However, Ms. Gertrude (that’s Gertie, for all you humans) loves to keep things simple and, well, cozy. Some senior dogs appreciate the flare of extravagant bucket lists. This 14-year-old purebred “Who Knows What,” as her mother refers to her, is on a straightforward yet lofty quest: she wants to get 1,000 hugs.

In the 107-degree heat of Arizona, Gertie and her young canine brother Pablo were left behind at a McDonald’s. Despite a popular Facebook appeal, no one volunteered to house the couple. Gertie was already 12 years old, and Pablo the Chihuahua wasn’t the best with people.

They didn’t have the greatest chances. But soon after they saw that endearing elderly face (and imagined the two of them sitting in 100-degree temperatures in their fur jackets), Kate Goodhart, a lady, invited them inside her house.

It’s true that Gertie is an elderly woman, but anybody whose life has been touched by an elderly dog knows that doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to see people walking past with icy faces searching for a place to call home. A post from Goodhard on Gertie’s Facebook page reads:

“They don’t see older, calmer, and more loving; they only see adorable, cuddly, and bouncing.”

Those three things sound like heaven to Goodhart and anybody who has ever wrestled a dog. Why, therefore, didn’t anybody care about this sage old sweetie of a dog? We don’t think anyone expected them to be able to handle all the attention.

Gertie and Pablo won’t be splitting up anytime soon; they’ll always be a pair of Goodharts. Gertie’s family was aware that she still had some fighting spirit despite their veterinarian’s recommendation to put her to sleep owing to her multiple medical problems. After she settled in at home, her health really got better.

Gertie is currently on a mission. She is an elderly woman in her prime who may not have much time left but yet has a strong sense of life. She loves “meeting new people and getting hugs from everyone she meets,” according to her mother. What better way to say farewell than with a thousand hugs and a bang?

According to Goodhart, the goal of this project is to make Gertie happy, but if “she happens to remove the blinders people have for senior dogs, all the better,” then so be it. Additionally, it’s about enjoying yourself, so if Gertie isn’t feeling it or becomes fatigued during a hug session, she will (regrettably) deny further embraces. At Arizona and Nevada, she is residing near to her family in “Anthem, Cave Creek, Carefree, and proximity south to around Greenway.”

Therefore, leave her some love on Facebook or pay her a visit and give her a huge bear hug! Congratulations on reaching 1,000 hugs, Gertie! We are sending you virtual hugs right now!