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By Leonie Helm
Life Reporter
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Older dogs with special needs are often the last to get adopted, and that's if they ever do make it out of the shelter.
One lucky canine who avoided spending the rest of their life in a shelter is Phoenix the "nearly deaf and blind senior foster dog." He was lucky enough to get fostered by TikTok user Isabel Klee after sadly being surrendered by his owner.
In a video posted to the TikTok account @simonsits, Phoenix the 12-year-old foster dog can be seen rolling around in his new bed with a surprising amount of energy. It was "an hour after coming to our home for the first time," reads the text. "Only big, cozy beds from here on out," the caption adds.
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By fostering Phoenix, Klee is not only giving him a warm and comfy home, but she is also dramatically increasing his chances of finding his forever home, and potentially saving his life.
"The decision to adopt an older animal can also take on lifesaving importance because they are usually the last to be adopted," says the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). "Senior dogs, for example, have a 25% adoption rate, compared to the 60% adoption rate of younger dogs and puppies."
In another video, Klee says that her experience as a dog owner started with Simon, a beautiful rescue that she didn't know had idiopathic epilepsy. This left Klee 26 and broke, due to the numerous vet bills and medications. Despite the time, energy and money it takes to look after Simon, Klee wouldn't change a thing.
However, in yet another video, Klee says that if she knew what she does now about older canines, she "1,000% would have adopted a senior dog as my first dog."
Klee adds that, while she has no regrets and "Simon is like, the love of my life," finding herself as a 25-year-old with a special-needs puppy that she was not prepared for was a lot to handle.
"Puppies are so much work," Klee said. "You need to be so regimented, you need to give so much of your time to it, and fostering Phoenix, who is a 12-year-old small dog, I am absolutely amazed at how easy this dog is."
Klee added: "He barely needs one walk a day. All he wants to do is sleep all day, literally all day. He's so easy going... If you are a young person who wants a dog and you're still going out and you kind of have a flexible lifestyle, a senior dog is honestly a really good option. I know it's much more common to get a puppy, but for a young person's lifestyle, I feel like a senior dog is a much-better fit."
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Older canines might also be a good option for younger or first-time dog owners because they require very little training, and are more likely to settle into their new home, says the ASPCA.
"All animals deserve loving homes, but some cases are more urgent than others," adds the ASPCA, "and surprising matches can be made if adopters simply check their expectations at the shelter door."
"I can't stop crying! This made my day. He's perfect thank you," commented one user on TikTok.
"Ok, now I'm crying, he's so comfortable and happy!" wrote another.
Newsweek has reached out to Klee via TikTok for comment.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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