Don't want a puppy? Try a senior dog

Adoption events aren't just for pups.

You can meet 8-year-old Holly, 8-year-old Cookie and 4-year-old Candy, all cairn terriers, at "Seniors for Seniors" from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Katie's Cats 'N' Dogs, 215 W. State St. in Geneva. The event will showcase several cairn terriers, ages 2 to 9, who are available for adoption.

"When people walk into a pet store or purchase a pup online, they don't think about the dogs who produced those puppies," said Shell Lewis, volunteer director of Midwest placement for Cairn Rescue U.S.A. "These are the dogs."

According to Lewis, both male and female dogs who are used by so-called "puppy mills" to breed are sold at auction or rescued by organizations such as Cairn Rescue U.S.A. when their breeding days are over.

Although the dogs are under-socialized at the breeding facility, Lewis says they respond well to foster care provided by experienced volunteers.

"They seem to know when they're getting a second chance at life," said Lewis, who is coordinating the event.

Older dogs such as Holly, Cookie and Candy can make great pets for seniors as well as for young couples or families with children. But they may be more appropriate for senior citizens who would like a canine companion.

"There's a lot to consider in adopting a dog," said Lewis. "Cairn terriers are a hardy breed who can live more than 16 years. If you're 70 now, where will you be in 15 years?"

Lewis recently placed Roxy, 10, with an 80-year-old widower in Orland Park and Ruby, 7, with a couple in their mid-70s in Grand Rapids, Mich.

But she says that families with children may also prefer older pets who have already gone through their chewing stage.

The dogs will not be available for on-the-spot adoption.

Lewis says that she makes home visits before a dog is placed. She will not place a cairn terrier with a family with children who are 7 or younger, and she has a rule against electric fences.

"Cairns have a high prey drive and they must be on a leash," she added.

For more information, contact Lewis at agilitycairn@gmail.com or (630) 220-4724.