The 19-year-old dog Annie is happy as can be.
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Unfortunately, it wasn’t always the case. The senior Labrador retriever mix’s previous owner turned him in to a Dallas Animal Services facility in the summer. Veterinarians estimated that Annie had barely a month to live when she arrived at the shelter in poor condition.
To ensure Annie’s final month was full of love, Dallas Animal Services shared Annie’s story on social media and urged animal lovers to think about fostering the dog.
When Lauren Siler read Annie’s advertisement on Dallas Animal Services, the business analyst says she “knew I had to figure out how to get her.”
Then, Siler continues, “I sent her photo to Lisa, my roommate and best friend, who saw her and yelled, “We have to get her.”
Through Dallas Animal Services, Siler and her friend Lisa Flores made a request to foster the elderly dog. The pair was sent by the shelter to The Pawerful Rescue, which had taken on Annie’s care as she awaited a foster.
The Pawerful Rescue was “very honest about Annie’s sickness and that the veterinarians anticipated we would have a month with her,” according to Siler, when she sought to foster with Flores.
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“Lisa and I only anticipated that she would be with us for a month when we adopted her at the end of June. I had the idea to create a bucket list at that time, Siler claims.
We began with a few activities, such as a car journey, swimming, a birthday party, and Christmas in July, and things just grew from there, according to the woman.
Flores and Siler, who had been documenting Annie’s bucket list adventures on Instagram (@dallasanimalfoster), realized Annie “wasn’t ready to go” as the end of July drew near, so the friends kept adding to the list.
Over 19,000 supporters of Annie have suggested what the senior dog should do next, according to Siler. “She has had over 500 Valentines given to her for Valentine’s Day in August, produced paintings, been a chef and made homemade dog treats, held baby showers, went on a hamburger tour, and so much more,” Siler said.
By a wide margin, Annie has outlived the expectations of her veterinarian. The dog, whose survival in June was barely expected to last another month, is still having fun with her foster family today.
She probably quickly realized that this was “the good life” by settling in. We were going to spoil her rotten, say “Yes” to everything she asked for, take her places, and provide for her for as long as she lived with us, says Siler.
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She brightens as fan mail packages are delivered. Just laughable! She beams genuinely, and she loves getting mail. “We started shooting her “smile” whenever she received a message on Instagram, and plenty of people have noticed,” says Siler.
Annie adores food and will “happy dance” when she is eating. Siler and Flores hope that after seeing Annie’s adorable puppy-like appeal, Annie’s fans would be inspired to give older rescue animals a chance.
“We strongly advise individuals to cultivate. Sad to say, because shelters are simply too full, these animals are often put down if no one volunteers to care them. While being exceptional to us, Annie is not a unicorn. At the moment, a shelter is housing hundreds of Annies. They’re just waiting for someone to step up and take care of them, “Siler says.
The senior dogs at the shelter have given so much of themselves to someone. I think we owe it to these seniors to help them live out their life to the fullest,” she adds.
As long as the dog is motivated and enthusiastic enough to participate, Annie’s bucket list will continue to be active. Instagram user @dallasanimalfoster is where you can follow Annie’s most recent antics.
