At 19 years old, Annie the dog is experiencing complete happiness.
Annie, a senior Labrador retriever mix, was not always well taken care of by her previous owner. She was brought in to a Dallas Animal Services facility in poor condition during the summer and was estimated by veterinarians to have only a month left to live. To ensure that Annie’s last month was full of love, Dallas Animal Services shared her story on social media and urged animal lovers to consider fostering her. Lauren Siler, a business analyst, saw Annie’s advertisement and knew she had to get her. She showed Annie’s photo to her roommate and best friend Lisa Flores, who also fell in love with the dog. Siler and Flores requested to foster the elderly dog through Dallas Animal Services, and they were sent to The Powerful Rescue, which had taken on Annie’s care as she awaited a foster. Although the rescue group was honest about Annie’s sickness and estimated that she only had a month left, Siler and Flores were determined to give her a loving home for her remaining time.
Annie had a tight deadline to meet, but her pals Siler and Flores decided to shower the Lab mix with love and make her last days memorable. They had met five years ago while working at an elementary school. To ensure that Annie’s remaining days were filled with joy, Siler and Flores came up with a bucket list for her, which included all things happy and comfortable.
Lisa and I were only planning to have Annie stay with us for a short time, but we decided to create a bucket list for her when we adopted her in June. It started with a few simple activities like a car ride, swimming, and a birthday party, but it quickly grew. We posted about her adventures on Instagram and received support from over 19,000 followers who suggested new ideas for Annie. She has done everything from receiving over 500 Valentines to becoming a chef and going on a burger tour. Despite her veterinarian’s expectations, Annie is still enjoying her time with us and living the good life. We plan to spoil her and make sure she is well taken care of for as long as she stays with us.
When she’s not busy ticking things off her bucket list, Annie likes to take naps, relax, use the bathroom and receive fan mail. Her excitement when receiving packages is absolutely heart-warming. People have even started filming her smile whenever she receives an Instagram message. Annie loves food and does a little happy dance while eating. The creators of her Instagram account hope that her puppy-like charm will inspire people to adopt older rescue animals. They urge individuals to consider adopting from shelters, where many animals are at risk of being put down due to overcrowding. Annie is one of many animals waiting for someone to give them a chance. As long as Annie continues to be enthusiastic, her bucket list adventures will continue to unfold. You can stay up-to-date with all of Annie’s latest escapades on Instagram by following @dallasanimalfoster.