Senior Adopter Policy

At Yorkie Rescue Houston (YRH), our top priority is the lifelong safety and well-being of every dog we place. We work hard to make the right match, placing our rescues in loving homes that have been thoroughly screened and are deemed a good fit. This includes thoughtfully pairing our younger rescues with younger families and our senior rescues with senior families.

Yorkies, barring any catastrophic health issues, can live well into their late teens. For this reason, we aspire to place our younger dogs in homes where adopters can reasonably commit to the dog's entire lifespan. We understand that many senior applicants may be seeking a young companion after the loss of a beloved pet. However, youth does not guarantee health. We have rescued many young dogs with serious medical issues who sadly did not live to adulthood.

Let’s face it — none of us are promised tomorrow. A person may be healthy and active today, but much can change over the next 10 years. That also means the dog adopted today will be 10 years older too. We have received many surrender requests over the years from senior pet parents who were no longer able to keep up with the dog they once committed to.

To support our mission and reduce the risk of future surrender, we have implemented the following policy:

Effective immediately:

Applicants aged 65 and older must designate a responsible friend or family member who agrees to assume full care and custody of the adopted dog in the event the adopter predeceases the pet or is no longer able or willing to care for the dog. This individual must be named on the adoption application and must sign an agreement acknowledging their commitment to step in if needed.

Additionally, the age range of rescues that YRH is happy to place with applicants aged 55 and older is dogs aged 5 years and up. This ensures the best possible chance of placing our dogs in truly forever homes.

We strongly encourage our senior applicants to consider adopting one of our senior rescues. These dogs bring joy, love, and gratitude into the home, and providing them a safe place to live out their golden years is deeply rewarding.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us protect the future of the dogs in our care.