10 Reasons to adopt an Older Dog

A pet is an integral part of a family. It brings about great bonding and attachment between the members of a family. However, getting the right pet for your family is an important decision which needs to be taken with a lot of thought and care. Adopting a pet is always the right way to go over purchasing an animal from a breeder. Streets and shelters are brimming with animals waiting to get adopted. Be it a breed or a stray dog, the older ones are mostly left behind.

Here are some of the advantages of adopting adult dogs -  

1. Tried and Tested Models

Most adult dogs have an understanding of basic commands. Actions such as sit, stay, no and the like are easily understood by them.

2. No Seek and Destroy

They have normally passed the teething stage and are less likely to be destructive and destroy your house. Rest assured, your shoes and rugs will not go missing and your furniture will not be chewed upon.

3. A nose which can see is better than two sniffing noses

Your house will definitely not smell like a toilet. Adult dogs normally have set schedules which they have been following for years. However, the owner does have the responsibility of understanding the timings at which the dog wants to relieve himself. Older dogs adjust to new schedules easily as well.

4. Take the Time

Adult dogs are more adjusting to hectic job schedules as well. They tend to be calmer and less disturbed when left alone for even a short period of time as compared to puppies who cannot be left unattended especially during the growing phase.

5. A friend in need, is a friend indeed

Older dogs make great companions. You can watch a movie in peace with them .

6. Walk the talk

Adult dogs can go on long walks without much trouble. If you feel you are chubby and need to lose some weight, take home an older dog as a jogging buddy and your dog will definitely act as your trainer, not just your companion.

7. What you see is what you get!

Dogs finish their growth phase by about 18 - 24 months. They reach their full size at this age. When you adopt an adult dog you know for sure that what you see is what you get. You can judge if the dog’s size is correct for your home and if your family will be able to handle him without too much trouble.

8. High Resistance Power, Low Budget.

A healthy adult dog is not as susceptible to diseases as puppies. They have stronger immune systems. Vet visits are far lesser in case of healthy adult dogs. This obviously means that the cost of maintaining an adult dog is lesser and you can even calculate this cost on a monthly basis even before adopting one.

9. The Non Explorer

Small puppies have a tendency to explore and welcome each guest at the door. If you would like to have a dog which is more under control and does not jump on every guest who comes in, an older dog is the one for you.

10. Adult Guard Dogs

Adult guard dogs know their job well. They have a better judgement of people and are really good at sensing criminal behaviour as well.

There is a unique sense of pride and a feel good factor associated with adopting an older dog who needs a home. The dog is more patient and understanding, sociable and adjusting. 

Sometimes, they can surprise you by the amount they will teach you about life. An older dog is much wiser than even the owner sometimes.



The article is co authored by Aditi Nair and Eden Dias from PAL. The pictures are by PAL Photographer Manaswini Shetye assisted by Simran Rohra. 

A feature write up on Pet Owners and Animal Lovers PAL by Ayesha John Kelshikar

Stray Animals to be Cared for….
The soul is the same in all living creatures, although the body of each is different. Compassion for animals is intimately connected with goodness of character. Animals are a source of joy and happiness. Though they cannot speak but they express a lot through their actions. We as humans must respect everything thing that lives and continue to do our bit for them.

Birth of PAL
Aditi Nair, the founder of Pet owners and Animal Lovers Foundation (PAL) started the concept of an NGO while she was pursuing her MBA. Her passion and love for animals has made her a pal to the animals who don’t get the love they deserve. Her research on the pet sector made her realize there are lot of strays who do not receive attention. She visited a number of states to research on the same and did a lot of volunteer work. She was also a part of the Tata Jagriti Yatra where she had an opportunity to understand how various organisations work. Starting from Kerala, she moved to Karnataka, Goa, Orissa, Rajasthan and many more to learn and research about animal shelters across India.
“After I came back to Mumbai, I realized I have to start something by myself to give these animals a better life to live” the words quoted by Aditi.
PAL started in November 2010 and got registered in the year 2014.It started as a small group and a number of Facebook events which encouraged people to join the movement. It started with events then moved on to rescues, adoptions and awareness programs.

Hierarchy of the organization
PAL’s model of running is very different from that of the other NGOs. It’s more of a volunteer based model. The board and trust have eight members but the volunteers are more than hundred. Aditi is the chair person, Dr. Arundati Nair is the vice chairperson, Dr. Hemant Thange is the secretary, Neha Dabir is the head of adoptions and Nishant Bangera is the spokesperson. PAL does its publicity mostly through Facebook and word of mouth.

Outstanding events ….
“Our focus is more on awareness and to create a human - animal bond which will give the animals a better world to live in” quoted by Aditi.
PAL has done 7000 rescues, 600 adoption and above 100 awareness programs in schools and colleges like Billabong International School, Father Agnel Ashram, Welingkar, Bhartiya vidyapeeth, etc. PAL works in many sectors like rescue, adoptions, awareness programs as well as the medical sector. It even tries to handle cruelty cases in case possible.
Bringing a change and creating an awareness in the peoples is their main forte.
PAL has helped to change the mindset of people by encouraging them to try having a pet at home by the concept of Foster an animal for few days. This help the people to get over their animal fears.

PAL Members at a Vaccination Camp in Matunga, Mumbai

Nandini, a 13 years old is  one of the volunteers of PAL as well as an adopter of Rex who is a cross breed dog has given her views by saying “ Before being associated with PAL officially, I had heard about them through social media. I witnessed their forwarded posts and started following them
on Facebook. I adopted Rex from them. Rex was rescued by Neha Dabir and after his treatment, I decided to adopt him and give him a home. Neha guided me and helped me as I have never had a pet before. After a complete house check and acceptance of my family Neha handed me Rex’s custody. She even helped me with the registration and now I am a happy parent of Rex Kannan who is a part of my small family”.

Backlogs….
Though PAL is a very efficient NGO in Thane city it’s still has some negative aspects. PAL is only working in Thane city and the rescues, feeding programs, events are restricted to Thane City. They do not take up cruelty as their main forte as they do not have any legal advisors to handle such cases. One of the volunteers Viraj Sawant has said “PAL is mostly active only in Vasant Vihar, Sidhachal, Upvan and nearby places .They are not able to stretch to other areas because of the lack of volunteers. A committed team is a backlog for the NGO. PAL also has a shortage of funds because of which they cannot tap many areas.”
Unless people take up responsibility these backlogs cannot be overcome. According to Aditi funds are very important for an NGO to achieve it's objectives. Aditi’s solution to these backlogs is to arrange more events which will encourage people to join in and become a volunteer and increase the volunteer base to be able to expand operations.

PAL Team after running a marathon to raise awareness for animals

Future Growth Aspects
As they are just a five year old organization there are a lot of growth aspects which can be considered for the future. Expanding their jurisdiction from Thane to other places in Mumbai and rural areas is one of their future plans. “Rural area is one such area which is never tapped by anyone. It’s our motive to educate the people of the rural area and give the animals a better life in those areas” a thoughtful future plan by Aditi. Apart from  expansion, tapping other aspects such as cruelty is also one of the future plans. Building up a powerful organization and helping to spread awareness at larger scales is one of their main motives.

Love for animals..
“Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened” - Anatole France. Our small furry friends should be cared for and treated well, this is the main motive of PAL. Animals are very faithful and loyal. Animals come from nature. They are not designed by man.

The article is written by one of the PAL Members, Ayesha John Kelshikar. Ayesha is 22 years old and studying MBA in Whistling Woods International. Her family is a foster family with PAL and she volunteers for all the PAL events regularly. She is also currently pursuing a managerial internship with the NGO.