In 2011, a stray dog named Agatha was transferred to an animal shelter in Texas. The little pup, then aged 7, was understandably anxious to suddenly find herself in that unfamiliar place, surrounded by other dogs in a cold concrete kennel.
But then hope arrived. Not long after, Agatha was adopted by a family she thought she’d be with forever. She was wrong.
Fifteen years later, now blind and deaf, Agatha was brought back to the shelter by her family at the age of 22.
“The reason given for [the family] surrendering her was simply because she was old,” Maddie Cantrell, shelter volunteer and owner of The Senior Dog Squad, told The Dodo. “The moment I saw her, I gasped. She is such a beautiful, gentle girl, and I couldn’t imagine what she was thinking
or feeling being in an unfamiliar place as a blind, deaf senior dog.”
The nightmare Agatha had escaped all those years earlier was now a reality she was being forced to relive.
Sadly, Cantrell says, it’s not uncommon for senior dogs to be dropped off at the shelter as they near the end of their lives. But fortunately for Agatha, she got the lifeline she so desperately needed.
With the Houston-based group Pippy’s Pals Rescue, Agatha was spared from life at the kennel. She’s now safely at home with Cantrell and her other senior rescue dogs.
“Agatha is now getting lots of rest and slowly integrating into our household,” Cantrell said. “She has a great appetite and already has a favorite spot in our home.”
The little pup will never experience the discomfort of feeling unwanted ever again.
“Aggie will remain with me for the remainder of her life,” Cantrell said. “I do believe that she will have a great last chapter, and that she still has quality of life and lots of love left to give.”
In just the last three years, The Senior Dog Squad has taken in more than 20 older dogs as fosters, hospice cases and as new members of Cantrell's own family — each treated with the respect and dignity dogs of all ages deserve.
Agatha is now among them.
“Older animals are so often discarded and are notoriously harder for shelters and rescue organizations to adopt out,” Cantrell said. "I hope that sharing Agatha's story with others will make them want to become a hospice foster or volunteer themselves. I also want them to know that there is a huge need for fosters for dogs and cats of any age, and that they have the power to change this and make a difference, too.”
