Annie, the canine at 19 years of age, is in a state of pure bliss.
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Unfortunately, it was not always the case that Annie, a senior Labrador retriever mix, was well taken care of. Her previous owner turned her in to a Dallas Animal Services facility in poor condition during the summer. Veterinarians estimated that Annie had barely a month to live upon her arrival at the shelter. To ensure that Annie’s final month was full of love, Dallas Animal Services shared her story on social media and urged animal lovers to consider fostering the dog. When Lauren Siler, a business analyst, read Annie’s advertisement on Dallas Animal Services, she knew she had to figure out how to get her. She sent Annie’s photo to her roommate and best friend Lisa Flores, who saw her and yelled, “We have to get her.” Through Dallas Animal Services, Siler and Flores made a request to foster the elderly dog. The pair was sent by the shelter to The Powerful Rescue, which had taken on Annie’s care as she awaited a foster. According to Siler, The Powerful Rescue was “very honest about Annie’s sickness and that the veterinarians anticipated we would have a month with her” when she sought to foster with Flores.
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Despite Annie’s accelerated deadline, her friends Siler and Flores chose to nurture the Lab mix and give her “the finest darn month of her life” after they first connected while working at the same elementary school five years prior. To ensure that Annie’s days were filled with enjoyment, love, and comfort, Siler and Flores created a bucket list for her.
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Lisa and I had only expected Annie to be with us for a month when we adopted her at the end of June. However, I came up with the idea to create a bucket list at that time, according to Siler. We started with a few activities such as a car journey, swimming, a birthday party, and Christmas in July, and things just grew from there, according to the woman. Floros and Siler, who had been documenting Annie’s bucket list adventures on Instagram (@dallasanimalfoster), realized Annie “wasn’t ready to go” as the end of July drew near, so the friends kept adding to the list. Over 19,000 supporters of Annie have suggested what the senior dog should do next, according to Siler. “She has had over 500 Valentines given to her for Valentine’s Day in August, produced paintings, been a chef, and made homemade dog treats, held baby showers, went on a burger tour, and so much more,” Siler said. By a wide margin, Annie has outlived the expectations of her veterinarian. The dog, whose survival in June was barely expected to last another month, is still having fun with her foster family today. “She probably quickly realized that this was “the good life” by settling in. We were going to spoil her rotten, say “Yes” to everything she asked for, take her places, and provide for her for as long as she lived with us,” says Siler.
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Annie enjoys taking naps, chilling out, going to the bathroom, and receiving mail when she’s not busy crossing off items from her bucket list. She lights up whenever a fan mail package arrives, and it’s just adorable! According to Siler, they started filming Annie’s “smile” whenever she receives an Instagram message, and many people have noticed it. Food is Annie’s favorite, and she does a “happy dance” while eating. Siler and Flores hope that after seeing Annie’s cute puppy-like appeal, her fans will be inspired to give older rescue animals a chance. “We strongly advise individuals to cultivate. Shelter pets are often put down if no one volunteers to care for them because they’re simply too full. While being exceptional to us, Annie is not a unicorn. At the moment, a shelter is housing hundreds of Annies. They’re just waiting for someone to step up and take care of them,” Siler adds. As long as Annie remains motivated and enthusiastic enough to participate, her bucket list will continue to be active. You can follow Annie’s most recent antics on Instagram user @dallasanimalfoster.