Lauren Siler is a seasoned foster mom, but until recently her specialty was kittens. A silver-faced black Lab mix named Annie changed all that when her owner assigned her to Dallas Animal Services at the age of 19.
Siler is was about to board a plane home from Anchorage, Alaska, when she spotted Annie on her Instagram page with animals in need of rescue at DAS.
“I saw her sweet little face sitting in her poor little cot.”
A sad, subdued senior
Annie’s former family did not leave much information at the time of her surrender, only saying that she was 19 years old and had stopped walking and eating. But Siler is still determined to help her sweet senior in any way she can. Immediately after her plane landed in Dallas, she contacted her roommate and best friend, Lisa Flores, to make sure Annie was welcome at their home.
With Flores engaged (her response was a resounding “We need her!”), Siler reached out. Dallas Animal Service only to find out that Annie was attracted to Pawerful Rescue. However, they still hadn’t put the dog in foster care, so Siler and Flores immediately volunteered.
While pet shelters are designed to be temporary stops on the road to families forever, Annie’s situation is different. In her advanced age, she was considered a fospice box. Instead of being put up for adoption, she will spend the rest of her days with Siler and Flores. And these women are determined to make those days as fun and memorable as possible!
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Annie’s group list
The vet who initially checked on Annie said she would be lucky to live another month, but the plucky pup has lived every puppy’s dream for four months and is continuing to grow. With help from their friends, Siler and Flores built Annie an impressive Barrel List, and she skipped some pretty impressive entries.
She’s been on an excursion, professionally photographed, celebrated a tropical Christmas in July (with tons of gifts from Cuddly) and got a DNA test – she’s mostly a Lab with a bit of Pit.
Annie also did her best to determine who had the best burgers in Texas – In-N-Out or Whataburger. She’s still undecided but plans to make her final verdict after some more taste testing.
Siler and Flores threw Annie a “20th birthday” congratulation and asked her Instagram followers to help her celebrate Valentine’s Day in August by sending her cards and letters. that. Seniors respectfully receive Valentine’s Days from as far away as the Netherlands, Hungary and Australia.
“Some of her Instagram videos have had 4.2 million views,” said Siler ABC News. “We had to get a post office box for her fan mail.”
In addition to the written letter, Annie’s social media friends sent her so many toys, treats, and gifts that Siler and Flores brought an entire tree trunk to the Dallas Animal Society to share share wealth.
Annie’s Living Legacy
No one knows how much time Annie has left, but Siler and Flores plan to continue their adventure as long as it takes. As they prepare to celebrate Halloween, Siler has a message for all the dog lovers out there:
“If you can’t adopt, then adopt. If you can’t foster, then donate. And if you can’t donate, volunteer.”
Some people see owning a 19-year-old dog as a recipe for heartbreak. While Annie’s death will certainly bring mourning to those closest friends who gave their hearts to her, it will also bring a priceless sense of fulfillment.
“Until she’s ready to go, we’ll let her live her life,” Siler said. “It would break my heart even more if she had her last day at the shelter.”
Siler and Flores are also nurturing another high-profile sweetheart named Tippy, who is working on her own Bucket List. Follow Siler on Instagram for an adorable update on both pups!
