Update: Senior Dog Left to Die at Animal Shelter Finds Loving Foster Family

We firmly believe that pets are a lifelong commitment. They aren't something you give back when you get tired of them or they get too old or sick for your liking. (Seriously, we love senior dogs.) So when we heard about a senior dog and a younger dog that were rounded up as strays and brought to a shelter in California a couple months ago, we were absolutely heartbroken at what happened next. According to the Sacramento Bee, both dogs belonged to the same family, and when they came to claim them, they ended up surrendering the senior dog in favor of the younger one.

This adorable little lady is Cookie, and according to Fido4ever, she was left behind by her family but obviously didn't understand why. The blog reported that a shelter worker said, "Cookie is crying for her family. She watched as the family drove away and left her to die."

We're relieved and happy to know that Cookie has been rescued and is living in foster care with OC Small Paws So UT Division. After bringing her out of the shelter and doing an exam, vets discovered that she had some cancerous tumors, but they were able to operate and remove many of them. The group posted on Facebook: "We have made the collective decision to not adopt her out. She will stay under the care of the rescue for the rest of her life in a local forever foster. She also will be under the care of our vet who has already done her first surgery. She is covered and we will be updating as we go along with her."