⌛ Are the "Golden Years" their best years?
Nothing quite beats the joy of welcoming a new dog into the family and providing a safe, happy, full life until their final days.
But when that dog comes from a troubled background, it adds a layer of fulfillment and trust, too.
Having volunteered for rescues for many years, Alice Mayn, Founder & Executive Director of Lily's Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary, had seen firsthand just how big of a difference we can make in a dog’s life.
And when she met a senior Golden Retriever named Lily, her purpose became clear: become an advocate for senior dogs across the nation.
The special dog that changed everything
“I had no expectations of anything bigger than taking a foster home, taking good care of her, and finding her a home… That day, that’s what I thought I was doing. I was wrong.”
When Alice received an email from the NorCal Golden Retriever Rescue she was volunteering at, she didn’t realize it would change the course of her life.
The email stated there was a dog at a shelter and they needed someone to go get her out.
Alice, who was recently retired at the time, was able to make the trip.
That’s when she met Lily, the senior Golden Retriever with an incredible spirit who was ready to get out of the stressful shelter environment.
From there, Alice knew the rescue would evaluate Lily’s health and decide the next step.
Would she be a good candidate for a home? Would she be a hospice dog, getting spoiled with love until the end?
And even though Lily’s time on earth was limited, she made sure her impact would have a lasting effect long after she was gone.
Over 15 years later, Lily is still making a difference
“I can remember the day after she died, I was walking down the stairs and I thought, ‘Oh! Duh, that’s why she was here!”
If there’s anything Alice is sure about, it’s that Lily came into her life with a message and a purpose.
Alice thought had everything planned out. She had remodeled an old farmhouse right down the road from her grandchildren where she would live out the rest of her life.
She planned to continue rescuing dogs, of course. But Lily had another idea.
“She affected every single person she met. It was amazing how people reacted to her. She had a lot of health issues but she was cheerful and happy and just worked through them all. She was just an angel. I mean, really… She was an angel.”
After just 4 short months in Alice’s care, Lily crossed the Rainbow Bridge. But her spirit never left.
Knowing it was time to create a rescue for senior pups, Alice started making calls. She got everything she needed in place, found an incredible vet for her board of directors, and made it official: Lily’s Legacy was in business.
But Lily’s impact was just beginning.
Besides the numerous dogs that were rescued in her name, Alice fully believes she’d had a part in helping secure things for the rescue too.
“This is going to sound crazy but if I need something, I talk to Lily. 99% of the time, it shows up.”
From getting a swimming pool donated for the dogs to receiving a call that a volunteer would help them purchase a bigger facility… Lily’s out there helping pull some strings.
Putting senior dogs in the spotlight
“Senior dogs are harder to get out of shelters. People that go to shelters a lot of times just want puppies or they want young dogs. They don't really understand the benefits of adopting a senior dog. And I think the impression out there is that senior dogs are harder to get adopted. We actually haven't found that to be true.”
It was shocking to Alice to see how Lily, who was a highly in-demand dog breed, could still be overlooked for so long.
She knew it wasn’t because of her breed, it was because of her age.
But for many people who have internationally sought out older dogs, they know there’s actually a lot of perks to bringing a senior pup home that others may just not realize.
🐾 In many cases, they're easier to assimilate into the household
🐾 They are, for the most part, housebroken
🐾 They’re usually pretty good with other dogs and good with people
🐾 They are VERY grateful
“I can tell you that gratitude is the number one thing I have learned from these dogs over the years. They are all so grateful to be in a safe, loving environment where they're getting TLC and good medical care.”
Who’s really benefitting?
Besides making for a good pet, adopting a senior dog is a highly rewarding and beneficial experience... Not just for the dog, but for us as humans too.
“We have a lot of families with children that adopt these dogs. They’ve come back to me and told me what a good lesson this has been for their kids, to learn about caring for and respecting the elderly, and that flows over into people as well. It’s a good life lesson for people.”
Some families have become repeat adopters because they see firsthand just how big of a difference they can make. One family has just adopted their seventh dog this year too!
The hardest part about this is coming to terms with the fact that the dog won’t be around as long as if they were brought home as a puppy.
But the rewards of saving an animal and giving them a good life is priceless.
Alice has countless stories of the incredible resiliency these dogs display–Dogs who were thought to be helpless but later proved everyone wrong:
💕 The hospice dog that they got in the fall of 2023 had a slow-growing tumor and was expected to live for 6 months. He’s still going strong and has no intention of going!
💕 The German Shepherd who came in off the streets, sores and hair missing, and went to live many more years on a 40 acre property with a cat he adored.
💕 The German Shepherd they took in at 12 years old lived to be 16 (and a half!) because of their care.
💕 The sweet boy who came in with bronchitis and 3 masses on his back, one of which was cancerous. They saved him from being euthanized, removed the masses, and he’s now fully recovered–living the rest of his days on a queen bed his forever parents bought just for their pups.
Every single dog that comes into Lily’s Legacy proves that the rewards and transformations far outweigh the short time they may have together.
And when one’s time has come, it just opens up their hearts to help another.
“A lot of people, myself included, feel that when you lose a dog you've been so attached to, and that you've given such a good life to, what they would want is that you go do that with another dog, right away.”
Giving senior dogs the home they deserve
“We have been really blessed along the way. When I first started, I grew it really slowly so that our feet were under us. As we grow, we’ve been able to give them extremely good veterinary care, to be sure they had the daily enrichment that they needed, and not be stuck in a kennel and left to their own devices.”
Over the last 16 years, Lily’s Legacy has grown in a way that allows all their senior dogs to receive the care they deserve.
They’re now located on 5 acres and have around 80 dedicated volunteers that love, spoil, and care for these pups, either as fosters or hospice homes.
Even still, they’re just one rescue with a limited amount of animals they can take in.
But there’s senior dog rescues all over the US who have the same goals. There might be one near you that you never even knew of!
If you’re starting to consider how an older dog can enrich your life (and how you can save theirs!), here’s what Alice suggests will benefit them:
🐾 Make sure your lifestyle suits the dog you’re getting. Most seniors benefit from having someone home most of the time
🐾 Establish a good vet relationship and understand the ins and outs of what the dog needs (ask a lot of questions!)
🐾 Give them good-quality food and health supplements. All the Lily’s Legacy dogs get omega oil, probiotic, and glucosamine daily!
🐾 Provide preventative pest control, like heartworm, flea, and tick medication
🐾 Give lots of TLC, TLC, and more TLC!
A plan to keep them safe and loved
In some cases, senior pets end up in the shelter because something happened to their owner.
And because a plan wasn’t put in place, many times, they don’t leave.
Like any pet, they’ve become accustomed to their life–routines, treats, and love–and all that could be taken from them for reasons they’ll never understand.
Regardless of your pet’s age, putting a Cotl plan in place ensures they’re taken care of, just the way they’re used to, no matter what happens to you.
