Did you know that in the U.S., up to 90% of animals will lose their homes during their lifetimes? Most animals surrendered to shelters are just 2 ½ years old. Shelters and rescues work hard to find new homes for these animals, but only 24% of them get adopted each year. The adoption numbers for older dogs are much more grim, let alone for senior pets who are bonded pairs and hope to stay together. Statistics like these make clear how rare it is for a dog or cat to land in a stable, loving, lifelong home. Although older animals have a hard time finding a new home, age 8 is really middle age for an animal, who will still have half their life or more to live after that benchmark. But many shelters and rescues won’t accept a surrendered animal over age 8 or even age 6;they know that animal will be perceived as “old” by the prospective pet owner looking to adopt and will be difficult if not impossible to place in a new home. For an animal who is a senior and now surrendered to a rescue or shelter, there is the compounded trauma of losing their home and then realizing they are unwanted and likely not to get a second chance. This spring, you may have read about two special senior dogs, one blind and one deaf, whose owner had lost his home after his wife died. He desperately wanted to find a new home for his boys, one that would keep the two dogs together. Their owner described how he acquired both dogs when they were just puppies. Smokey's mother was picked up by animal control when she was pregnant, so he was born into the +system. He came into my life when he was three months old. He turned blind about two years ago, but it hasn't stopped him from being a lovable guy. River was found floating down the Mississippi river, as a puppy. Hence, his name. They are both getting older, but are a great couple of dogs, and I so want to give them the opportunity to live out the rest of their days, together. River and Smokey have been together since they were puppies. Now both age 11, the two big guys had become each other’s eyes and ears and relied on each other to navigate the world. Smokey, a collie/Doberman/Shepard mix, lost his sight about 2 years ago while River lost his hearing about the same time. Together since they were just about 3 months old, the dogs have forged a bond and are inseparable, depending upon one another to face the world: Smokey ears for River and River eyes for Smokey. Their story touched the hearts of dog lovers around the country, as their story went viral, and their owner desperately looked for a safe landing for his dogs before he lost his house. For the full story, please visit our blog post about Smokey and River's journey here.