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A 14-pound “cockapoo” named Zippy, dependent on insulin and well into his golden years, seemed destined to live out his days in foster care, but an outreach effort by Jackson County Animal Services officials last week on behalf of senior dogs helped the 9-year-old find a new home. Shelter officials said a reduced adoption fee for older dogs, most of whom had waited an especially long time to be adopted, yielded an influx of applicants, including Williams residents Connie and Chris Olivas, who said they hardly needed time to ponder whether they’d open their home to the little brown dog. Zippy had been in foster care for three months after an extended stay at the shelter, with potential families passing him over when learning of his need for insulin shots every 12 hours. Connie Olivas said she and her husband had already cared for diabetic dogs and were comfortable with the added care. Seeing a photo of the lovable pooch might have nudged them, as well. “I saw the article about the dogs in the paper and showed it to my husband and said there was a diabetic dog that wasn’t getting adopted. We have had diabetic dogs, so we were willing right away,” she said, noting that Zippy settled in as if he’d been part of their household his entire life, even claiming his spot in the master bedroom on his first night in the home. “It was really just like that. The foster mom brought him out, and he just fit right in with my other dogs. He was immediately part of the family, which made us very happy. We really wanted to give this little dog a chance to live out his days out in the country. And he’s a little joy.” Shelter Manager Barbara Talbert said Zippy’s adoption was exciting for shelter staff who knew he’d waited longer than he should have. Talbert said a handful of senior dogs went home within a day of announcing the reduced fees and the need for families willing to take older canines. A hound mix named Cedar, which inspired the senior event, went home last week. Talbert said a pit bull named Jewel and a lab/collie mix named Lila were adopted at the same time as Zippy. Remaining seniors eligible for the reduced adoption fee include a pit bull named Mickey, age 6, a lab named Taz, age 8, and a border collie mix named Sky, age 7. All three dogs have been in short- or long-term foster situations to minimize kennel stress. Adoptive families will receive the reduced adoption fee and an hour of free in-home training. Talbert said it was touching to see the community respond to the shelter’s plea for help. “We have a generous community, and it is always gratifying to see how people come forward and step up and help the animals when we have a need,” said Talbert. “The senior dogs who were adopted so far, all the families have been thrilled with how quickly they settled into their new homes. They all seemed to already have figured stuff out and just settled in right away. I think with older dogs it’s like, ‘Been there, done that.’ They’re so happy to go home, it’s like they go, ‘Yeah, OK, I can do this.’” Despite knowing they’ll have fewer years with Zippy than if they’d adopted a younger dog, Olivas said they couldn’t have picked a nicer dog. “He’s older so he’s pretty low energy. He’s well behaved and goes outside when he needs to, but mostly he just wants a nice lap to sit in,” she said. “We weren’t looking for another dog, but when we heard about him we didn’t even need to think about it. We are so thrilled we got to bring him home. And he’s just as happy as a clam.” Online: www.fotas.org/adopting-from-the-jackson-county-animal-shelter/dog/ Reach freelancer writer Buffy Pollock at [email protected]