos courtesy of Wendie Prince
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More loving Wendie later….Cat, Chaps and Emma
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