For weeks, Stacy Heilman, an adoption counselor at the Wisconsin Humane Society, wished for caring people to adopt Vince, Mel and Marcus. Since the dogs, all Labs, were 10 years old or older, it seemed that her wish might not come true. Let's face it: Most people prefer puppies.

But something miraculous happened between 5 and 6 p.m. last Thursday: Three separate groups of people walked through the front door of the humane society and adopted the dogs at almost exactly the same time. "It was absolutely amazing," says Heilman. "We were all crying."

The first to enter the facility was Lillian, who had been a dog owner years ago and wanted to adopt again. She and her daughter instantly fell in love with 10-year-old Mel. Then, David and his son spotted Marcus, another 10-year-old Lab, and knew they had found their new best friend.

While Lillian and David were finalizing their adoptions, Patrick Callen and his roommate walked in, ready to adopt 13-year-old Vince. They had been there the day before and were immediately attracted to the lovable Lab. However, considering Callen lost his 14-year-old Shetland Sheepdog, Kipper, earlier in the week, he decided to "sleep on it" and see how he felt about adopting Vince in the morning.

"I decided that I didn't want Vince to be alone for however many years he has left," said Callen. "Kipper was my companion for a long time, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to let him go. It's an emotional thing, no doubt about it, but I knew I gave him a good life and I knew I could do the same for Vince."

At the time of the interview, Callen said Vince was adjusting very well to his new East Side home, and the two had spent the day taking long walks and doing yard work. Lillian called OMC this weekend to report that Mel was doing very well, and David said he and Marcus were spending the weekend together on the Mississippi.

According to Stacy, people relinquish their older pets usually because they move or decide they don't have enough time. "Vince's owners decided to give him up because their kids went to college and they said they didn't have time for him anymore," she says.

There are also many dogs available between the ages of 10 months and four years old because some dog owners lose interest in their pooch once he outgrows the puppy stage. Plus, some don't realize what they're getting into. Although rewarding, raising a dog is a lot of work.

For those who want a pet but are very busy or less active, adopting an older dog is ideal. "You bypass the housebreaking phase and the chewing phase," says Heilman. "Senior dogs don't need as much exercise as a younger dog and they bond a lot quicker with their owners. They seem to know you're taking them to a better place."

The Wisconsin Humane Society is located at 4500 W. Wisconsin Ave. Call (414) 264-6257 for more information. October is national "Adopt A Shelter Dog Month."