BRECKINRIDGE—Once upon a time there was a man and a woman who met over their love for dogs. They got married, moved into a three-story house south of Breckinridge, and made a sanctuary for four-legged seniors. This Valentine’s Day they will be celebrating more than 10 years of wedded bliss with their 29 fur babies.
Bob Archer, 70, and Wendy Adams, 56, opened Old Paws Rescue Ranch as a way to rescue, rehab, and/or give hospice care to older dogs that were being underserved in Garfield County.
Old Paws officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in November 2017, shortly after the couple purchased their home to continue fostering dogs from the Enid Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
Archer, who formerly worked at Enid SPCA, and Adams, who still is a professional pet groomer at The Brass Poodle and had volunteered at Enid SPCA when they met, strive to give abandoned senior dogs the life they deserve.
“When they come to us, they stay with us,” Adams said. She and Archer originally intended to just take in dogs that were 8 years old and up.
According to the ASPCA, senior dogs have a 25% adoption rate compared to the 60% adoption rate of younger dogs or puppies.
Senior dogs are usually the last to be adopted, if at all. They’re more likely to be abandoned or surrendered to animal shelters because their owners are often senior adults who have either died, are no longer able-bodied to care for their dogs, or have moved into housing that doesn’t allow pets.
And while senior dogs mature and outgrow destructive habits a puppy has not, their age puts them at risk for health issues that require medication or health care that may not be affordable to a financially strapped senior adult.
“We’ve taken in the older dogs, which are the most expensive dogs to take care for,” Archer said. Old Paws’ No. 1 expense continues to be doggie health care such as dental care and medicine, which means the rescue needs between $13,000 and $15,000 a year to keep caring for them.
Young and old alike
The couple discovered early on that the senior dogs needed younger dogs in the house so as not to be depressed and lay around all day. So Old Paws began rescuing pups too.
At present, 75% of the dogs at Old Paws are over the age of 8; several of the original “youngins” are now seniors, Archer commented.
Most of the dogs are Heinz 57, he said, meaning they are mixed breeds. They come in all sizes and shapes too; one of the bigger pups named Apollo set a record with 18 breeds per his doggie DNA test.
“They’re special and unique and have their own personalities,” Adams said.
Archer and Adams love each and every one of the fur babies that join their family, even if it’s short-term. Each dog is named and gets a party on his or her birthday every year.
Some of the dogs celebrate their golden years by spreading happiness in local nursing homes and hospice rooms as therapy dogs. Four years ago, Old Paws had Teddi, Radar, Bentley, Little Tater, and Casper as senior therapy dogs visiting human seniors; all of them except Casper have crossed the rainbow bridge and Casper no longer leaves home due to not having energy or bladder control anymore.
Radar’s death this past December was particularly hard on Archer as Radar was Old Paws’ original therapy dog.
That leaves Huey, Archer’s personal pet who started as a therapy dog at 7 weeks old and is now 6 years old, to make the rounds. He’s an old ace at cheering up senior adults, and many of his elderly patients through Hospice Circle of Love look forward to holding and petting him. Kiddos also look forward to seeing Huey when he makes an appearance in area classrooms or community events.
Huey’s girlfriend Cricket and his brother Smokey are in training to do what Huey does.
The hardest moments
Some of the dogs Old Paws rescues die within hours or days of arriving at the sanctuary; the dogs are made as comfortable as possible in those final moments, often with Archer or Adams holding them as they take their last breath.
Some of the dogs live long lives at Old Paws surrounded by their adopted brothers and sisters, so when they pass, it can be quite the shock, especially if they didn’t have outstanding health problems.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Archer said, even if they did expect the dog’s death. In the eight years Old Paws has been operating, many of the senior dogs pass during the cold winter months, he said.
This past December and January, four dogs suddenly passed away including Radar, plus their oldest dog, Lucky, at age 22, was outright stolen from the Old Paws yard.
Because the sanctuary is in the country and there is rarely traffic on the dirt road, Archer said, it never occurred to them to have “no trespassing” signs or security cameras installed.
What complicated matters more this past winter was Adams was hospitalized off and on for two months related to her stomach issues and autoimmune difficulties. She only recently has regained her strength and been able to return to work for limited hours.
“But 50% of our income was gone those two months, and we used up our savings,” Adams said, adding they live off her salary and his Social Security.
Community support
Old Paws relies on donations to maintain the rescue. All proceeds donated fund the soft dog food, dog medical and dental care, and dog hygiene supplies such as blankets, white towels, bleach, and potty pads.
“We rely on support from our kindhearted constituents to continue caring for our senior dogs,” Archer said.
Old Paws has applied for grants from Park Avenue Thrift in the past to aid in paying for therapy dog training, and Old Paws has partnered with Furever Friends, a local foster and adoption agency, to raise awareness or share resources.
Archer is available to speak at civic group meetings and elementary schools to share about dog rescues like Old Paws. Annually he has been invited to Pioneer-Pleasant Vale Elementary, east of Enid, to talk to third graders in Gina Corderman’s class.
While many of the senior dog sanctuaries across the U.S. focus on rescuing them, fostering them, and then adopting them out, Old Paws rescues, rehabilitates, and keeps them. Archer and Adams have no plans of parting with their fur babies, no matter what the cost.
“They make me happy,” Adams said of all her dogs. She and her husband will keep rescuing and running Old Paws until they can’t anymore.
Archer agreed.
“We’re going to keep trying,” he said, even though some days he wants to give up running the sanctuary. “Wendy keeps reminding me how many dogs we’re saving.”
Old Paws Rescue Ranch is on Facebook @OldPawsRR, where they give daily updates about the ranch’s residents.
To donate to Old Paws Rescue Ranch, they accept financial tax-deductible contributions, and they have a wish list on the “donate to a rescue” under the “give back” tab on Chewy.com. Dog lovers like Archer and Adams can also consider supporting Old Paws after death by listing Old Paws in their will or as an organization recipient in lieu of funeral flowers.