MARSHALL - Twenty-two years is old for a dog and that's not even counting in dog years.
"Ginger will be 23 in May," said the dog's owner and companion, Kenneth Cole of Marshall. "If you take care of 'em, they'll live that long."
Cole still has the bill of sale for Ginger, which shows one black poodle bought in Lamberton.
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Photo by Karin Elton
Kenneth Cole of Marshall holds Ginger the poodle who is 22 years old.
Ginger is both blind and deaf, but she is able to maneuver around Cole’s home and the outside.
He and his wife, Margaret, who died three years ago on New Year's Eve, bought a poodle because "a poodle is a dog that doesn't shed. You don't have hair all over."
Ginger is blind now and deaf, but still can get around Cole's house on Elm Street.
"Once in awhile she gets stuck in a corner and gets mixed up and doesn't know enough to back up," he said. "She makes a noise and I get her."
Ginger can get around outside as well.
"She knows where the road is," he said. "She won't go off the curb."
Cole said he never leaves Ginger alone.
The Coles bought a cat at the same time as they bought Ginger.
"They were raised together," Cole said. "We would throw them in the back seat of the car and they would sit together."
The cat lacked Ginger's longevity and died a few years ago.
As for Ginger, Cole said he will continue to "keep her around. I can't get rid of her."