Retiree Adopts Senior Dogs to Keep Them ‘Loved and Warm’ in Their Twilight Years

In 2012, Steve Greig was devastated after his beloved 12-year-old miniature pinscher, Wolfgang, was hit and killed by a car.

“I was so depressed about it — I couldn’t quite shake it,” he tells PEOPLE. “So I decided that I had to do something that would give his death meaning, something good that would come out of his death.”

He went to a shelter near his home in Denver and adopted a 12-year-old Chihuahua he named Eeyore.

“From the moment I adopted Eeyore, I could tell it was the right thing to do,” says Greig, 59. “I immediately felt better about Wolfgang’s death. It was giving life to another dog. So it was just really good.”

And since he had enough space, he adopted another older dog. And then another one. And others. He currently has 11 senior dogs in his pack.

“This is their home,” he says.

Steve Greig’s Rescue Dogs.

@wolfgang2242/Instagram

He and the dogs share their space with Greig’s miniature pot-bellied pig, Bikini, and a Silkie chicken named Betty (who, unlike his other chickens, sleeps in the house instead of the coop).

“I’ve always loved dogs, I love being around dogs,” he says, adding of the animals he rescues, “many of these dogs would be killed immediately.”

One of his dogs, Festus, is completely blind. Another dog, named Cat, has diabetes. Puppy Loretta is senile and incontinent and has to wear a diaper, but she loves to eat and especially loves to be held, Greig says.

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One of Steve Greig’s rescue dogs.

@wolfgang2242/Instagram

“Lots of these [dogs] they would simply never have homes. And if you give them the right care, they’re great dogs,” he says. “It’s comforting to know that they’re living out their last years the way they should, loved and warm, and not in a shelter.”

Seven small dogs sleep in his bed at night.

“I can’t imagine my life without dogs,” he says. “They have brought me so much joy throughout my life that it feels like a little revenge, that I can take care of them.”

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He shares their journey on Instagram @Wolfgang2242, where his more than one million followers enjoy following the animals’ adventures. He also uses the platform to encourage others to follow his lead. Older dogs are more modest, he says. They are content just walking around the neighborhood and watching a movie.

“There’s no way I could have had this many dogs if they were younger,” he says. “It would just be a nightmare, but these dogs, we get up, go outside, they go to the bathroom, I give them breakfast. They usually nap for two or three hours, so they can get things done. So it kind of works.”

“Being with them really makes me happy,” he adds. “We are one big family.”

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Source: HIS Education