November 5, 2007 Matchmaker

November 5, 2007

Matchmaker

I recently found myself in yet another service I’ve happily provided for my clients, “matchmaker”. Not the kind of matchmaker that sets up people, but the kind of matchmaker that finds the right dogs for the right people.
One of my clients who is at a young 97 years of age, asked me to find him a dog. His dog had passed away and he was lonely and needed a companion.
I set myself to work on the internet searching http://www.petfinder.com/ and of course found dozens that would be just right for him. The problem was of course, well he’s 97. The odds are good that the dog will outlive him, or at least have to live with someone else if he got sick or ended up in a nursing home.
I had to ask him a lot of questions, such as who will take care of the dog if you get sick? He assured me that he had “people” to step in. I asked about his daughter, if she would be willing to take the dog, he said he was sure she would but he hadn’t asked her. So I kept inquiring who his “people” were that would take care of the dog and he told me he had “housekeepers” (he lives in assisted living) that took his old dog in when needed and returned her when he was able. I asked him to have her call me so I could ask her a few questions, as I know the rescue groups were going to ask me. He said he would and she called me the next day.
I grilled her on her pet life at home, what kinds of pets she has, and if she would be willing to take on the responsibility of another dog should she have to and possibly it could be permanently one day. She assured me that yes, she would and I found a kindred spirit, she rescues lots of animals and has a farm full of them. She put my mind at ease and then I was confident I could speak with the rescue organizations and let them know that the dog would have a permanent home with someone who would care for it, and love it, and has a plan B should something happen to him.
It helps that I’m involved in rescue myself, and I know better than to match up a puppy with a 97 year old person, or a dog that is bound to be more headstrong and dart out the door as soon as it’s opened.
My client had Shelties in the past and it turns out that Shelties are the perfect breed not only for him, but also for his “housekeeper” and her menagerie of pets at home. I was not about to match him up with a dog that wouldn’t mesh with her life as well because it’s very likely that she will end up taking care of the dog at least temporarily at some point.
Well I found him the perfect little Sheltie online. She’s 5 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccines, heartworm medicine and flea prevention and calm and happy to be in someone’s lap! The rescue wants to meet my client in person naturally, so we go tomorrow to meet her and take her home. I told my client to be ready for a road trip; I was picking him up and taking him to Terre Haute to meet his new companion.
He was thrilled that I found him a buddy; I was thrilled that I did too, before he grabbed just anything out of the paper. Many times, when a person wants a dog, they get the first thing available, and it ends up being a nightmare and not the perfect match. I can temperament test dogs and I know the rescues do too, so I also grill them on what they know about the dog.
Good rescues foster dogs for a while before placement so they can temperament test them and match them up with the right homes. Being 97 isn’t a barrier to pet ownership, or at least it shouldn’t be, as long as there is a back up plan should something happen to you. Not every next of kin wants our pets; unfortunately that is how many of them come to be in rescue.
I believe there is a dog out there for everyone. There are rescues who have programs of “seniors for seniors” matching up older dogs with senior citizens. Face it, we could all die in a car crash tomorrow or get hit by a truck regardless of our age. We don’t know what tomorrow holds so it’s important to have a plan for your pets should something happen.
So before you adopt it’s important to know your breeds, their traits, and temperament of the individual dog and be aware of your own lifestyle and if you have the time commitment and the resources to really take care of a pet the right way and make sure you have a back-up plan to provide for them if you can’t.