DALLAS — Age ain’t nothing but a number, but sometimes that number can take a toll. That’s where we find Louie.

“He’s going to have a long-term gastrointestinal disease issue,” Dallas Pets Alive! Marketing Director Haley Edman said. “He has some periodontal disease. He also got a bladder stone removed. He has some muscle atrophy.”

Did we mention that the golden-aged Cairn Terrier is blind and mostly deaf?

While some give up old dogs like Louie, others, like the Igo family, take notice.

“I actually saw a picture of Louie on Facebook and saw that he had been dumped by his owners because he was old,” Ashley Igo said as Louie lay in her arms. “The picture just looked so heartbreaking.”

They had him checked out, then volunteered to help him through his final few days. That’s when sweet Lou turned back time on us, though!

“He has just taken a complete turn for the better,” Igo said. “He’s got a pep in his step. I didn’t think he had more than a day or two to live. I just didn’t want him to have to die in a shelter, but he has played a joke on all of us.”

The Igos have been Louie’s hospice foster for nine months now, and he’ll stay with them until the end with Dallas Pets Alive! taking care of the medical costs.

Louie’s story is a special one with North Texas Giving Day next Thursday, September 22. Dallas Pets Alive! spent nearly $147,000 on medical expenses alone last year. Their donation total in that same period was $47,000.

So far in 2016, that medical cost has amounted to nearly $124,000. That puts them on pace for $175,789 by the end of the year.

If you think you can help a dog in need, see who’s available at Dallas Pets Alive!

Or you can donate to DPA!