18-year-old rescue dog teaches kids about adoption through children's book
18-year-old rescue dog teaches kids about adoption through children's book
Charlie was adopted himself as a 10-year-old senior dog.
ByYi-Jin Yu
June 17, 2024, 3:09 AM
An 18-year-old rescue dog is helping kids learn about adoption and also helping other dogs find their "furever" families.
Meet Charlie King, a Pomeranian, who was adopted in April 2016 by entrepreneur and host Lara Eurdolian King. Charlie was already 10 when King first met the adorable canine.
"I met Charlie while I was on vacation," King recalled to "Good Morning America." "I was staying at a hotel in Palm Springs and this little guy was living in the lobby of a hotel through a pet adoption program, where they let one dog live there, and when it gets rescued, a new dog comes in."
Lara Eurdolian King adopted her dog Charlie, an 18-year-old Pomeranian, when he was 10 years old.Courtesy of Lara Eurdolian King
King began walking Charlie every day, and through their daily interactions, came to know the senior dog and his personality. Soon, she decided she couldn't leave Charlie behind, and even though she had never had a dog before and had only rescued cats in the past, she took the plunge and adopted him.
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"To be honest, my heart kind of just broke when I saw him living there ... he was the longest-running dog in the program. He didn't look quite as fluffy and healthy as he does today at 18, but I knew we could fix that or at least give him a very comfortable loving life," King said.
Charlie, an 18-year-old Pomeranian, inspired a children’s book about adoption titled “Charlie at the Pom Springs Hotel.”Courtesy of Lara Eurdolian King
What to know about dog adoption
Now, Charlie and his story are the inspiration behind the children's book "Charlie at the Pom Springs Hotel," which helps kids and families learn about adoption. The senior dog is also helping Animal Haven, an animal rescue, and The Brady Hunter Foundation promote animal adoptions and is partnering with the Park Terrace Hotel in New York City to launch their "Bark Terrace" program, which includes a dog-friendly guide to the city.
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"A big part of the book is to get more hotels involved in dog adoption and awareness. So, this is a really meaningful program for us," King said.