Steve Greig, a dedicated dog lover from Colorado, turned heartbreak into hope after losing his beloved pet. Instead of adopting a young puppy, he chose to rescue senior dogs—the ones often overlooked in shelters.
These wise, older companions face slim adoption chances as families typically prefer energetic youngsters. Steve changed that by adopting the 10 oldest dogs from his local shelter, giving them the dignified retirement they deserve.
Contents
- Long months passed after his dog died but Steve was still devastated
- "After 3 months, I still felt so bad"
- "So I decided the only way to bounce back was to do something good"
- "So I adopted a 12-year-old Chihuahua with bad knees and a heart murmur"
- "And that was just the beginning..."
- Now Steve is a very busy man with his 10 dogs
- "My routine is to get up at 5 a.m. and prepare breakfast for all my animals"
- "In addition, each dog has a different diet adapted to its pathology"
- He also takes them to the groomer and the vet
- And he also administers his own medicine
- Steve even comes home from work at lunchtime to take them out and give them treats
- When he's not at home, the whole little troop has a blast...
- "I always grew up with lots of animals"
- "Both my parents also loved animals"
- "They always let me have the animals I wanted as long as I took good care of them"
- "Older dogs are wiser and more responsible than young ones"
- "And I can tell you that I feel good with them at home"
- "It makes me happy to know that they are happy and fulfilled rather than in a cage..."
- "It gives meaning to my life and enriches me every day"
Steve's Instagram (@dogsofalltrades) boasts over 773,000 followers showering his pack with love. His days start at 5 a.m. with custom breakfasts tailored to each dog's health needs, followed by park walks, grooming, vet visits, and midday check-ins from work.
His menagerie includes not just dogs, but a pig named Bikini, ducks, pigeons, cats, and chickens. Though space is tight, Steve plans to welcome more senior dogs—proving love knows no age.
Long months passed after the death of his dog but Steve was still devastated
"After 3 months, I still felt so bad"
"So I decided the only way to bounce back was to do something good"
"So I adopted a 12-year-old Chihuahua with bad knees and a heart murmur"
"And that was just the beginning..."
Now Steve is a very busy man with his 10 dogs
"My routine is to get up at 5 a.m. and prepare breakfast for all my animals"
"In addition, each dog has a different diet adapted to its pathology"
He also takes them to the groomer and the vet
And he also administers medication to everyone
Steve even comes back from work at lunchtime to take them out and give them treats
When he's not at home, the whole little troop has a blast...
"I always grew up with lots of animals"
"Both my parents also loved animals"
"They always let me have the animals I wanted as long as I took good care of them"
"Older dogs are wiser and more responsible than young ones"
"And I can tell you that I feel good with them at home"
"It makes me happy to know that they are happy and fulfilled rather than in a cage..."
"It gives meaning to my life and enriches me every day"
Senior animals worldwide, including in shelters across Europe like France, face similar challenges. Fragile health often deters adopters, but programs like the SPA's "Operation Doyens" aim to change that by promoting senior adoptions.
