Old Dogs New Digs

Many families who look for their next dog in a shelter pass right by that senior dog for the younger one in the next kennel. Some worry that the old dog might not be around for as long as they’d like, or that s/he might have expensive health issues to manage. These are important things to consider for sure, and every family has to find the right dog for their situation.

Old Dogs New Digs is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2016 by a handful of friends in Maine who have volunteered for various animal rescue groups through the years. We all have a soft spot for that sweet senior dog sitting and waiting in the shelter without a home or a family.

There is a growing number of rescue-minded families, though, who approach a dog adoption in a relatively new way — with meeting the dog’s needs at the top of the list of considerations. These families enjoy tremendous satisfaction and pride that they are giving the most amazingly generous gift to a dog in need — a loving, comfortable, and safe home and family — and lots of reason for tail wags — for the rest of the dog’s days.

We work with shelters throughout the state of Maine to identify senior dogs who have been surrendered, and we network through various means, especially through social media, to find just the right place for them. In some cases, we help to prevent senior dogs from ever landing in shelters to begin with — sometimes, a family who has fallen on hard times might be unable to afford quality food and medical care for their aging dog, so we help find resources to support the dog’s needs, so s/he doesn’t have to leave the home that s/he knows and loves.