Being a rescue dog in a shelter is hard, but being a senior makes things even harder.

Older dogs are far less likely to be adopted or find homes. Plus, no elderly dog should have to spend weeks, months, or even years in a small shelter kennel, but it's a sad reality that many dogs face.

We like to think that when a dog is adopted from a shelter, he or she goes on to live a happily ever after with their new family. But sometimes, things don't always go as planned.

Photo: PXHERE

When a sweet 3-year-old pup named Netty was adopted from the Pennsylvania SPCA, the staff thought she'd be in good hands for the rest of her life. Sadly, 12 years later, the SPCA received the dog back. Her owners had returned her because they didn't want to deal with her in her old age.

The Pennsylvania SPCA shared the news in a Facebook post on August 7, 2022. They wrote:

"We hate to break your hearts, again, but here we are.

Netty is 15-years-old. She was adopted from our shelter in 2010 and recently returned due to what the owners said was incontinence. Our veterinary team put her on some medication, and she is doing wonderfully."

https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaSPCA/posts/pfbid0RWNbNKj7mxrEM8Y4fW8c5Kpn4Z1jFkpb7dL6dvraGjF3V45P1taj554zCbjX9LoTl

They went on to say, "But, still, this old gal is sitting in a shelter in what could be her final days. We don’t want that for her. So, we are looking for a home where she can spend whatever time she has left." They added that Netty is "VERY low maintenance, and could live with dogs, cats and respectful kids."

It's hard to imagine how Netty's original family could return her after 12 years together, but the shelter had hopes of moving forward and finding her a final forever home to live out her golden days.

The post was shared far and wide and just two days later, the shelter announced that Netty was on her way home with a new family.

https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaSPCA/posts/pfbid0b6adRkEPoYJ4xrTo9W3b12WqN4W2NG5APQhCY8LXtzic7oqTL1g7pBQ6W1kWRYDVl

They wrote:

"The breaking news of all breaking news: Netty is ADOPTED!!!

She’s heading home with 3 senior dog siblings and her mom is a vet tech! We can’t thank everyone enough for spreading the word to help make this happen, and especially to Netty’s family for giving her the best final days."

We're so happy she was placed with such an incredible family. Hopefully she can move on from being abandoned and live out the rest of her days in peace.