Decatur animal shelter, JCPenney team up to help senior dogs find forever homes

DECATUR, Ga. - A picture can say a thousand words, so when it matters most, you want to make sure it's a good one. That's why some dogs looking for a forever home are getting professional glamour shots to help show off their good side and get a good home.

For dogs like Dottie, it can be a long wait for a forever home. She's 10 years old and has spent more than 300 days at Paws Atlanta waiting for a family to call her own.

"A lot of people want younger animals, our kittens and puppies go very quickly," said Brenna Lakeson, the Communications and Campaign Manager at Paws Atlanta.

Lakeson said a lot of senior dogs like Dottie wind up waiting quite a while.

"Especially our long-term dogs who have been here a while, they weren't senior dogs when they came in, but they've been here for a couple of years, and now they are senior dogs which is why we want to get them adopted more quickly." she told Good Day's Lindsay Tuman.

So when Paws Atlanta got a call about a new program to help showcase senior dogs, they were all in. JCPenney is behind the idea. They brought in senior dogs from shelters all over the country for a session of Glamour Shots.

"As part of my role I oversee the social team, and we see so many fun videos and pictures of families bringing their pets in to our photos by Lifetouch at JC Penny Studios," Dana Boone, the senior director of Brand Strategy for JCPenney said. "So we wanted more people to know about it but at the same time we felt like it was a great way for us to do some good."

Boone said they particularly wanted to showcase senior dogs.

"So if you think about the way people are adopting pets these days, it's all online, first they're going to go browse first and look and see what's out there before you go in. It's actually very similar to online dating, and you want to put your best face first." she said.

Paws Atlanta decided to bring in two senior dogs, Popcorn and Sloppy Joe.

"And Popcorn you would never know is a senior dog. She has so much energy, loves to run around and play. Sloppy Joe is on a little bit more on the chill side, he likes to hang out in his sweater and take naps," Lakeson said.

At other shelters JCPenny showcased, the Glamour Shots have already led to new homes.

"And the after, they're so happy in the studio, and you can tell they're really getting in to being the center of attention, and you can see how happy they are, and those photos really make a difference in helping them find a home." Boone said.

As part of the program, JCPenney also awarded $1,000 to each shelter as well as a $500 gift card to the stores to help pay for pet items including bedding and blankets. 

If you are interested in adopting one of the senior dogs, JCPenney is offering a free 8X10 print and $70 off a digital album. You can see all the senior pets at JCPenney's website.