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By Leonie Helm
Life Reporter
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An adorable video of a foster dog called Ricky coming out of his shell has attracted over 1.5 million views on TikTok. In the video, posted by @peakepups, Ricky the 8-year-old Chihuahua-cross, whose previous owner had died, can be seen coming up to his foster mom Kara. The video explains in a comment: "POV – "Your foster dog who is afraid of the world came up to you for the first time seeking affection".
In a follow-up video Kara said: "I went in for pets but was denied, and that's OK. It's a marathon not a sprint." She also reports that he is crate- and leash-trained, great with other dogs and has no medical conditions apart from being overweight and needing his teeth cleaned.
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The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reports that senior dogs have a 25 percent adoption rate, compared to the 60 percent adoption rate of younger dogs and puppies.
Kara said that Ricky is her 29th foster dog and she regularly works with Frosted Faces Foundation, a non-profit organization working to get senior dogs adopted based in Ramona, California. The foundation covers the medical costs of their senior dogs, taking that burden away from the adopter.
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November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month, and the ASPCA argues that for some prospective dog owners, a senior dog might actually be better than a puppy:
- "Older dogs have often grown out of habits that a puppy has not, including teething, destructive behavior and accidents in the house
- Older animals typically have some basic training, and know how to respond to important commands such as "sit" and "down"
- Mature animals are likely to settle into a home more easily and quickly than younger pets, often due to past experiences living in houses among people or other pets
- While a puppy's characteristics and disposition might change over time as he matures, a senior pet is less likely to change because his personality has already developed. (This doesn't mean "you can't teach an old dog new tricks"—senior pets are extremely adaptive and fully capable of learning new skills)".
People on TikTok were delighted by Ricky's video.
User SandyDibruno wrote: "I would be a foster failure".
User Laura Mcgowan weishew commented: "Oh .. I'm in Pennsylvania but when I ready for a dog ,, (got the cat thing on now ) it will be senior dogs)."
User Foxyowner said: "It took quite a while for my Little Rescue Dog to make friends with me, but with love, kindness and patience he warmed to me. Now he's my shadow."
Newsweek has reached out to @peakepups 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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