14-Year-Old Dog Can't Understand Why He Was Dumped At Shelter

After 14 years as a stalwart companion, Ox was dropped off at the local shelter.

Because of allergies.

It seems an unlikely transgression for a dog who's stood by his owner's side for so long - and likely only wanted to do just that for a little while longer.

But his owner found a new partner. The kind who's allergic to dogs.

So Ox was dropped off at the Humane Society of Hamilton County in Indiana.

Ox was among thousands of old dogs who find themselves unceremoniously dumped at animal shelters when their "forever" homes turn out to be "for-the-moment" homes, no matter how long they've lived there. Old dogs are also routinely at the highest risk of being euthanized - not many people are interested in adopting old dogs.

Old dog dumping is so prominent, a host of organizations have sprung up to try to stem the tide. There's Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary in Tennessee, SAINTS Rescue in British Columbia and Washington state's aptly named Old Dog Haven, which is dedicated to animals "who have almost zero chance of adoption in a shelter."

But Ox's life wasn't fated to end at a shelter in Indiana. Instead, someone decided, even at Ox's advanced age, to give him a second leash on life.

He's in a forever home now.

And it looks to be his last.

Consider teaching an old dog a new love and visit shelters like Indiana's Humane Society for Hamilton County.