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Boss was terrified, confused and ready to go home.

However, following the sudden passing of his owner, the 13-year-old pit-boxer mix didn’t have a home to return to. In October 2023, Boss was taken to the Beaufort County Animal Shelter, where he sought a new loving owner – a family who would help him thrive in the final years of his life, providing the special care and compassion senior dogs require.

That’s not an easy match to find. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, senior pets have a 25% adoption rate in the United States, compared to a 60% adoption rate for younger animals.

The transition from house pet to adoptable dog was scary for Boss. Deaf and understandably anxious, he was overwhelmed by his new environment. A photo taken for the Shelter’s social media captured his heart-wrenching expression: a look of longing and sadness that hit home for animal lovers near and far.

The post quickly gained traction on Facebook. More than a thousand people shared it, and the comments section was filled with people showing how heartbroken they were to learn about Boss’s situation and tagging their friends and family members.

It quickly caught the attention of Sarah Travers, an advocate for senior dog adoptions living in Craven County.

“I had just left an appointment and was just scrolling Facebook in the parking lot. And I have a lot of friends in the rescue community, so I get a lot of dog shares on my Facebook feed,” Travers said. “And I saw his sad kennel picture. And I was like, ‘He’s precious!’ I even shared it and I was like, one of my friends needs to adopt this dog so I can continue to love on him, because he’s so sweet.

“And then I sent a picture of him to my husband, and my husband replied immediately. He was like, ‘Go get him.’”

Travers has been adopting dogs in that age range for approximately six years. She estimates that she’s brought in around 13 dogs in total.

“They’re just the best,” Travers said. “I wish more people took a chance on them.”

Travers and her husband live in the New Bern area. This was the first time a potential adoption required a trip to the Beaufort County Animal Shelter. Travers loaded up some supplies and drove just over an hour to Washington, arriving shortly after the shelter opened so she’d have first dibs on Boss.

The Shelter staff shared what they knew about Boss – his owner had passed away unexpectedly; he hadn’t been at the Shelter long but had already won everyone’s hearts with his gentle disposition; he hadn’t been very reactive to the other animals at the shelter; and he was “just a super sweet boy.”

“They brought him in, and he came right over to me and put his head in my lap,” Travers recalled. “And I knew I was taking him home.”

Travers made the trip back to New Bern with her new four-legged friend. Boss’s new owners made sure to give him time to settle into their home, a process that wasn’t always easy for a 13-year-old dog that was undoubtedly confused and tired after going through a series of major life changes.

But it didn’t take long for Boss to come out of his shell. The Traverses brought Boss to a local fenced-in park where they were comfortable letting him off-leash.

“We thought he was just going to sniff around, because he really hadn’t had a single ounce of energy since we got him,” Travers said. “He was literally doing zoomies, like puppy zoomies around the park for 45 minutes.

“And he was always a zoomer. He loved to do the zoomies.”

When he wasn’t zooming, Boss went on long walks, scarfed down an occasional pup cup at Starbucks. He won hearts everywhere he went, whether at home, out in the community or at his vet checkups.

As energetic as he was, Boss still showed the maturity and other characteristics that made Travers fall in love with senior dogs.

“He was truly the easiest dog,” Travers said. “He slept on our couch every night. The amazing thing people forget about seniors is that 99% of the time they come to you potty-trained. They don’t chew your stuff, and you don’t have to worry about going to bed and leaving them downstairs on the couch because you’re in fear of the chaos you’re going to come down to.”

He was also quiet. The Traverses never heard Boss bark or growl.

Boss was everything they wanted in a dog. The Travers family took advantage of any opportunity to make memories with their beloved dog.

In February 2024, that time came to an unexpected end when Boss faced a sudden health crisis.

An emergency ultrasound revealed that there was a mass on Boss’s liver that had suddenly ruptured, leading to serious complications. Before the rupture, there weren’t any symptoms that indicated the mass was there. After consulting with the veterinarian, the Traverses learned that treatment options were few and risky, particularly for a dog in Boss’s condition.

The Traverses didn’t want Boss to suffer anymore. Ultimately, they made the difficult decision to say goodbye.

It was a heart-wrenching end to Boss’s life. But for Travers, the good times with Boss in those four months far outweighed the sad times. The experience reaffirmed her commitment to helping senior dogs.

“It was worth it. I would still adopt him again knowing that,” Travers said. “That’s the thing with seniors, everyone says, ‘I could never adopt a senior because I would be so sad.’ But that’s kind of the reason I’m doing it.

“If you’re not sad when they pass, you weren’t doing it right,” she added. “You have to give them all your love and you have to give them everything, or you shouldn’t do it.

“Boss has been gone almost a year. I have never looked back at a time and said, I would never do that again, that was just too hard, that was just too sad. I look back and think, I had four awesome months with a really great dog that I get to remember forever. It was sad at the end and still is sad, but it’s worth it. I would encourage anyone to take a chance.”

The Beaufort County Animal Shelter is located at 3931 Hwy. 264 East, Washington, N.C., 27889. The shelter houses adoptable pets of various breeds and ages. The Shelter is open Monday-Friday from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. and on Saturdays by appointment. You can call the Shelter at 252-946-4517.