Distinguished Doberman Rescue, Inc: Seniors for Seniors

Checking "the scene" for a dog to post about on the Tuesday Tails blog hop (sigh, there are so many), I noticed that Distinguished Doberman Rescue, Inc. (in Pennsylvania) now has a Seniors for Seniors program.

The way it works is approved senior humans (62 and up) get a special package when they adopt a senior dog (7 and up) who they fall in love with.

The package includes a starter bag of food, two stainless steel bowls, a DDR name tag, a new dog bed, and a new collar and leash.

So people can adopt, for a nominal fee (the adoption fee for 7 year old dogs through DDR, inc. is "case by case") a dog who has been spayed or neutered, a dog who has been fully vetted, behaviorally evaluated, a housebroken dog well past the completely insane Doberman puppy years (yeah, I said it. They're nuts. Glorious, but nuts). So many dogs are surrendered due to financial difficulty for the owner, moving, and a baby coming into the home, or because they're "too old" and thus replaced with a puppy; there isn't anything guaranteed to be "wrong" with rescue dogs. Really, they're the best deal going. Support from Distinguished Doberman Rescue continues even after your adoption process is completed.

They do have an intensive adoption process, to make sure you and your adoptive Doberman are a good fit. There is the application, meeting the dog, the home visit, and the completion of the adoption contract. DDR, inc. continues to communicate with adoptive homes to make sure everything is going well. It is accepted in the dog world that, especially with adult dog adoptions, there is a "honeymoon period" wherein the adopted dog is still figuring out where he or she is, and how to act. Distinguished Doberman Rescue, inc. tries its very hardest to make sure their dogs go to forever homes, and if those homes don't work out, to be the safety net to bring them in and try again.

Blue in Pittsburgh is a 10 year old girl who was surrendered when her family had to relocated overseas. According to her page, she loves tennis balls and Kongs (I know what that's like). She does well with most other dogs, and with kids, but not cats. Stories like hers really make me sad. 10 is the age at which a Doberman qualifies for a Longevity Certificate, and an age at which she should have been safe with her family for the rest of her lovely life. Instead, she's with strangers (granted, a trusted and experienced foster home, but strangers) and looking for a new home.