Award-winning blog Grouchy Puppy is host to San Francisco writer Sharon Castellanos's funny, poignant observations about the human-animal bond and our remarkable relationship with dogs. In recent years, it has also been an important source for insights into the joys and sorrows of loving a senior dog.

Through Project Unconditional, photographer Jane Sobel Klonsky has documented the special bond between people and their senior dogs. She now shares photos, taken during her recent visit to Lionel's Legacy in San Diego, revealing the compassion and dedication of those devoted to senior dog rescue.

After many years fostering dogs for a rescue, Diane Pierce and her husband knew that older dogs make great pets, especially for older people, but that those in shelters have a difficult time finding homes. That's when they founded Senior Dogs 4 Seniors to provide a win-win opportunity for older dogs and people.

After diet and appropriate exercise, the next most important thing you can do for your senior dog is provide veterinary checkups. Regular veterinary health exams—including dental checks, complete blood screening, and urinalysis—are an essential factor in keeping your senior pet healthy.

Dog lovers are now asking for more end-of-life services for their dogs for as long as they are able to maintain a good quality of life. However, what is a good quality of life for a dog? Dr. Alice Villalobos offers a couple guides for ensuring a dog's well-being in the final stage of life.

Shelters can be frightening and dangerous for any senior dog, but especially for those that are blind. Blind Dog Rescue Alliance (BDRA) is one of the few rescues in the U.S. that specializes in rescuing visually impaired dogs. In this post, Debbie Marks writes about being a foster for BDRA's old and special needs dogs.

As part of our focus on hospice care for homeless senior dogs, we share a new video by filmmaker Kacey Klonsky, in which Laura Oliver, founder of Lionel’s Legacy Senior Dog Rescue, reflects on the joy of caring for dogs at the end of their lives. The video is part of Klonsky's "Unconditional Stories" series.

Senior dogs are better able to tolerate the stress of a shelter environment and have more of a chance of getting adopted when they sleep well. Therefore, in addition to its grants program, Grey Muzzle helps senior dogs in shelters through donations of beds that get old dogs off cold, hard shelter floors.

Although it is difficult to think about losing our dogs, preparing for the end is important. Dr. Julie Buzby, DVM, a Grey Muzzle Advisory Board member, shares what she has learned about saying goodbye to our canine companions and making them feel comfortable and loved in their final moments.

In an interview, veterinarian and Grey Muzzle Advisory Board member Dr. Marty Becker discusses the mobility challenges faced by his adopted dog Gracie, offers advice for older dogs with similar issues, and tells us how the love of older or special needs pets "can be stronger than you would ever imagine."

In Appalachia and the rural Southeast, homeless dogs face understaffed and poorly funded shelters. Raising Aid for Dogs at Risk (RADAR) was founded to support these “below the radar” country-road shelters in caring for the most vulnerable and at-risk dogs, such as seniors and those with medical issues.

Our time with our dogs - especially our adopted senior dogs - is far too short, but the difference we can make for them is immeasurable. Facing the impending loss of a beloved senior foster dog, Grey Muzzle board member Maria Stoerrle considers the gifts she was able to offer him in the time they had together.

In large shelters, older pets can be overlooked. To address this, Great Plains SPCA, the largest animal welfare organization in the Kansas City area, uses the innovative program SASSY and a Grey Muzzle grant to find adopters for its senior dogs and support the relationship between senior citizens and their pets.

During the holiday season, the loss of loved ones can be particularly poignant. In this post, Sharon Castellanos tells how experiencing her dog Cleo's senior years and eventual loss taught her a lesson in taking joy in the season and appreciating precious moments with those we care about even more.

No one knows the joy that adopting an older dog can bring more than the volunteers, fosters, and adopters of Young at Heart Senior Pet Adoptions, who were recently included in Jane Sobel Klonsky's Project Unconditional photo series.