There are so many dogs in shelters waiting for someone to adopt them and give them a home, and all of these animals deserves love.
But our hearts especially go out to all the older dogs who have spent their whole lives in shelters. And because many people don’t adopt senior dogs, they’re at risk of spending the rest of their days never knowing a real family.
That’s the case for one senior dog, who has spent nearly a decade waiting for a home… but now his shelter is trying hard to get this lonely dog adopted.
Meet Max, a bulldog mix who has been a resident of Eleventh Hour Rescue for the past nine years.
Life has always been rough for poor Max. According to The Dodo, the New Jersey shelter took him in when he was about a year old, and found BB gun pellets in his legs.
Despite that, he quickly made a big impression on the shelter’s staff.
“Max is a happy boy smiling from ear to ear,” shelter volunteer Paul Barish told The Dodo. “He has completely stolen my heart from the time I met him. He can be stubborn but is a mellow, playful boy.”
But not everyone saw it that way: Max just couldn’t seem to find a home. Years passed, and as other dogs got adopted Max was continuously passed over.
Max is a happy, healthy dog, so it’s hard to believe it’s taken so long to find him a home, but the shelter thinks his big, sturdy size—he weighs 86 pounds—might scare people off…. even though he’s such a softy that they call him “Max the Mush.”
Max has also spent so much time in the kennel and has had limited interaction with other dogs, so he was recommended as an only pet in a home with few visitors. However, he spent a few months in a foster home, who were able to get Max acclimated to their other dogs through slow introductions.
His favorite activities are going on nice walks and car rides, and he loves toys and food.
But Max is a senior dog, over 10 years old, and the shelter is worrying that being in a shelter is beginning to have a negative impact.
“He handles it as well as can be expected, but it has taken a toll on him and has been very stressful for him,” Barish told The Dodo.
“He’s spent his entire life at the shelter, and now he is a senior, and I am losing hope,” said Sophie Gamand, who did a photoshoot with Max in 2017. “He still has so much to offer, please, let’s not let him die at the shelter!”
So the shelter has doubled down on their efforts to find him a family, vowing to get him adopted in 2020.
“The kennel is no place for an older dog,” Eleventh Hour wrote on Facebook. “He should be spending his twilight years in a home with his people.”
If you are interested in adopting Max, contact or visit Eleventh Hour or fill out an application form here!
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