This Woman's Life Will Never Be The Same After Adopting This Senior Dog
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Old dogs are incredible beings. 
Too many people insist on getting a kitten or a puppy, and while they can be great, it's the older cats and dogs who need homes even more.
Last year in May I adopted a 17 year old cat from my local shelter. She'd been surrendered to them after her first owner could no longer care for her. This cat now had kidney and thyroid issues, and needed a special, somewhat expensive diet. The shelter vet was brutally honest about the health challenges. She could live two years, or only two months. The vet wanted to be sure I knew what I was signing up for. No problem, I said. I'd had elderly cats in the past and had dealt with the special diet thing.
As it turned out, this cat was only with me for three and a half weeks. I'm sorry her time was so short, but I'm very, very glad she got to spend those last days with me. She was sweet and loving, spent hours on my lap and snuggled under the covers at night.
A month or so after losing her I adopted another cat, this one a stray they thought was about 4 years old. Gorgeous Siamese-tabby mix. After I brought her home I quickly figured out that her earlier home had large dogs, as she had a lot of large dog behaviors, and probably only a man or several males there. In many ways she really was not the right cat for me, and for several months I seriously thought about returning her to the shelter. But that seemed unfair. I finally decided that I'd keep her and love her and give her the best life possible. Over time, she has gotten more affectionate, although I fear she will never be a lap cat, alas. Recently she has taken to sleeping with me most nights. Hooray! Because she's part Siamese she talks a lot, and we have many great conversations. 
The love we give our furry friends is always good, never wasted.
So happy she found her person.
We have 4 senior dogs now. How did that happen? Seems like yesterday they were young and frisky. They were all rescues, so didn't have their puppy years together, but they are some terrific and well-loved kids.