Alison and Guera: I Want the World to Not be Afraid of Adopting an Older Dog

Your name: Alison

Your dog's name: Guera

Your location: Clayton, California

What made you decide to rescue a dog (as opposed to buying one)? Guera was owned by a co-worker who had to move and couldn’t find a home for Guera. She was surrendered to the shelter, who told them she would be out down in three weeks since she was 11 years old and had cancer. I saw pictures of her and heard about how she helped raise four kids, and I couldn’t let her die in a shelter. I adopted her on the 18th day. She wasn’t even listed on their website and didn’t even have identification or a profile. They were just holding her for the minimum they had to before she was out down.

How did you come to find your rescue dog and how did you know he/she was 'the one'? My co-worker shared her story and pictures. He be found her in a junk yard as a small puppy. He talked about how she loved being around their children and even slept in the cribs of his children when they were infants. I just felt pulled to her heart. She gave her life for these four children and didn’t deserve to die in a shelter without a family.

If applicable, please name the rescue/shelter (and location) your dog came from. Oakland

If you and your pup had an entire day to do only fun things together, what would your day look like? I would love to hike with her. She’s a snooper who snorts and sniffs around. But she is now 14 so the most she can hike is a mile. Her ideal day is watching movies on the couch or in bed, with the occasional nap in the sun. And snacks!

If you had two magic minutes where your dog could understand everything you said, what would you tell her/him? I would tell her that she is so loved and she’s my best friend. I adopted her when she was 11 years old and it’s now been three years. I know our time is short, but I promise to make her last few years the best they can be.

What would be your dog's theme song? That’s a good question! Guera is bilingual and responds to commands in both English and Spanish. Maybe “Despacito” since she needs to slow down when she’s eating!

How does your pup make your life better? She’s equally loving and equally silly. Even on the worst days she makes me laugh and makes me feel like someone has my back.

What do you want the world to know about rescuing a dog? I want the world to not be afraid of adopting an older dog. Your time with them may be short, but it’s still a magical partnership to take a dog into your home. I feel honored to have the responsibility to care for my dog during the last few years of her life. She has so many stories and I am lucky it ends with me.

Anything else we should know? I really appreciate your work advocating for pit bulls. Guera is my first pit bull and I’m hooked. She’s changed the minds of so many people who were originally skeptical of pit bulls. It just takes one and I feel that’s their magic!