My family loves animals, so we frequently spend time volunteering at animal shelters. One of our favorite shelters to visit is Young at Heart in Woodstock, which is a sanctuary for senior pets. All of the pets at the shelter are at least 7 years old. During my time volunteering at Young at Heart, I’ve met so many adorable and loving dogs and cats. Here’s information about some of the wonderful animals at Young at Heart!
Oreo
Oreo is a very sweet cat. However, he deals with anxiety because his past owner abused him. Due to his previous experiences, Oreo gets extremely nervous when he sees anyone’s hands. Whenever I visit Oreo at Young at Heart, I hide my hands so that he doesn’t become panicked. While Oreo doesn’t necessarily enjoy receiving pets, he does love to sit on volunteers’ laps and chow down on his kibble.
Charlie
Charlie is a snowshoe cat, and he’s 14 years old. He is an incredibly gentle cat, and he loves sleeping out on the catio at Young at Heart. The catio is an enclosed outside patio for the cats at Young at Heart to sit in with volunteers and guests. Along with spending time dozing in the catio, Charlie also adores coming to sit on volunteers’ laps for snuggles. He’s calm and truly loves being around people.
Lulu
This adorable black cat is full of energy! Lulu is quite spunky and feisty, and she has a great personality. You can usually find her meowing at volunteers and staff members and trying to get their attention. She’s one of the most social cats that I’ve met at Young at Heart. Lulu also loves to play- some of her favorite toys to play with are her wand toys. She is one special cat!
Igor
Igor is a Pomeranian, and he’s an amazing dog! He has so much love to share with people, and he’s incredibly friendly. Igor likes sitting on the couch in Young at Heart’s family room with staff members and volunteers. Along with being a great snuggle buddy, Igor is fond of jumping and playing with his toys.
Cooper
Cooper is 22 years old. He recently had surgery to remove one of his eyes. However, he doesn’t let any of that stop him! Cooper’s favorite activities include spending time snuggling with volunteers, playing fetch with toys, and hanging out outside in the shelter’s outdoor space for dogs. Cooper is one tough cookie, and he’s one of the sweetest dogs ever.
Bonnie
Bonnie is a playful and sweet dog. Some of her favorite things to do are listen to volunteers read her stories and play fetch with her pink mouse toy. She also likes showing off her best trick, which is “beg”! Bonnie is very loving and energetic, and she loves spending time with other dogs and with people.
If you’re interested in learning more about Young at Heart, there are so many other amazing animals at the shelter. You can check out Young at Heart’s website here:
