Praise as Woman Adopts 14-Year-Old Dog—’A Shelter Is No Place for a Senior’

After fostering many senior dogs, one TikTok user, who goes by the name Rainbow Bridge Raina, couldn’t resist rescuing a 14-year-old dog who wound up in a shelter after the previous owner passed away.

The dog, named Autumn, was in the shelter for three weeks before she caught the content creator’s eye, and the TikTok user couldn’t bear the thought of the pup spending another day inside. On her decision to adopt the senior dog, Rainbow Bridge Raina wrote on TikTok that “a shelter is no place for a senior,” and she wanted to provide Autumn with the love and comfort she deserves in her final years.

The video, which was posted on her TikTok account (@jackiepajan) on October 6, shows Autumn getting pampered with a bath, and then going shopping for a new leash and collar, before she finally gets to explore her new home. Many social-media users have praised the poster’s selfless act to adopt such an aging dog, and the video has already been viewed almost 300,000 times and received nearly 40,000 likes.

Sadly, many American shelters are filled with senior cats and dogs waiting for a home, but they are often the last ones to be picked. While younger dogs and puppies have a 60 percent adoption rate, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says that senior dogs have only a 25 percent adoption rate.

Due to their age and sometimes-faltering health, older dogs aren’t as sought after. The ASPCA encourages more people to consider giving them a home as there are many benefits that older dogs can offer.

As they are in their twilight years, senior dogs don’t require the same monitoring and training as a young dog would. The animals are already housetrained, and they’ve grown out of any destructive puppy behaviors. The ASPCA adds that older dogs are happy to settle into their new home and take it easy, and they can be quite adaptive to their surroundings, unlike younger dogs who are still learning.

The TikTok user @jackiepajan regularly shares videos relating to pet loss to offer people the support and advice needed at such a difficult time. After having her own experience of grief, and knowing the impact that a pet of any age can have on a person’s life, Rainbow Bridge Raina is more than happy to provide a loving home for any seniors in need.

Alongside the viral clip of Autumn’s adoption, the caption reads: “You know how I feel about the seniors, guys.”

Since the video was posted, it has touched many hearts, and a lot of social-media users praised the TikTok user for being so generous to dogs who need it the most.

One comment reads: “you have a pure golden heart. Thank you so much for doing this, we need more people like you.”

Another person wrote: “Oh her previous pet mom is smiling down on you so big for this. Thank you for loving that sweet fur baby.”

A third posted: “Thank you for letting her enjoy her last years.”

Newsweek reached out to @jackiepajan via Instagram for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.

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