Such a lovebug 🥰
Kathryn LaRoche found it difficult to live alone during the epidemic. So, when her 20-year-old cat died, she decided she wanted to welcome another senior animal into her household.
“It was a very terrible event, but it taught me how wonderful older dogs can be,” LaRoche told us.
She stumbled found Sonny while browsing the Indy Humane Society website. The 16-year-old dog was found as a stray on the streets of Indianapolis, and despite being microchipped, all attempts to trace his original owners had been futile.
LaRoche fell in love with his adorable gray face right away, knowing that his age might make it difficult for him to find another home. So she made the decision to go to the shelter and meet him.
“I spent the days leading up to the meeting making sure I got everything ready at home for him,” LaRoche explained, “so that if he did come home with me, he would have beds and toys.”
When the time arrived, LaRoche entered the shelter and asked to see the facility’s oldest occupant. Sonny was carried outside by the shelter workers, and LaRoche knew he’d be heading home with her the moment she saw him.
“They told I could spend around 30 minutes with him to make a choice,” LaRoche explained, “but I walked in to fill out the paperwork after five.” “I could see he was uncomfortable meeting new people, but he was such a pleasant, easy-going elderly man that I knew he’d be great for me.”
Sonny couldn’t stop grinning as he rode home with LaRoche.
Sonny wants to be as close to his adoptive mother as possible in his new house.
“From the first night, he made it very plain that he wanted to lie in the bed with me beneath the blankets,” LaRoche recalled. “So, despite the fact that I had not intended for him to be a bed dog, he is now!”
Sonny is a laid-back senior, but LaRoche has liked seeing his fun-loving side emerge. He’s started playing with his new toys, and whenever he sees his winter jacket, he gets anxious to go on a stroll.
And Sonny makes it a point to show his mother how much he adores her. “It’s only been a few days, but I can already see he’s starting to trust me more, and he’s gotten incredibly affectionate,” LaRoche said. “He is constantly wanting to be in the same room as me.”
Now that she and Sonny have each other, things are working out better than LaRoche could have expected.
“He truly appears to be a dream dog, and I can’t believe I was able to bring him home,” LaRoche said. “He still has so much love to give, and I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to spoil him for the remainder of his days.”