Dog confused as she's returned to shelter she was adopted from 12 years ago

Lola, a senior dog believed to be about 13 years old, was recently surrendered and ended up back at the same shelter where she first arrived in 2014 and was adopted as a young dog. Shelter records show she spent about a year there before going to a home, and staff discovered she had returned roughly 12 years later when she was brought in again. Caitie’s Foster Fam Rescue learned Lola’s story and shared details on Instagram on May 23. According to the shelter post, someone brought Lola in saying they had taken her from a previous owner and could no longer keep her for medical reasons. Although Lola is microchipped, no one reclaimed her, and rescue founder Caitlin Evers told Newsweek the dog has moved into a foster home in Houston, Texas, where she is beginning to settle after the upheaval. Lola needs veterinary care: she has tested positive for heartworm and has a mass on one paw that requires evaluation and treatment. Evers said Lola will be available for adoption once she has been stabilized and assessed medically. The story highlights how traumatic a return to shelter life can be for older animals. Research cited in the reporting shows dogs entering shelters often have higher cortisol levels and show stress behaviors like pacing and vocalizing, but calm human contact can lower that stress. Shelter medicine experts also note that longer kennel stays increase risks of illness, stress and behavioral decline. Senior dogs are among those most often overlooked by adopters, even though many are housetrained and have calmer temperaments. Studies referenced in the article found seniors tend to remain in shelters about seven days longer than adult dogs, and a large analysis of more than 27,000 dogs showed that spending one or more nights in foster care made a dog more than 14 times more likely to be adopted. Readers who want to help senior dogs like Lola can consider fostering, adopting, or supporting local rescues such as Caitie’s Foster Fam Rescue (see their Instagram @caitiesfosterfamrescue for updates).