3.2 — Senior Adopters: Balancing Limits, Hard Truths, and Potential Payoffs

In Episode 3.2, hosts Jenny Nordin and Ashlyn Kauh are back with another dose of chaos and candor. They kick things off in Not Your 9 to 5, celebrating their first spay/neuter clinic: 31 dogs fixed in a single day — a win for rescue, a loss for Ashlyn’s back.

The main topic tackles adopting to seniors, and why some rescues just won’t do it. It’s not about ageism; it’s about reality — fixed incomes, mobility struggles, and the hard truth that sometimes dogs outlive their humans. Complicated? Absolutely. But also: Some of the most special homes you’ll ever find. Jenny and Ashlyn unpack the fine line between discriminating and discrimination (and why being discerning is literally part of the job), sharing tips for navigating placements with older adopters.

On the Shit List, Jenny wades into the awkward waters of anxiety and placement regret after an adopter spiraled into panic attacks before the dog had even decompressed. (Pro-tip: it’d be nice to know ahead of time when someone’s one popped collar away from a full-blown crisis).

Finally, in Questions, they share a few red flags and low-key red flags reading between the lines on adoption apps. Some might surprise you!

POD MENTIONS:

Sparks K9
Seattle Animal Foundation
Sardis Raptor Center
Old Dog Haven
2.4: Fungus Among Us -- Healing Yeasty Dogs from the Inside Out [DGS Podcast]
The Anxious Generation (Jonathan Haidt) [Amazon]

PARNTER MENTIONS:

Double Down Dog Training
Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG)
A Dog’s Best Friend
START Rescue
Tail Lights Rescue Project
Fixers Collective [Instagram]
Saving Great Animals
Forever Home Dog Rescue
Seattle Veterinary Outreach
Crossroads Vet
Nirvana K9 Training

ADOPTABLE DOG MENTIONS:

Sprinkle
Licorice
Ramen
Eren

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Chapters

00:00 3.2 Senior Adopters: Balancing Limits, Hard Truths, and Potential Payoffs

01:59 A kid-free Anniversary weekend (ofc Jenny brought the dog)

07:16 Updates from 3.1 and Three Awesome Adoptions

10:13 Planning for multiple big intakes! (Finally)

14:39 Not Your 9 to 5: Fixers Collective Spay Neuter Clinic

25:15 Main Topic: Navigating Senior Adopters

28:29 4 Concerns/Considerations: Mental, Physical Capacity, Fixed Income and Death Plan

35:21 More typical challenges and positive considerations

40:11 What about Seniors for Seniors programs?

41:51 How do we navigate this: In person assessment, references, and difficult conversations

45:13 Real rescue examples: Data the Cattle Dog (Denied)

48:01 Anastasia: Vet reference check FAIL

48:59 Halle Berry: Checked all the boxes and a perfect senior placement

52:35 Asking the difficult question with Bear

54:25 Grandma Margie and Lucy

57:28 Going above and beyond and being open minded

01:00:24 Mistakes we won't make again

01:05:38 Key takeaways (it can be really special when you get it right)

01:07:47 A shit list anxious generation adoption return

01:16:25 Question: Red flags (and low-key red flags) on adoption applications