“Adopting an older dog can be an amazingly fulfilling experience” ~ Oahu SPCA.
When a gentle senior dog named Pirate arrived at the Oahu SPCA in Wahiawa, Hawaii, no one expected she would spend nearly a decade waiting for a home.
Weeks slipped into months, and months turned into years while Pirate stayed in her kennel. The only sign of passing time was her face slowly turning gray.
For seven long years, not one person asked to meet her. Then, out of nowhere, everything shifted.
Pirate Marie Finally Meets Someone Who Notices Her
“Pirate’s biggest obstacle was the fact that she was an older dog. People don’t want to adopt the older dogs because they think it’s going to be more work,” Amanda Villeme, Executive Director at Oahu SPCA, told The Dodo.
Although the shelter staff cared deeply for her, Pirate appeared to lose her spark.
Her expression showed how discouraged she had become, and it was clear she had grown tired of shelter life.
Then came a change brought on by one woman.
Jennifer Shaffer and her husband, Dennis, relocated to Hawaii because of military duty. Even though they agreed not to adopt any animals right away, Jennifer wanted to spend her free time helping shelter animals.
While looking for volunteer opportunities, she found Pirate’s photo online.
“I saw this one [dog] that was really old. Her face was all gray. She had the cutest ears, they just stuck straight out. She just started winning my heart over,” Jennifer said.
The next morning, she went to the shelter to meet Pirate.
The staff were stunned. After so much time without a single inquiry, someone had finally come specifically to see her.
“Our Pirate?” they asked, surprised.
“They were, like, in complete disbelief that anyone was there to ask about Pirate ‘cause I guess no one [had],” Jennifer said.
Their reaction showed how often Pirate had been passed by.
A New Beginning For A Dog Who Waited So Long
Jennifer was heartbroken imagining Pirate spending her entire life without a family. At that point, Pirate was already eleven and a half years old.
Jennifer knew immediately she wanted to give Pirate comfort, affection, and a peaceful home.
That very night, after their first meeting, Jennifer bought Pirate her first toy and a soft bed. It was the start of their bond.
“She’s the dog that nobody wanted, and she won me over immediately.”
There was only one problem. Jennifer and Dennis had just arrived on the island and had not yet secured a house, so Pirate could not leave the shelter right away.
For two months, Jennifer visited Pirate every single day. She stopped by before work, after work, and on weekends so that Pirate never felt forgotten again.
When their home was finally ready, Jennifer and Dennis arrived to pick up Pirate. The shelter staff celebrated the adoption that had taken seven years to happen.
Pirate’s long wait was finally over.
The transformation that followed was remarkable. A dog who once looked defeated suddenly became cheerful and energetic.
Her family even gave her a new nickname: “old lady baby.”
Despite her age, Pirate embraced every new experience. She had her first zoomies, learned how comfortable a couch could be, and visited the beach for the first time. She celebrated holidays and created memories she had never been able to experience before.
With every milestone, she showed how much life she still had in her.
A Dog Who Became Family Forever
“It was the most rewarding and fulfilling thing knowing that we changed her life. What she needed, and I think what she wanted was a family. Watching her life being changed is what changed our lives,” Jennifer said.
For two precious years, Pirate thrived in her forever home.
She became Jennifer’s “puppy soulmate,” and Dennis loved her just as deeply.
Although her time eventually came to an end, she passed away knowing what unconditional love felt like.
Pirate Marie crossed the rainbow bridge one day before her parents’ wedding, but Jennifer believes Pirate was still with her.
Today, Jennifer keeps Pirate’s memory alive through Instagram: @pirate_marie.
“She was the best girl… she was truly my soul girl,” Jennifer said.
Pirate’s story shows the incredible impact a senior dog can have, and why older animals deserve the same chance to be cherished.