Many of the dogs that come into our care here at the NAWT are more senior in their years and it can put off some prospective owners.

Thankfully, this wasn’t the case for Jessica who adopted 9 year old staffie Blue from our Hertfordshire centre in 2016.  Unfortunately Blue crossed the rainbow bridge at the age of 14 years old; such a special dog and will be remembered by everyone at the NAWT as well as his loving family.

Blue’s owners reached out to us as they want to share their story and encourage others to adopt senior dogs, like they did.

Why did you choose a senior dog?

When we started looking we weren't especially looking for a senior dog. We saw Blue's picture on the NAWT website and fell in love with his beautiful smile.  Then when we went to visit, we fell in love with him even more and knew he had to be part of our family.

Did you have any concerns about him being senior?

Yes definitely.  We were concerned that we might not have very many years together, and there was also the financial consideration of an older dog, but we decided to take a chance and we are incredibly glad we did.

Did any challenges come with Blue being a senior dog?

There were a few, the first being that getting insurance for him was much harder than with a younger dog, but there are so many options out there now that even the most senior pets can get insured in some way. Of course it was also hard for us when his health started to decline after only having 5 years together, but we fit a lot of love and adventures into those 5 years together, so it was 100% worth it.

Blue was the most incredible dog I have ever met!  He loved everyone he ever met, always greeting them with a smile and a wagging tail. He might not have had the greatest start to life, but you wouldn't have been able to tell. He loved his Kong and Kong ball, those were his favourite toys. He also loved his food. His favourite treats were anything from Lilly's Kitchen and he also loved chicken nuggets, those were a very special treat for him.

What would you say to someone considering adopting a senior dog?

Please do, these special dogs deserve a wonderful and loving home in their final years. They give so much love in return and although your time together may be shorter than you would want, it will be the best years of your life and theirs, I guarantee.

Was blue your first senior dog?

He was, but he certainly won't be our last!

Anything else you’d like to add?

Thank you for giving us the chance to tell Blue's story. He was such an amazing, special dog and we are forever grateful for the amazing time we had together. I hope his legacy lives on in other senior dogs being adopted so they can get that forever home.

Have a success story you would like to share? Email an update and photos of an animal you've rehomed from NAWT to headoffice@nawt.org.uk