Friday, June 13, 2025
Finding homes for senior dogs and misunderstood breeds isn’t easy, but local rescue organizations are working to change that with compassion, education and persistence.
Several animal rescue services brought dogs to the “Petals and Paws” adoption event at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in Wantagh on May 17, when adoption fees, a $25 cost for dogs and cats, were waived.
The adoption event included rescue organizations showing dogs that were available, vendors selling dog clothes and accessories, as well as matching dog and human clothes, toys, treats, and story books about specific rescue dogs. The event also featured a shelter raffle table, local animal hospital representatives, and food trucks.
Bessy Gatto, president and founder of Cannoli’s Sweet Life Senior Rescue, in Glen Head, said her team brought in several senior dogs to showcase at the adoption event. Her rescue group, she said, is named after her first dog, Cannoli.
“The first thing that people say to us is they can’t take a dog that’s gonna die pretty soon,” Gatto said. “And it’s heartbreaking for them. But honestly, if you think about it, it’s much better to give them love, even for a couple months at the end of their life, than them dying alone in a shelter.”
But many of those who want to adopt pets prefer older dogs, according to Gatto.
“Obviously, they understand that if you just give them love, even for a few months or a year, those are the ones that need it the most,” Gatto said. “Sometimes people don’t want an energetic puppy that pees and chews everything. They just want a companion to hang out with them. Senior dogs are perfect for that because they’re mellow.”
Summer is Cannoli’s most successful time of year to get senior dogs adopted, but it’s also when the rescue organization gets many new dogs available for adoption, Gatto said, “because people are out and about and thinking about going on walks and stuff like that. It’s funny because summer is also when we get most of the surrenders, because people are going away and they’re on vacation, so they just don’t want to deal with it.”
However, most of the rescue group’s surrenders come from the elderly or pet owners who recently died.
“If an owner is older or dies or can’t take care of them, or their families can’t take care of them, we get them,” Gatto said.
For the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, the challenge is getting larger dogs adopted because of weight restrictions in apartments. Misconceptions and negative reputations of certain breeds — such as the Pit Bull, Rottweiler and Doberman — prompt perspective owners to avoid them during adoption proceedings.
“We try our best to just explain about the dog in front of them, not specifically the whole breed and what they’re bred for, and just go over the facts of that dog specifically,” Ashley Behrens, the animal shelter’s acting director, said. “It’s a challenge, but you try to show people how amazing any breed can be, really.”
Funds from the adoption event’s raffle donations go to either the Tails of Hope fund, which provides training for service dogs for people in need, or to the shelter’s dog enrichment program, which keeps the dogs psychologically healthy while they’re waiting for their forever home.
Tiffany Anatalio and her family said they always wanted to adopt a dog, arriving with a list of specific preferences at the May 17 adoption event.
“A dog that’s hopefully a little playful and easy to manage, but also to have some company sometimes,” Anatalio said.
Raul Diaz, who came to adopt a couple of dogs, said it’s ridiculous to pay thousands of dollars to a breeder when so many wonderful dogs were waiting to be adopted at the shelter.
“This is not my first event here,” Diaz said. “This is a great organization. They always have a good assortment of animals — very friendly staff, very informative staff. With the fair, the vendors, the food, there’s always good food here as well.”
Diaz explained that he knows exactly what he wants in a dog.
“Anything that humans aren’t,” Diaz said. “The pet is very loyal, always happy to see you when you come home, no matter what kind of day it is. Companionship, you pet them, they understand, it’s unconditional. That’s what I’m always looking for in a pet.”
The Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter is located at 3320 Beltagh Ave, Wantagh. For more information on shelter adoptions, visit hempsteadny.gov.
