Steve Greig, who lives in the Denver, Colorado area, has opened his home to more than 40 senior animals, including nine senior dogs, making a personal mission of giving older pets a final chapter of care and comfort. Senior dogs in shelters commonly face lower adoption rates, longer lengths of stay, and a higher risk of euthanasia compared to younger dogs, which underscores the importance of his work.

Greig said the work is simple but profound: he brings animals into a household where they can feel safe and loved. “I’ve been adopting senior dogs for about 13 years now. It’s so obvious that their lives are changed. The second you bring them home, you finally see hope in their eyes. There’s nothing like coming home and having all these dogs there to greet me,” he said. To further amplify his commitment, he often shares positive information about senior dogs being calmer and often easier to integrate into a household.

Among the dogs Greig has adopted is Ortha, described as “a little nine-year-old dog who was deemed unprofitable by a puppy mill.” About Ortha, Greig said: “Ortha. A dog the puppy mill deemed no longer worth having because she wasn’t profitable. Their loss, my gain.” The adoption of older pets like Ortha not only provides a loving home but also significantly reduces risk within the shelter system, where older animals often face high euthanasia rates due to lower adoption interest.

At the time of the ASPCA profile, Greig’s household included eight senior dogs — Chalmer, Fernando, Maytag, Couscous, Sue Ellen, Harriet, Turtle and Allister — with Ortha added later as a ninth senior dog. His care extends beyond dogs to several farm and companion animals, including the pig Bikini, turkeys Frank and Beans, chickens Betty, Henny and Penny, ducks Pat, Pebbles and BamBam, and rabbits Scratches, Ellen and Portia.

The scale of Greig’s effort has drawn formal recognition: the ASPCA awarded him the Citizen Hero Award in October 2024. The award acknowledges his long-standing focus on senior animals, the steady environment he provides them, and the advocacy he represents for senior dog adoption in the community.

Greig frames his work in practical, everyday terms: offering places to sleep, predictable meals, and a routine that reduces stress for older animals. The animals’ names and numbers tell part of that story; Greig says the moment of arrival often reveals the change more clearly than any metric. His advocacy extends beyond personal stories, as he encourages others to share similar narratives, emphasizing the benefits of adopting senior pets.

Local coverage has followed Greig’s recognition and adopted animals; one such account appears at Cwcolumbus. Resources aimed at supporting senior-pet advocacy and adoption are also available from organizations such as Pet-Pardon, which provide guidance for people and groups promoting older-animal placements.

Greig’s approach is steady rather than sensational: bringing animals into a household and keeping them there. He has repeatedly described the visible improvement in older dogs after adoption, noting that the animals show signs of hope and calm once they settle into a stable home. This commitment to senior animals creates a pathway for balancing the shelter population by freeing up space and resources for the younger animals awaiting their forever homes.

Greig’s work offers one model of long-term adoption for animals often passed over for younger pets. The ASPCA honor in October 2024 recognized that sustained commitment to senior animals and the day-to-day caregiving it requires.

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Original reporting: view the original article.