Older pets need your love too...

Prowler: An amazing 7 1/2 year old greyhound

Hemingway: A distinguished gentleman with a heart of gold

I have a major soft spot for senior pets. These animals are often overlooked due to their age, but why?

Often, people are concerned about the expense of caring for an older pet. Or, they are distressed at the inevitable heartache of losing an older pet.

Okay. But consider this, from someone who knows what they're talking about... There are people who will adopt a puppy over a senior dog--but the expense of feeding, training, and vetting a new puppy is IMMENSE. And don't forget the stuff you'll have to buy to replace all the stuff your new puppy chews to shreds. As for the many, many years you and your new puppy have ahead of you? Kinda daunting, now that you see just how much work has to go into keeping that ball of energy in line.

Now consider "Prowler." He's just barely a senior, but one nonetheless. He came into my home and immediately settled on my couch, head in my lap, eyes full of love and appreciation, and melted my heart. He was NOT expensive to care for, he did NOT destroy my things, he did NOT exhaust me physically and emotionally. He's an angel... and I just can't figure out why anybody WOULDN'T want to adopt him!

Or take "Hemingway" here... What a charming cat! His age is unknown, since he came from a shelter, but we know he's in the senior category. He has a crinkled ear, no teeth, and a tongue that sticks out all the time. He's got more charm and personality than some people I know! He is well-behaved, won't claw your stuff, and is perfectly content to be in your lap, or in the path of the nearest sunbeam. He'll find any old reason to purr, and will look freaking adorable while he does, with his tongue sticking out at you like that. On a bad day, just looking at him gives me a reason to smile. Routine blood work shows that Hemingway has no major underlying diseases--he just needs a loving home in which to live out his days. Is that such a tall order?

So, not EVERYONE has to think the same way as I do, but let me just say that I find senior animals MUCH more desirable than their younger counterparts. If a senior pet isn't for you, no sweat! There are millions of younger, equally deserving animals who need homes! But please don't overlook seniors just because of their age. They have SO much love to give, and much more life to live!

Has a senior animal touched your life? Feel free to share your stories!

How I Came to the World of Animal Rescue

Clover: one of my foster kittens looking for a home

Meet ME! (Me=Nyssa Mehana Johnson...)

I'm 27 years old, and I have what some may consider an unhealthy obsession with rescuing animals. It's not like I'm an animal hoarder or anything--I actually have VERY STRICT rules for myself about how many foster critters I'm allowed to have at one time. What MIGHT be considered unhealthy is my determination to give them the VERY BEST care possible...to my own detriment. As soon as one of my furry wards get adopted, I think "Oh, wow! I can relax for a bit, recoup, take care of myself, save up a little money..." and then I'll volunteer my time at some hole-in-the-wall shelter where all the animals are dying and I'll think, "Well, I can save just ONE..." and then I'll come home with two.

That's what happened with "Clover" and her brother when I rescued them from filthy, diseased conditions in a rural shelter. I had a friend who wanted a male kitten, so when I saw him I snatched him up. Problem was, he had a sister in the same cage, who was just laying there, pitifully... weak and sick and alone. And sure enough, I couldn't walk away. Enter Clover into my life. She's an adorable little monster and is now as healthy and happy as it gets. But she needs a forever family. If I kept her, I wouldn't be able to rescue another animal in her place, and I'm determined to rescue more.

As a kid, I knew I wanted my life to revolve around animals. I grew up with them. They were my family, my best friends. I used to day dream about rescuing animals in need, but back then, I didn't know where to FIND them. And my parents probably would have killed me if I'd started bringing random critters home.

Now that I'm an adult and living on my own, I have the freedom to rescue whomever I please! And as it turns out, they're not hard to find. They actually tend to find you. Especially when you have a career in veterinary medicine. Like I do.

I'm not a vet, but I work for two. I'm a veterinary assistant, and I'm damn lucky to have the best two bosses in the field. They taught me everything from the ground up--I started with a love of animals, but no skills, and now I can boast a wide range of veterinary skills, from addressing medical concerns, to monitoring patients under anesthesia and assisting with surgeries, to counseling about proper nutrition, behavioral concerns, training, etc. etc. etc. I'm a jill-of-all-trades.

I love my job. Every day is an adventure. And, tragically, there are no end of homeless pets in need. LET ME BE CLEAR--I work at an animal hospital, NOT a rescue organization! We don't have the budget to rescue every homeless critter that comes our way... but if I CHOOSE to take in an animal and fund its care out of pocket, well... no one can argue with that. They just think I'm crazy. Which I am. But I thrive on my particular brand of crazy. Helping animals... there's just no better feeling.

However, since I'm determined NOT to become an animal hoarder, and since I want to CONTINUE helping animals who have nowhere else to turn, I need to continuously find homes for whatever animals I currently have. Thus, this blog is born. Share it with your friends, family, and fellow animal lovers. Ask me questions, share your stories, and by all means, let me know if you need a furry friend in your life! (Or if you're interested in fostering, yourself!!!)

My goal, in the end, is to create "happy tails for life!" Who's with me?

<3,

Nyssa Mehana