Vintage Pet Rescue is a senior animal retirement home committed to rescuing old pets from shelters and giving assistance to owners who can no longer care for their senior pets.
The animal organization recently went viral after they shared a unique way to solve one of the most common issues dog owners encounter – separation anxiety. Some dogs have difficult time dealing with being left alone without their human companion and it can be worrisome. But now, owners need not worry as they found a way to solve this problem by using a mannequin to replicate the person the pet is missing.
The rescue center is run by Kristen and Marc Peralta, who is also the parents of their beloved dog named Shorty. The adorable pup, who recently turned 15 years old, has been living with his owners for 11 years and was adopted from a shelter. Shorty hasn’t left Marc’s side for years and they even traveled to work together. But as Shorty grew older, he can no longer travel with his owner due to health concerns.
“Now that he’s older it’s too difficult for him and we don’t want him getting sick. When Marc is gone Shorty is extremely anxious. He’ll bark and cry and nothing will calm him.” Kristen told Bored Panda. “If I hold him he’s still upset,” she said.
The separation anxiety started taking its toll on the beloved dog. But luckily, Kristen’s mom came up with an idea to help him. “She was over one day while Marc was away and saw how upset Shorty was. She went home and ordered the mannequin from a Halloween store that night.” When the mannequin arrived, Kristen dressed it up to look like Marc and even put on the tattoo sleeves on its arms.
Calling the mannequin as FARC (Fake – Marc), she introduced it to the anxious dog and when she snuggled Shorty with the dummy, Shorty suddenly calmed down. The dog was asleep within 30 minutes and slept soundly through the night. This dummy not only comforted Shorty but also the other senior dogs at the center.
