Michigan Group Gives Senior Pets A Second Chance

(4 May 2017) SCRIPT:
(NATS)
POPPY DOESN'T GET AROUND AS WELL AS SHE USED TO.
SOUNDBITE: Mari Baker, Poppy's Foster Mom (partially covered):
"Poppy is an old gal. She's 15 years old. She has arthritis really bad."
SOUNDBITE: Mari Baker, Poppy's Foster Mom (fully covered):
"Her owner had to go to assisted living and couldn't care for her anymore."
(NATS)
IT'S A PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS AGING PETS AND THEIR OWNERS.
ENTER TYSON'S PLACE ANIMAL RESCUE …
WHICH STEPS IN WHEN OWNERS HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A TERMINAL ILLNESS OR ARE OTHERWISE UNABLE TO CARE FOR THEIR PETS.
(NATS)
SOUNDBITE: Jill Bannink-Albrecht, Tyson's Place Founder:
"For me, it's like giving a voice to the voiceless. That's the reason I do everything. These animals can't talk and tell you what they want."
JILL BANNINK-ALBRECHT (BAN'-ik AWL'-brekt) FOUNDED THE MICHIGAN NONPROFIT AFTER WORKING AT A SHELTER WITH A 50-PERCENT EUTHANASIA RATE.
SOUNDBITE: Jill Bannink-Albrecht, Tyson's Place Founder (fully covered):
"Tyson was one of the cats there. Three times he came up to be euthanized, because he was too old. He was only 5 years old, but people consider that too old, and I took him home."
(NATS)
IN THE THREE YEARS SINCE OPENING TYSON'S …
BANNINK-ALBRECHT HAS FOUND NEW OWNERS FOR SEVERAL-DOZEN OLDER PETS …
INCLUDING KLAUS.
SOUNDBITE: Kim Dahlke, Gave Klaus to Tyson's (partially covered):
"Because of my mother's declining health, and my father's, they needed to go to an assisted-care living place. And due to her dementia, we knew that we had to find another home for Klaus."
TYSON'S ACKNOWLEDGES THAT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE CHALLENGING THAN OTHERS TO FIND NEW HOMES FOR …
BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
SOUNDBITE: Jill Bannink-Albrecht, Tyson's Place Founder:
"There's got to be someone out there for everyone."
(NATS)
LIKE 15-YEAR-OLD BOSCO.
ONE OF HIS OWNERS HAD DEMENTIA.
THE OTHER DIED FROM CANCER.
(NATS)
THE RAT TERRIER WAS ALSO PLAGUED WITH HEALTH ISSUES …
INCLUDING A WART ON HIS HEAD, A MOUTHFUL OF BAD TEETH AND A KIDNEY INFECTION.
(NATS)
LUCKILY …
THE GREY MUZZLE ORGANIZATION CAME TO THE RESCUE.
THE NATIONAL GROUP THAT HELPS HOMELESS SENIOR DOGS GAVE A 500-DOLLAR GRANT TO TYSON'S PLACE THAT WAS USED IN PART TO HELP TREAT BOSCO.
SOUNDBITE: Lisa Lunghofer, Grey Muzzle:
"One of the greatest treasures of adopting a senior dog is knowing that you're giving that dog a second chance."
WHICH IS HOW BOSCO ENDED UP WITH JEN WILSON AND HER HUSBAND FRANK.
HIS NEWFOUND HAPPINESS …
IS CONTAGIOUS.
SOUNDBITE: Jen Wilson, Adopted Bosco:
"He's just a wonderful dog. He's brought us a lot of joy."
(NATS)
IF ALL GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN …
(NATS)
POPPY WILL BE THE NEXT OLD DOG …
TO LIVE OUT HIS GOLDEN YEARS WITH A NEW FAMILY.
(NATS)
MIKE HOUSEHOLDER, ASSOCIATED PRESS, FENNVILLE, MICHIGAN.

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