One-Eyed Rescue Dog Surrendered Aged 12 Still Going Strong Four Years Later

A senior dog who was surrendered to an animal shelter at the age of 12 with multiple health issues is still going strong four years later.

Lenny the dog arrived at Rufus’s Rescue Dogs in Louisiana in 2020. Rebecca Horgan, who runs the animal rescue, told Newsweek that Lenny was surrendered because his owners were moving.

Though he was originally placed in a traditional shelter environment, Horgan learned about Lenny’s situation and took him in. Rufus’s Rescue Dogs is a home-based rescue that represents the ideal setting for senior rescues.

“All dogs live here comfortably in our home,” Horgan said, noting that they care for a mix of “adoptable dogs and hospice dogs.”

While Lenny’s original owner had been willing to part ways with him, Horgan had no plans to give up on the senior pet pooch and set to work getting him the treatment he needed for a number of ailments.

“When I got him he needed a good amount of veterinary care to make him more comfortable,” she said. Lenny was neutered, had several infected teeth removed, was vaccinated, and was given heartworm prevention medicine.

“He had a few different masses and growths removed,” Hogan said. “He also had his eyeball removed because it was damaged in a way that was causing pain.”

These treatments helped Lenny to return to his true happy self, but even then the prospects of him finding a new home did not look good.

Research has highlighted how senior shelter dogs can often struggle to find forever homes. A 2015 study conducted by Priceonomics using data from the adoption website Petfinder found that while 95 percent of puppies on the site ended up finding new homes, just 68 percent of senior dogs experienced the same success.

Horgan has overseen plenty of success stories in her time but acknowledges some senior dogs have complex needs.

“There are a lot of senior dogs given up in the rescue world, a lot of these guys can get some great vet care and fixed up and go on to great homes to live out their golden years,” she said. “But we do encounter some that have complex medical needs that just don’t get adopted for that reason and some that just don’t get adopted because they are older. Those guys end up staying with us.”

Horgan stressed that senior dogs have so much to give and hopes the shelter’s presence on platforms like TikTok helps show this. “It’s always a small victory when senior dogs get adopted,” she said. “We know it’s not for everyone, but with social media, I do believe more people see them happy and easygoing and are more willing to adopt.”

There was a time when Lenny was up for adoption through Rufus’s Rescue Dogs, but Horgan saw he was “passed over a few times because of his age.” Amid concerns over his health following the discovery of an inoperable mass on his neck, it was decided that it would be “more comfortable” for Lenny to remain with them.

He’s become a much-loved fixture at the shelter over the years.

“We absolutely adore him,” Horgan said. “During the last four years, we have had just about 300 dogs cross the threshold here who got adopted. Lenny has been friends with every one of them.”

Lenny was even fortunate enough to find a best friend in a senior Pekingese called Chester. Though Chester has sadly since passed, Lenny is showing no signs of slowing down, despite his advancing years.

“He is small and old, but he is feisty and will tell you what he wants,” Horgan said. “Lenny loves to sleep late and relax. He loves to eat and snack. He is a great walker and loves adventures.”

A dog who enjoys an active lifestyle, Lenny even loves to go for the occasional swim—though he can’t actually swim and, therefore, needs to wear a life jacket when he goes out on walks, just in case he decides to go for a dip.

Here’s to more years of adventures with Lenny.

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