Dogs are the eighth wonder of the world – their loyalty, love and wet nose snuggles are unmatched and make life about 80% better on any given day. Sadly, many of these fluffy creatures spend long days waiting at shelters instead of cuddling with a loving owner. Beluga was one of them – this senior pooch spent over 700 days waiting for that someone special who would take him to a forever home and call him a good boy. Luckily, he has found Jeanette, a 74-year-old grandma who has turned him into a playful puppy.
Beluga the dog came to his local shelter in 2022 and due to his health problems, he was often overlooked
Every day, hundreds if not thousands of wonderful dogs end up in shelters, wondering what they did wrong. Back in 2022, Beluga was one of them. He came to Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) and quickly won the hearts of shelter staff who fell in love with his sweet personality. Unfortunately, this good boy has many issues – he is partially deaf and partially blind, has arthritis and neurological issues. This whole bouquet of misfortunes made him almost unadoptable – not everyone has the courage to open their home and their hearts to a dog with special needs.
However, his rescuers never gave up hope to find him a perfect human. He needed someone who was calm, slow-paced and lived in one-story house. There had to be someone, right? Turns out, there was. In February, a kindhearted woman named Jeanette visited the shelter in hopes to meet another pup she saw on APA’s website. After losing her two senior dogs in December, she was ready for another loving, docile companion. And then she saw Beluga, who was wagging his 10-year-old tail in hopes Jeannette would notice him.
“He has a neurological issue, so his head kind of tilts to the side, and he looked like, ‘Oh, look at poor, little me.’ So I said, ‘Okay, I have to see him,’” Jeanette said in an interview.
While the partially deaf and blind dog with arthritis didn’t sound like a dream pet, his rescuers never gave up hope to find him a perfect home
“He was reserved at first, but as soon as he came out with me, he changed,” the 74-year-old recalled their first meeting.
The pair spent some time together bonding and soon, Jeanette couldn’t just leave him there. She was determined, after all; she was already experienced providing special care to senior dogs, so his health problems didn’t scare her. When you know, you know.
Soon after their meeting, Beluga came to Jeanette’s home and the pair started the foster-to-adopt process – it allows the pet to acclimate to their new home and provides behavior consults and lifelong adoption support.
This February, 74-year-old Jeanette visited the shelter in hopes to find a new companion after losing her two pups in December
A new beginning deserves a new name, so 74-year-old renamed the pooch Velcro.
“He’s never more than two feet from my side. That’s why I renamed him Velcro. If I get up, he gets up. Wherever I go, he follows me. If I’m up and moving, he’s up and moving with me,” Jeanette shared.
Now, Velcro was finally able to start his life and his new mom was determined to spoil him rotten. The pooch got his very own dog beds scattered around his new home so he could catch those warm sun rays all day long. Velcro also gets plenty of his favorite Pup-Peroni treats and mostly importantly – loving pats from his beloved owner.
The pair also take their slow daily walks around the neighborhood: “I’m not that spry myself, but it gives me a reason to get out in the fresh air and walk in the woods. We don’t walk; we stroll,” Jeanette revealed.
Initially, she had her eye on another dog, but as soon as she saw Beluga, she knew he was the one
Jeanette renamed him Velcro because he was always following her around, perhaps to make sure that she wouldn’t leave him
Now the pair hope that their story inspires other people to consider adopting senior pets
Adopting a senior pet can be scary – but they need our love and would repay the kindness a hundred times
Recently, APA posted an adorable video, showcasing Velcro’s incredible transformation. Long gone is the shy and slow dog; now Velcro is seen chasing his beloved Jeanette around the yard, both of them looking like children again.
“Just a girl playing with her puppy,” accurately noted one commenter.
Now, Jeanette hopes that Velcro’s happy ending inspires others, especially elderly citizens, to adopt senior pets. There is nothing better than to have a pal to spend one’s golden years with.
“I hate to see these older dogs passed over. Velcro is just so happy to be out of that shelter. It’s nice for seniors to have a senior dog because you don’t have to try and keep up with them. And it’s companionship,” Jeanette noted.
The worst part about adopting a senior pet is having to say goodbye to them sooner than we’d like to. But for them, even a week beside their loving human means the world. As soon as dogs hear “I love you, buddy” they forget the cold floor of the shelter and start blooming. And Jeanette agrees with that: “If you can handle the loss, the joy of having them is more than worth it.”
“They deserve love, and they give as much love as they get. They respond to love just as well, if not more than younger dogs.”
