Old dog gets new home for the holidays thanks to social media

An old dog's odds of being adopted weren't great until a viral Facebook post tugged at the heartstrings of thousands and found him his forever home, just in time for the holidays.

Jack was surrendered to the Cochrane and Area Humane Society late November.

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He's a well-mannered Flat-Coated Retriever, but he's no spring chicken at 15 years old.

A Calgary pet store, however, wanted to see what social media could do for Jack.

A Facebook post reached about 15,000 people, attracting hundreds of shares and within a couple of days, Jack found a new forever home with owners Monica and Jason Smith.

"He's just a sweet old man," Monica told CBC News.

"He's affectionate. He's good. Couldn't imagine not having him around. I don't remember a time when he wasn't here with us."

The Calgary Humane Society says Jack is a lucky boy.

"It can be challenging to adopt out a senior pet, dog or cat," Sage Pullen McIntosh explained.

"We see quite a few in the shelter so we try our best to be creative to highlight these wonderful guys. Some people come in, often seniors, specifically looking for a senior pet but many people want a young animal with lots of energy."

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The pet store, meanwhile, hopes Jack can be the poster boy for the advantages of adopting a pet with lots of life, and life experience.

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