Two senior dogs, Donnie and Marie, have spent their lives as each other’s only company. Secluded in a backyard with little love and attention, Donnie, and Marie (brother and sister) were finally taken to an animal shelter by their owner who said she could no longer deal with the animals as they were loud and smelly.
Despite being informed that senior dogs have a very small chance of being adopted and are often euthanized, the owner refused to keep the siblings and left them at the shelter. With a bleak future in sight, Donnie and Marie could only hope to find a better life from an adoptive family.
The Humane Animal Treatment Society received Donnie and Marie and immediately began to rid them of the years of dirt and grime present on their coats from years of neglect.
“The first time our kennel tech tried to bathe them, her hands were literally black they were so filthy,” states director Mandy Risch in an interview with The Dodo.
Because of the extent of the filth of the animals, the shelter scheduled Donnie and Marie for a spa day to get them feeling clean as well as allow them to receive a little love.
Although the dogs were a bit timid and scared, they eventually warmed up to the staff. After their spa day, the dogs had a tough time adjusting to life inside the shelter after spending so much time outdoors for over a decade. Marie especially had a tough time doing just about anything without her beloved brother Donnie.
It was clear that the more the dogs were stuck in confined conditions, the dogs would become even more withdrawn and timid than they were before.
The shelter began to try to find Donnie and Marie their forever home. They feared that, because of their age, they would not be able to find the siblings a family willing to adopt them. However, after sharing Donnie and Marie’s story on Facebook, their story went viral and the dogs had heaps of people ready to come and make the dogs a part of their family.
There were people covering the adoption fees for the dogs and even out of state families interested in adopting them.
Luckily, the perfect family for the dogs lived not far from the shelter. They had heard Donnie and Marie’s story and truly wanted to help the siblings by giving them a home and letting them stay together. The dogs warmed up quickly to their new family and were happy.
The new family plans to put Donnie and Marie up in a cozy farmhouse. Donnie and Marie will live out their years in a much better environment filled with caring and love. They truly had been through quite a bit over the years together. Now the senior dogs can rest and enjoy their retirement together as well.
