Monaghan, Ireland - Animal shelter employees in Ireland were heartbroken to meet Holly, a Labrador mix who had been surrendered by her owners at the age of 21 simply because the dog was "too old."

"She had been surrendered to him by her owners, presumably to be euthanized," Helen Hewett, manager of the Carrick Dog Shelter, said in an interview with Newsweek.

After getting to know her for the first time, the animal's guardians' hearts broke all the more because, despite her advanced age, the senior animal still seemed to be quite fit.

"Despite hearing and sight issues (age related), the dog had a healthy appetite for food and human company and had a lovely friendly temperament," Hewett said.

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"On assessment, we realized that this dog could still have a good quality of life in the right environment and placed her details on our Facebook page to help find her a placement," she continued.

The response was overwhelming, and Hewett was forced to make a decision.

In the end, she chose Almost Home Animal Rescue's offer. "They offered a space in their specialized dog retirement village," Hewett said, adding that special vet care was available there.

"Despite being initially shocked that such an old dog was surrendered to the pound by her owners, the outcome for Holly has now been the best ever we could have wished for," she concluded.