Steve Greig, after the death of his beloved dog, started rescuing and adopting old abandoned dogs and give them homes in their golden years. The death of his loving pet inspired him to adopt those animals who were abandoned and have no home of their own. So this kind man adopts abandoned animals and till now, he has 21 pets.
A Man Adopts Abandoned Animals
Steve Greig, an accountant from Denver lost his pet dog Wolfgang seven years ago and his life changed forever. He adopted not one dog after Wolfgang died but more than a dozen dogs over the years all of whom are seniors and are in their last stage of life. He decided to rescue these old dogs because they don’t have had a home.
Greig started sharing family photos of his various collections on Instagram, and his followers increased immediately. He currently has 908k Instagram followers, and in addition to nine dogs, he has a pig, two rabbits, two ducks, four chickens, two cats, and a 50-pound turkey. Yes, you read that right! Here’s his inspirational and emotional story, which he has turned into a unique book, The One and Only Wolfgang.
A Star is Born
His mission didn’t start with the purpose of going viral, but rather solely to admire Wolfgang’s memory. He craved something good to come out of the disaster, so he went to a shelter and adopted the oldest dog there. After that, he began shooting his everyday life with his pets.
“I’m the last person you’d expect to have any kind of social media [success]. It grew organically—people just kind of responding to it,” he says.
“It was certainly never intentional. They are just such a part of my life. I’ll come into a room and a chicken is sitting on a dog and it will be a great picture,” Greig added.
At the start, he didn’t even intend to encourage others, but that’s exactly what happened. Soon after he began sharing, his inbox flooded with messages of others adopting senior dogs as well. His popularity led to his book, which educates kids about valuing what is old rather than looking for the next new thing. He now has nine aged dogs at a time, and when they pass away (six have, to date), he adopts new ones in their honor – and memory of Wolfgang.
Life in the Animal House
Greig’s pets have two fields in his home in which they live while he works. His home is furnished with dog doors and has a guarded kitchen area. While it seems like a blast, Greig has everything under control, but he acknowledges that he couldn’t do it without his housekeeper, who comes three times a week. “I’m a fairly neat person,” he says. People are normally disturbed at the sanitation and can’t believe how many pets he has – and in the house, at that. Tofu the turkey, though, stays in the front yard.
Followers Reaction
Greig has had many direct messages on Instagram inquiring how he can stand to adopt senior dogs, understanding the end is near. The answer is simple for him:
“Love doesn’t have a time frame. Whether it is three months, three years, or ten years, it’s still love, and it enhances your life,” he says.
Senior Dogs Issues
Though health care is a big concern when adopting an older dog, it’s not a significant cause of difficulty for Greig, who has dogs with specific diets and health matters including cancer. Rather, he inspires all pet owners, despite the age of the animal, to make certain they have the resources to care for their pets in case they need medical consideration.
He also thinks that they should sincerely consider getting animal health insurance. “Three of my senior dogs are as healthy as can be, and other ones have health issues,” he says. “I have friends that have young dogs with health issues, too.” Illness can hit at any age.
Fame Names
Part of Greig’s fame on social media originates from his family portraits and his stories of the animals, but the other part arises from the unusual names he gives his pets. He named his pig Bikini, he reveals, “because it was funny.”
His other pets have “venerable” names like Loretta and Wilhelmina. The turkey is named Tofu, and he has a new dog named Edsel after the abandoned Ford model from 1958. He adopted the name “because when it first came out it was useless, but now it’s a collector’s item.” His behavior towards Edsel is his behavior toward all of his animals, and it manifests his purpose for life in general.
The Final Message
We can see the Instagram posts are absolutely lovable and heartwarming, but there’s more to it for Greig. He expects that they encourage his followers to adopt a senior dog of their own. “If you’re a little uncertain, I can say that of all the messages I get (and I get so many), I never had one person say that they wish they wouldn’t have done it,” he says. Instead, he gets a message after message saying, “Oh, my gosh – that were the best two years of my life.”
