Carol Burnett, Bob Newhart & Other Celebrities Join Forces To Advocate For Senior Pets

Dec 30, 2019 by apost team

Dogs can make for adorable, caring companion animals. However, sadly, many senior canines are abandoned or sent to animal shelters, where they are often not selected for adoption.

Thankfully, stars like Bob Newhart, 90, Carol Burnett, 86, Lily Tomlin, 80, and Carl Reiner, 97, have recently advocated for senior dogs, espousing on all of the positives that they can bring to a home and encouraging others to adopt them.

They also talked about what it's like to be senior people and how much value they get out of their own lives. Newhart said, "I'm 90, but I still feel like I'm 30," before pausing and adding, "except when I try to run."

Tomlin joked that the best thing about getting older for her was being able to enjoy cheaper prices at movie theaters. However, they also mentioned the physical ailments that often coincide with age such as osteoarthritis and realizing that there's more time in their past than remains in the future.

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One of the most poignant things that Newhart said was that "growing old is not a death sentence." That's because growing old actually is a death sentence for many animals who have been either cruelly abandoned on the streets or who were given to shelters because their owner died or was otherwise not able to take care of it. Their owners no longer being able to afford the care necessary for these animals to stay alive is another factor that contributes to many senior dogs no longer having homes.

Fortunately, people are starting to look out for these vulnerable animals. Not only these stars but also organizations such as the Grey Muzzle Organization, which sponsored the video that Newhart, Burnett, Tomlin and Reiner featured in.

Those who work with Grey Muzzle "envision a world where no old dog dies alone and afraid" by sending funding and resources necessary to keep these animals alive to places like animal shelters and rescue organizations. In fact, it's provided $2 million in grants since 2008.

Near the end of the video, Tomlin enthusiastically encourages viewers to "go out and adopt a senior dog. They are amazing!"

Have you had a senior dog? What was it like accompanying it during the final years of its life? Or did you learn of an unfortunate situation in which a senior dog was left abandoned or sent to a shelter through no fault of its own?