At just 18-months-old, Trigger is by far the youngest resident at Vintage Pet Rescue. The Rhode Island “retirement home” is designed to give senior shelter dogs a place to live out their final days in comfort.
Sadly, young Trigger has more in common with his elderly housemates than meets the eye. He is in stage four renal failure and likely has just months to live.
The boisterous, happy-go-lucky pooch is blissfully unaware of his condition, and his vibrant presence is breathing new life into the canine senior center!
Trigger was diagnosed with terminal kidney disease when his adoptive family returned him to the Providence Animal Center in Pennsylvania due to excessive urination. Knowing how difficult it would be to place him with an understanding adopter, the shelter began searching for a rescue group willing to take Trigger in.
Vintage Pet Rescue founder, Kristen Peralta made an exception for the young pup due to the severity of his condition and welcomed him into her pack of classic canines.
“We agreed to take Trigger in as a hospice resident,” she told People Pets. “He now has a home for the holidays and lots of senior friends.”
As you can imagine, the presence of a playful, energetic pup was a bit of a shock to some of the more laid-back seniors!
“We are used to seniors who sleep most of the day, but Trigger just wants to play, play, play! We’ve been taking him on long walks and he’s been playing for hours in the backyard,” Perlata said.
But one vintage pooch in particular has taken quite a shine to the frisky pup. Asher, an 11-year-old Pit Bull, now prefers romping and wrestling with Trigger to lounging around with the other seniors.
Although it is heartbreaking that Trigger’s life will be cut short, his rescuers and friends at Vintage Pet Rescue are committed to filling his final days with joy.
“We are going to make sure his last months are the best ones yet,” said Peralta.
H/T to People Pets
Featured Images via Facebook/Vintage Pet Rescue
