How rescue dogs won 2020âs COVID pet boom It may have been a mongrel of a year but for special needs and senior rescue dogs, itâs been a winner as Aussies embraced hard-case hounds like never before. Pets & Animals by Gillian McNally Premium Content Subscriber only Some arrived on the hot mess express with shabby coats and wonky teeth, others came with missing limbs, mental health problems and the frailties of old age. Despite their ruff looks, special needs and senior rescue dogs have been big winners in 2020 as a pandemic pet boom saw Australians embrace the 'hard-case' hounds often left behind.