Last year, our fall issue celebrated senior dogs. It was so popular that we have decided to continue that theme again in honor of Adopt a Senior Pet Month in November. Although all dogs in shelters are forced to face difficult issues, these problems seem to become more intense for animals as they age. For this reason, we want to help promote the adoption of senior pets, and we have dedicated parts of this issue to our more mature canines.

As dogs age, they face aches and pains associated with getting older. The Wellness column discusses arthritis in dogs and possible treatments for this degenerative disease. Our story “Senior Partners” discusses the advantages of senior matches. This is a program running at many local shelters that places older dogs with people over the age of 60. Many believe this special partnership can offer health benefits for the people as well as happy homes for the dogs. On our new Adoptable Dogs page you may find a senior dog that could be the right fit for a senior person in your life.

The fall season is also the time for going back to school, so we hope that you find this issue especially educational. In our cover story, “Planning for Your Pets,” we offer helpful information and tips from experts about the important topic of planning for your pets in times of crisis. While we all hope that our lives will be free from tragedies such as disasters, pet medical emergencies or a guardian’s untimely illness or death, these situations often result in pets winding up at a shelter. We hope that this story encourages you to do some research and plan for disaster preparedness, including looking into pet health insurance and pet trusts. Peace of mind is a great reward.