ACHS waives fees for older dogs at 'Senior Prom'

Even though senior dogs have shed their sweet baby dog eyes and tell-tale puppy breath, Alachua County Humane Society animal care manager Carl Daniels said they are equally loveable and just want to give unconditional affection.

One such case was Ruby.

The Australian shepherd was up for adoption at the second June North Florida Pet Adoption Day, Daniels said.

An elderly man in a wheelchair entered the event looking for a dog that would match his low-key lifestyle, he said.

Daniels would never have paired him with the hyperactive Ruby.

“He got into the playpen with her, and it was instant,” Daniels said. “I mean, as soon as they made contact, they were, like, inseparable.”

The man left him a voicemail to thank him the next day, Daniels said.  The man said Ruby slept with him in his bed the first night they were together, and as he was leaving the voicemail, she was at his feet.

“I looked at everyone around me, and the tears streamed down my face, and I said ‘this is why we do what we do,’” Daniels said. “‘This is why, when a whole bunch of animals come in, and it’s hot and it’s 90 degrees, and we smell like dog, and we got mud and dirt all over, this is why, so that we can hear stories like that.’”

Ruby was up for adoption at an event similar to one being held Saturday and Sunday by the ACHS at PetSmart Inc. on 3736 SW Archer Road. The weekend event, called “Senior Prom,” will waive adoption fees for elderly animals.

ACHS Development Coordinator Danielle Cummings said the offer applies to pets over 7-years-old during the event, which lasts from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. It is meant to raise awareness of senior dogs being overlooked in favor of cuter puppies.

Cummings said the ACHS averages about 150 adoptions per month, but 262 adoptions were made during the last two-day event.

Fees are waived due to a collaboration between the ACHS, Helping Hands Pet Rescue, Haile’s Angels Pet Rescue and Puppy Hill Farm Pet Rescue, she said. The ACHS draws many of its animals from less-funded shelters in surrounding counties.

She said although some animals require $600 to prepare for adoption, the maximum fee is $250. Animals can be sponsored by individuals or businesses to have fees waived.

“There are so many (of them), and they’re just sitting at the Humane Society!” Daniels exclaimed. “These aren’t dogs that you have to go online and get or sign up for. These dogs are wanting to have a home just as bad as these homes need them.”

Follow Jacob Kovach on Twitter @jacob_kovach and contact him at jkovach@alligator.org.

Blue, an 8-year-old terrier mix, is available for adoption at the July 21-22 Senior Prom event.