When Alice Ensor, an adoption counselor at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, first received an adoption application from a woman named Johanna, she thought it was pretty standard — until she noticed the woman’s age. Johanna was applying to adopt a dog at the incredible age of 100.
“When I first received Johanna’s adoption questionnaire, I was a bit surprised,” Ensor told The Dodo. “100 years old is definitely a milestone in and of itself. We don’t often have a centenarian looking to bring home a new mutt. I knew that Johanna had to be a very special dog lover to be looking for her new furry friend ahead of her 101st birthday.”
While some people might be concerned about someone of Johanna’s age adopting a new dog, Ensor wasn’t. The application went into great detail about Johanna’s situation, and she had a strong support system, including a caretaker and her daughter, Debbie, to help her look after her new friend. She was a great candidate to adopt one of Muttville’s own senior residents — the question was, which dog should it be?
“Muttville’s adoptions manager, Kristin Hoff, was actually the person who realized that Gnocchi might be a great fit, and it was all pretty easy from there,” Ensor said.