A 15-year-old dog abandoned in a shelter by her owner’s family who wanted to euthanize her received her very first puppuccino.
A small, espresso-sized cup of whipped cream specially designed for dogs, the puppuccino is the treat of choice for dog owners visiting Starbucks with their four-legged friend.
Although dogs are considered lactose intolerant, meaning it’s best to avoid dairy, given the small amount of cream served, most can enjoy a puppuccino, albeit in moderation.
If there’s any dog who deserves a puppuccino, it’s Naomi. “She is a 15-year-old chihuahua mix who was given to a veterinary office in the Bay Area to be euthanized,” said Lisa, Naomi’s foster family. News week.
“Her elderly owner became too ill to care for her and the owner’s family thought she was blind and ‘too old’, so they called for her to be put down.”
Lisa and the senior dogs / allthefosterpups
The vet’s office, however, had other ideas and decided to contact Muttsville Senior Dog Rescue for help. Senior dogs represent one of the most at-risk groups in U.S. animal shelters.
Pet Pardon, a campaign group calling for an end to the use of shelters, estimates that older dogs spend up to four times more time in shelters than younger canines. The adoption rate among older dogs is 25 percent, compared to 60 percent among younger dogs and puppies.
Fortunately, organizations like Muttville Senior Dog Rescue want to change that.
First created in 2007 with the main mission of saving the lives of older dogs considered “unadoptable” and often systematically euthanized, they have gone from strength to strength over the years, helped by foster families like Lisa.
As Lisa says, Muttville Senior Dog Rescue was convinced that Naomi had “a lot of life to live,” so they enlisted her to help the Chihuahua mix prepare for life in a new forever home.
However, for Lisa, raising a dog goes beyond meals, playtime and walks. For her, it also meant a moment of relaxation and indulgence, which is why they jumped in the car and headed out for a puppuccino together.
It was a very special experience for Naomi. “Her previous owner never took her anywhere,” Lisa said. “I wanted to look after her while I was in foster care.”
The ensuing journey was captured in a video posted to TikTok under the handle allthefosterpups, sparking delight among viewers. One said she was “clearly living her best life”, while another said “she deserved every puppuccino”.
Lisa said Naomi “loved” her very first puppuccino and while the treat was a welcome surprise, she got an even better one in the weeks after filming the music video.
“She’s adopted by a lovely young couple who live in the Bay Area,” Lisa revealed. “They already have another senior dog who looks like Naomi.”
Looks like this could be the first of many puppuccinos to come.
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