Against advice from her family and friends, Erin Stanton and her husband Brandon took a chance that not only changed their lives forever, but also the lives of thousands of others.

Wanting to adopt a dog, they decided on a senior dog named Susie. For 5 years, Susie gave the family exactly what they were looking for - love, companionship, and amazing memories. Susie passed away on April 22, 2016, but her legacy lives on...

Whoever said, "Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog," truly understands the value of loving a senior dog. You may get less time with them, but that doesn't mean they give you any less love. Senior dogs are truly something special and they deserve just as much love as any other dog.

This is not something Erin and Brandon fully understood until the loss of their senior dog Susie. Being so inspired by the impact she had on their lives in such a short amount of time, the husband and wife duo started non-profit Susie's Senior Dogs, which helps place homeless senior dogs into their forever homes. With such a stigma around adopting dogs, especially senior shelter dogs who have shorter lives, it is hard for senior dogs to find reliable homes.

Luckily, these senior dogs have Erin. Thanks to her past PR skills, she's now able to bring awareness to senior dogs through her social media accounts and her book "Susie's Senior Dogs." And thanks to her collaborative program, Susie's Senior Dogs she's able to help senior dogs get a new leash on life.

"Older dogs are really great companions... bringing home a senior dog who needs a good home is so beautiful and such a special experience," says Susie's Senior Dogs founder Erin Stanton.

By Nicole Pajer According to most veterinarians, a dog falls into the “senior" category around age seven. The size of a dog, however, affects this categorization. Smaller dogs mature slower and become seniors later in life than larger dogs. Animal shelters are filled with healthy and active senior dogs that are in need of a home. When you're thinking about picking up a dog from your local shelter, don't look past the older dogs. They make great pets for a number of reasons.

Learn more about the value of loving a senior dog at Mr. Mo Project and Tracy's Dogs.

And for an extra-special bonus, Mr. Mo Project teamed up with singer/songwriters Dan Tillery and David G to write a happy and heartwarming song about senior dog adoption. You can download the song Never Too Old To Love on Amazon - http://amzn.to/2tEJqNI.

This HooplaHa original video was produced by Tracy Chevrier, shot by Chris Willmore, and edited by Kellie Sieban. To see more inspiring news, follow us on Facebook and sign up for our Only Good News Newsletter.