Britain's oldest dog adopter says she cannot imagine life without little Paddy, after a year of being locked down together.
Coronavirus restrictions has meant many months spent at home and for many of us, our dogs have provided much-needed company during a tough time.
Marjorie Rigby, 101, says her Patterdale Terrier, Paddy who is 77 in dog years, goes on two walks a day and has her in hysterics by howling at the Coronation Street theme tune.
The centenarian takes Paddy for a walk in the morning and again at tea time after they have both had an afternoon nap.
TeamDogs says the demand for dogs has increased dramatically as those previously too busy for a furry friend, suddenly had more time to spend puppy training.
Although puppies might be absolutely adorable, there are also so many older dogs in need of a loving home.
That is why Dogs Trust is appealing for would-be adopters to consider rehoming some of their elderly residents – they too have a lot to offer their prospective new owners.
One older dog that has found his ideal retirement home is 13-year-old Paddy, who Marjorie adopted from Dogs Trust shortly before lockdown began.
Now, Marjorie and her daughter Angela say they don’t know what they’d have done without him as Marjorie hasn’t been able to leave their home since the start of the pandemic.
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Angela, who lives in Tameside with Marjorie, said: “Adopting Paddy is the best thing we have ever done.
"Of course, when we adopted him we didn’t know what we were going to be facing, but I don’t know how we’d have got through lockdown without him.
“He has been absolutely wonderful company, such a comfort.
“I would encourage anyone thinking of adopting a dog to consider an older dog. Paddy makes us so happy and seeing him happy is fantastic.”
Across its nationwide rehoming centres, Dogs Trust currently has 72 dogs on its books who are aged eight and older.
From terriers similar to Marjorie's Paddy, to Annie the Akita and Buster the boxer who the charity says "still loves his walks and a run around playing fetch".
Stepping down an age group to five to seven-year-olds, Dogs Trust has no fewer than 117 pooches in need of a new home.
Could you give a loving retirement home to an older dog?
To find out more about caring for an older dog, visit: dogstrust.org.uk
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