Heartbreaking Reason Woman Who Fostered 70 Dogs Always Takes in Seniors

A woman who has fostered 70 senior dogs has opened up about what motivated her to help these older rescue pets.

Lisa Arden lives in the Bay Area of California, where she regularly fosters senior pups through Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, a nonprofit focused solely on the fostering and adoption of rescue dogs over the age of 7.

Her latest charge is Gina, a 12-year-old one-eyed chihuahua mix. "Gina came to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue from one of their partner shelters—Bradshaw Animal Shelter," Arden told Newsweek. "She was found as a stray in the Sacramento area. Her owners supposedly moved and just let her loose in a park there. She had a badly diseased eye, which was removed at Muttville, and she's feeling much better now!"

Gina has been with Muttville since August and is currently their longest-serving resident. "With my social media platform I like to take foster dogs who could use some extra attention and publicity to help them find their forever home," Arden said.

Foster carers represent one of the many unsung heroes of the rescue pet world. A stay with a foster carer can make a huge difference to a rescue animal—and that's especially true when it comes to shelter dogs.

A 2015 study published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science found that just 15 minutes of one-on-one petting with a shelter dog was enough to provide the canine involved with a measurable boost to their overall well-being.

Extrapolate that over a foster stay and it's little wonder that social media is full of examples of dogs who have been seemingly transformed by a break from their shelter.

And if there is one sub-section of the shelter population that is deserving of a break, it's senior dogs, many of whom face an uphill battle to get adopted.

A 2015 Priceconomics study looking at the adoption rates of dogs on the website Petfinder laid the facts bare: while 95 percent of puppies on the site found new homes, only 68 percent of senior dogs were adopted.

People like Arden and Muttville are trying to change that. Arden explained why she started caring for senior dogs and why it's so important that she does.

"I started out fostering a few puppies and younger dogs before I started fostering senior dogs with Muttville. As soon as I started fostering seniors I realized how special they are and how much help senior dogs need," she said. "Senior dogs are the first to get euthanized in shelters and seniors just need so much more help getting adopted than puppies or young dogs."

There was something about senior dogs that resonated with Arden. "I fell in love with fostering and adopting senior dogs because they are just so calm, sweet, and loving," she said. "I started posting on social media to show people how amazing senior dogs can be and to encourage people to foster or adopt a senior dog."

Fast-forward to the present day and Gina has fostered her 70th dog. The good news is that Gina has settled in well with Arden. "Gina is settling in wonderfully. She is very sweet and loving. She really loves to just snuggle up under the covers and watch a movie," she said.

The time a foster carer spends with their dog is useful in giving them an idea of the kind of home and type of owner the dog in their care would suit.

"Gina would do best in a home with no children due to her sweet and gentle nature. She can be a bit shy at first but she warms up quickly," she said. "Gina is a very loving little lady who just wants a special human to bond with. She loves to cuddle, she's great in the car, she's already potty trained, and she's very smart."

Arden hopes her videos and work will inspire others to foster or adopt dogs, regardless of whether they are a senior. That said, she hopes people can see how "amazing" senior dogs like Gina are.

"I'm trying to help change the stigma that senior dogs are unadoptable," she said. "Senior dogs are amazing and have so much life and love left to give!"

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.