Meet This Week's Adoptable Pets From Seminole County Shelters

A bonded pair waiting for one home

Sophie is a 13-year-old tan Dachshund, and CoCo is a 9-year-old black female Labrador, a sweet bonded pair looking for a home together. They were surrendered after their owner experienced personal difficulties. Their story is the kind that stops you mid-scroll: two senior dogs, inseparable, suddenly without the only home they've known, spotlighted in the Sanford Herald's weekly "Pets of the Week" feature for the March 18 listing.

Both dogs have very gentle temperaments and enjoy being around people. They have lived with children and do well with adults and other dogs, though they have not been around cats. That combination of mellowness and sociability makes them unusually easy companions for an experienced pet household. Sophie and CoCo ride well in the car and walk nicely on a leash, making them wonderful companions for a family willing to give them a loving home together.

The age gap between them, four years, barely registers in practice. A 13-year-old Dachshund and a 9-year-old Lab have both moved past the demanding energy of youth. What they need most now is stability, consistency, and each other. Splitting them is not an option the shelter is offering, and given how bonded the pair clearly is, it's easy to understand why.

What adopting from Seminole County Animal Services looks like

Seminole County Animal Services is located at 232 Eslinger Way in Sanford. Adoption hours run Monday through Friday from 12 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dog adoption fees include microchip, vaccines, heartworm testing, and sterilization. A dog requiring sterilization, or already sterilized by Animal Services, costs $80; a dog already sterilized prior to arrival costs $20. For a bonded senior pair, that's a genuinely modest investment compared to the cost of sourcing pets elsewhere, and it comes with the peace of mind that both animals have been medically evaluated.

Seminole County residents who are 65 or older, disabled, or active or retired military may adopt any available dog or cat for $5 through the Pet Pal Program, with proof of Seminole County residency required and a one-pet adoption limit per household. Animal Services also runs an adoption program for military veterans in partnership with Pets for Patriots, offering free pet adoption to veterans who adopt program-eligible dogs and cats.

The broader shelter picture

Seminole County Animal Services was established in the early 1970s to enforce local ordinances to prevent domestic animal nuisances and to provide a safe place for stray and homeless pets. Today the agency enforces ordinances and also provides services including rabies vaccinations and microchipping.

T.E.A.R.S. Inc. is a volunteer-driven, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded to support abused, abandoned, and relinquished animals throughout Central Florida, working in unison with Seminole County Animal Services and other local shelters to improve the quality of life and shelter living conditions for animals and their prospects of finding a forever home or foster home. Groups like T.E.A.R.S. and rescue partners featured in the Sanford Herald's weekly spotlight expand the network of animals that get visibility beyond what the shelter alone can offer.

Volunteer and foster home opportunities are available for those who want to help homeless pets in the community without committing to a full adoption. Fostering, in particular, can be a lifeline for senior animals like Sophie and CoCo, buying them time and comfort while a permanent placement is secured.

How to find all available pets

Anyone who has lost a pet or is looking to adopt can check out all animals currently in the shelter at 24petconnect.com. The shelter's full listing turns over regularly, and animals like Sophie and CoCo, with their gentle temperaments and immediate availability, tend to move once the right family sees them.

For Sophie and CoCo specifically, the ask is simple: one home, two dogs, and the willingness to share it with a pair that has already spent years proving they're worth keeping together.