4 Motivating reasons to encourage pet parents to adopt a senior pet

National Adoption Week is underway, a time when thousands of animal welfare organizations collaborate with PetSmart Charities to bring a host of adoptable shelter pets into nearly every PetSmart store across North America. Because many families tend to have their heart set on puppies and kittens, senior pets can often be overlooked. With November being National Adopt A Senior Pet Month, it’s a great time to have a conversation with potential pet owners about why they might consider adopting an older pet that needs a loving home.

According to PetSmart, senior animals often spend the longest time at shelters and are frequently considered unadoptable. Some people can be hesitant to take home an older pet, believing that the pet has been surrendered due to behavioral issues.

"More than half of American households have pets, which is good news," said Aimee Gilbreath, President of PetSmart Charities. "But there are still more than five million pets that enter shelters each year in need of loving homes."

Here are 4 great reasons why a senior pet might be the perfect fit for your clients:

1. Emotional and psychosocial benefits: Older pets can provide a sense of comfort and help improve loneliness in times of isolation, especially for senior citizens. Older pets may also help ease social anxiety in new or uncertain situations.
2. Saving lives: Older pets are often passed over for puppies and kittens, leaving the senior pets to remain in a shelter.
3. Older pets are not necessarily problem animals: There are many reasons why a senior pet may be relinquished, and it often has nothing to do with their behavior or temperament. Rather, pets are frequently given up because their families are unable to keep them due to lifestyle changes such as a move, a new infant, or change in marital status.
4. Older pets usually come trained and understand at least basic cues: Senior pets can spare new owners some of the headache of initial training. For example, older dogs are often potty-trained and may have mastered the basic cues such as "sit," "stay," "come," and "down."

“Puppies and kittens are cute—but require a lot of care and attention. Senior pets have so much love to give, and their calm, gentle demeanors make them ideal matches for many households," Gilbreath added. "National Adoption Week is the perfect time to…meet some older pets. Your carpets and furniture will thank you, too."