Senior dogs are less likely to be adopted because of the belief that they are more expensive to look after. But for Karen and Jamie Goullet, Morayfield locals who have spent more than a decade caring for senior dogs, this is further from the truth.
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It all started around 15 years ago when Karen and her husband Jamie adopted a dog named Sally. She was a 15-year-old Staffordshire abandoned by her owners in an animal shelter in Clontarf. The shelter manager asked for the Goullets’ help because Sally was so helpless by then that they were not sure if she will survive another week at the shelter.
Karen and Jamie gladly took her in and in just a week, Sally incredibly transformed into a happy dog, playing around with the other dogs they have at home. Sally was given a second chance at life, having been lived a year and a half with Karen and Jamie’s family before she passed away.
Since then, the couple has fostered more than 50 old dogs in their own home. It helps that they live in two-acre property north of Brisbane, where the dogs have enough space to run around. They even built a special cemetery to honour the memories of dogs who died.
Karen, a contract manager by profession, shared that they have never accepted donations from anyone. They pay for everything, right from the food, toys, and the vet bills of their dogs. Being able to work from home full time also allows her to keep a close eye on them.
The Goullets, who fondly call their home ‘The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs,’ have a simple message for everyone –that is to foster a senior dog so they can finally have their forever home.
“It will change your life, but more importantly, it will change the life of that senior dog. Senior dogs are amazing,” the Goullets shared.
Featured Image Photo credit: JamieandKaren Goullet/Facebook
