Family adopts the oldest dog in the shelter – the one day, she lets them know it’s time
When it comes time to adopt a dog, many families often overlook senior pest. Puppies are more desirable due to their cuteness and energy, especially for families with children. On the other hand, Senior dogs offer a viable alternative and have the upside of being already trained.
Unfortunately, most people go with the aforementioned puppies, leaving senior dogs to languish in shelters and even run the risk of being euthanized when shelters run out of space.
Kaylee, a senior dog, faced being euthanized
This was the prospect that faced 11-year-old Kaylee, and American Staffordshire terrier brought into a Baltimore Area Rescue Center (BARCs) when her family could no longer care for her. Fortunately, Melissa Davis and her daughter Raven showed up to save the day. They had come to the shelter specifically to adopt a senior pet.
The Davis family decided to adopt Kaylee
And even though Kaylee had early signs of kidney disease, thyroid carcinoma, and a torn ACL, the mother and daughter decided to adopt her. Their goal was to make her last days as wonderful as possible.
“No one wants an old dog. People think that puppies are more energetic. I don’t want them to die in a shelter,” Raven told the Baltimore Sun.
Documenting Kaylee’s last days
Right off the bat, the family created a Facebook page for Kaylee called Kaylee’s Bucket List, where they could document her life. In addition, the family entered the Petco Foundation’s “Holiday Wishes” campaign where they ended up winning in $10,000 in grant money for BARCs.
Ensuring that Kaylee was taken care of
The Davis family took out part of their savings to ensure that Kaylee received the medical care she needed. The children even entertained the idea of giving up the family trip to Disneyland to help provide funds for Kaylee’s care.
Kaylee’s Bucket List
Several months after she was adopted, Kaylee passed away. And while the occasion was sad, she did get to complete many of the items on her bucket list. Some of the more prominent items on the list included taking the older dog for her first puppachino, chowing down on a brownie cake topped with bacon, and singing songs with her new friends.
Davis wrote about Kaylee and the love she brought to her family, especially her daughter Raven. The book, “Kaylee’s Bucket List,” documents Kaylee’s life with the Davis family and her last happy days before her death.
Davis created a tribute video to Kaylee’s bucket list
As a tribute to Kaylee and all of the love she brought to her family, Davis made a video of her adventures and uploaded it to Facebook. She also added this caption to the video:
“I cried while making it. I cried while watching it. There’s a big hole in my heart without her here.”
Here is the sweet video that Davis put together of Kaylee’s life with the Davis family.
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