Grieving man goes to shelter and adopts all the dogs no one else wants

Some people love animals so much that they can’t seem to get enough of them, adopting dogs and other animals until they are surrounded by a virtual farm. One such person, Steve Grieg, has taken it upon himself to provide a forever home to senior dogs unwanted by others. But Grieg didn’t always think this way.

Grieg takes it upon himself to adopt senior dogs

It all started when Grieg’s beloved dog died. Sad, he decided that the best way to fight his depression was to do something truly good, so he decided to adopt a senior pet. He went into the shelter looking to adopt the least adoptable dog there. That was how Eeyore came into his life.

“I was just so distraught about [that death]. A month or two went by and I still felt so horrible about it. I decided that the only way I would feel better was if something good happened that probably wouldn’t have happened if he had not died,” Grieg told.

From there Grieg kept adopting senior dogs until he had 10 total dogs, though only eight of those are his. Now, he adopts senior dogs exclusively, as well as a variety of other animals, and is always willing to give them a loving home.

As for why Grieg likes to have so many pets, it all started in childhood, “I grew up with a lot of pets. Both my parents were animal lovers and they pretty much always let me have whatever I wanted as long as I could take care of it.”

This love of animals followed him into adulthood, resulting in his current living arrangement. It wasn’t until that time, following the death of his beloved dog, that he decided to expand his current family of animals.

The Wolfgang is an ever-changing family

Being senior pets, the dogs come and go, and Grieg is always willing to adopt another to take their place. But, they don’t really replace the departed animals, as all of Grieg’s pets have a special place in his heart. To develop a stronger bond with his animals, Grieg likes to give them a new name once he adopts them. Grieg feels that an animal tie a name to the person calling them that name.

“I almost always rename the pets I adopt. I read somewhere that a pet associates their name with the person calling it, not with themselves… I don’t know if that’s true or not but I like the idea of having a new name to go along with their new life,” Grieg said.

Grieg adopts animals other than dogs

Grieg also shares his Colorado home with a variety of other animals besides his dogs. There is Bikini the pig, Stuart the rabbit, and Betty the chicken, among other animals. To take care of all of these pets, Grieg gets up at sunrise to make everyone breakfast, some of the animals requiring special diets or help with eating their food.

‘The One and Only Wolfgang’

Grieg has released a book about his brood titled,“The One and Only Wolfgang.”

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