Unconditional love

Their children are grown and gone, but Charlie and Julia Craft’s living room remains scattered with toys. They belong to the newest family member, Sage, a 12-year-old Weimaraner and former Spokesman-Review Feature Creature, whose sole task in life is to adore her masters.
Sage spent her entire life with another family, until they left her tied to a tree outside an animal shelter. The Crafts were complete strangers, yet a bond began the moment Charlie met her. He knew she was a good dog.
“You can tell by the eyes,” he said.
The Crafts became partial to the loyal breed, after their first Weimaraner, Tony, lived to age 17. Julia was alone with her four young children when an intruder tried to break into their home. Tony’s protective traits alerted her in time to call the sheriff and scare the man away.
Fast-forward several decades, and Silver came along, another Feature Creature and a 14-year-old Weimaraner. A few weeks after the Crafts adopted her into their Hayden home from Second Chance Pet Rescue, Charlie wound up in the emergency room. He needed surgery to remove blood that pooled near his brain after a fall.
After eight days in the hospital, he faced two weeks of rehabilitation in a nursing home. Silver became his faithful visitor.
“She was happy as the devil,” he said. “She bonded very early with both of us.”About a year later, Silver died of cancer. That didn’t stop the Crafts from calling when they learned about Sage.
“We just had to get her,” Julia said.
Neither was put off by the dogs’ senior ages, which might scare away some potential owners. Both dogs had failing eyesight, and Silver couldn’t hear nor bark. Both dogs hated to be left alone and damaged several doors to make their point. But the Crafts didn’t hold those frailties against them. Julia recently turned 80 and Charlie is 82.
“We’re all in the same boat,” Julia said.
Adopters like the Crafts are all the reward Second Chance volunteer Angie Brainard needs to keep rescuing pets.
“There’s not enough people like them,” she said. “It gives me faith and hope in humanity.”
More often Brainard sees the results of poorly-matched pets, where adult children decide their aging parents need a young companion.
“The senior almost always passes away before the dog does,” Brainard said. Promises by adult children to keep the pet often fall short, and those animals show up in shelters and rescues. She suggests senior citizens consider fostering a puppy or kitten if they desire the joy of younger animals. Adopting from rescues ensures that pets will have a place to go if the owner becomes ill or disabled.
“We’ll take it back,” she said.
Kootenai Humane Society executive director Phil Morgan estimates that about 40 percent to 50 percent of the pets for adoption at his shelter are older pets. He finds that many senior pets are relinquished once children grow up and leave home. Mid-life pet owners find the animals no longer suit their lifestyle. Work, moving, and a desire to travel are frequent reasons he hears when owners relinquish a pet.
In response, KHS adopted two strategies. The Purina Pets for Seniors program pays $50 to cover the adoption fee for any pet older than six months old to adopters over 60. Once the $2,500 limit from Purina is spent, the KHS Seniors for Seniors program kicks in and allows free adoptions to anyone over 60 who adopts an animal older than seven years.
Morgan says the programs are marketing tools that facilitate adoptions of less desirable, older animals and also provide an important service to senior citizens. They can fight loneliness, depression and other health ailments with the aid of pet ownership, he said.
“It makes them responsible for something and gives them something to care for,” Morgan said.
He encourages everyone, regardless of age, to develop plans for their animals in case owners precede their pets in death. He recommends setting aside money for placement or foster care and discussing the issue with family ahead of time.
KHS also has a program to supply low-income owners and senior citizens with free pet food so that isn’t a barrier to pet ownership. Morgan often hears positive feedback from adult children after their aging parents adopt a pet.
“Kids say, ‘It’s the best thing my mom ever did,’ ” Morgan said.
As for the sorrow of losing older pets, the Crafts say there were no regrets with Silver, although their time together lasted only 14 months. When she couldn’t eat they put her down, and saw it as a blessing.
Julia credits Silver with her husband’s recovery from surgery. The give and take of unconditional love is as good for them as it is for the pets, she believes. Since moving in this December, Sage has paved a trail through the backyard snow, and likes to nap near Charlie’s feet.
“She brings a lot of love into our family, a lot of laughs,” Julia said. “She’s totally good for our health.”
Other perks the Crafts find with older pets are no housebreaking needs and excellent car manners. They learned to accommodate Sage’s fear of being home alone by bundling her up in a jacket and tucking her into a sleeping bag. She waits for them contently in their car.
“She’s just so good for us,” Julia said. “If the house needs repair, we’ll repair it. We’ll keep her till the end.”