There's love between people and then there's the transformational bond that can occur between humans and dogs. When Sidney's Sue and Don Newbold met Sophie, their new dog through ElderDog, it was love at first sight.
"At the visit with Sue and her husband, I could tell almost instantly that they had a special connection with Sophie. I could feel the energy in the room change," said Carol van Doorn, rehoming coordinator of the Saanich to Sidney PAWD.
ElderDog Canada is a charitable organization dedicated to aging people and aging dogs. The volunteer-run organization both supports older adults in the care and well-being of their canine companions, as well as helps rehome older dogs who have experienced changes in their lives.
For Neobold, 73, and husband Don, 73, it had been years since their last canine companion. In the meantime, Neobold stayed active as a volunteer dog walker with ElderDog's Saanich to Sidney PAWD, which led to meaningful community connections for her.
"You develop a relationship with the [dog] owners,” Neobold said. She frequently visited with two dog owners, describing one as an “amazing cook” who would send her home with soups, and the other, a 97-year-old who “wanted the company."
"She often said, ‘Without ElderDog, I'd be sitting here like a lump by myself because there wouldn't be people coming to see me’. So, it's just a great organization."
But the longing to have her own pet again came back, though Neobold found that finding the right dog wasn't easy, especially from many organizations. "I'm very active. But, you know, they see your age on an application form, and they don't necessarily want seniors to adopt dogs."
ElderDog was a different experience. While the organization has a "pretty rigorous intake process for both the human rehoming the dog and the human wanting to adopt" as van Doorn put it, this "eliminates or minimizes any surprises for the new family."
Sophie, for instance, was a special case. Coming from a farm, her owners had to give her up when one went into a care home and the other into independent living, feeling it wasn't fair for her to be living in a condo.
Van Doorn chose Newbold to provide Sophie’s new home because she has a small yard and is active, knowing how important this was to Sophie’s previous owners.
“Well-loved, well looked after” is how Van Doorn describes Sophie, who she adds is “more than a small designer dog.”
"She has a plucky personality that defies her diminutive stature,” she said.
Considering she’d dog-sat many dogs, Neobold was surprised how quickly Sophie settled in as it always took other dogs some time to get used to things. “My gosh, it felt like she’d always been here.”
Soon, Sophie was even enjoying the late morning sleep-ins, a change from her 6 a.m. farm routine wake-up.
"I thought, I'm up at 7, so that's not too bad,” Neobold said. “Well, within weeks, because my partner, Don, he sleeps in, she is in bed with him, wanting to be in bed til 8:30.”
One home having to give up a beloved companion, while another gaining it is the same ‘bittersweet thread” that runs through all of the rehoming stories, van Doorn said.
"As aging humans, seniors have to grieve and accept so many things, the loss of their independence, the loss of their health, and the loss of friends and partners,” she said. Where Elder Dog helps is by providing support services to maintain the relationship elders have with their dogs, and when no longer possible, they help the owner rehome their dog at no cost to the adopter or rehomer.
And thanks to this amazing organization, which currently provides Dog Care Support services to over 50 families on the Saanich Peninsula, happy endings happen that try to respect and provide the best scenario for both parties.
With Sophie in her house, Neobold said things are certainly "lighter and happier."
"It's quite amazing, within a week or two, we couldn't imagine not having her.”
Greater Victoria has two ElderDog Pawds: Victoria and Saanich to Sidney, and is in desperate need for more volunteers to make love stories like this come true. Besides more Dog Care Support Coordinators, they need at least one Education and Outreach Coordinator. For more information on ElderDog and volunteer opportunities, visit elderdog.ca.
