Healing HEART Sanctuary: A Place Where Special Animals Are Welcome

At a recent pet adoption fair that Michael, Dewey, Tulip and I attended, we discovered an amazing animal rescue group that is devoted exclusively to disabled animals - talk about an organization after my own heart!

Healing HEART Sanctuary is currently based in Kanab, Utah (although they hope to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area at some point in the future), and is home to a colorful cast of permanent residents. They include Dorie, a cheerful white goat with two amputated back legs, Precious, a Rottweiler mix who sustained a broken back as a puppy, and Eaton, a three-footed African Sulcata Tortoise.

Additionally, Healing HEART strives to re-home special needs animals such as Scooter-Boots, an affectionate tuxedo cat with hind leg paralysis. Scooter-Boots likes to chase dogs around in her wheelchair, and is particularly fond of extended ear scratching sessions. Click here to get adoption information about this special kitty and learn why one of her nicknames is "Miss Manners."

A key component of Healing HEART's approach is to match children and teens who are physically, mentally, or emotionally challenged with the sanctuary's disabled animals. The idea is that the youth who are involved with the animals' recovery/rehabilitation process can learn "that happiness need not be dependent upon circumstances" and get to experience joy, gratitude, and love.

After meeting Executive Director Laura Bradshaw in person, and reading more about her incredible vision, it's clear to me that Healing HEART is a labor of love in the truest sense. I encourage all of my fellow animal lovers to visit the Healing HEART website (http://www.healingheartsanctuary.org/) and get acquainted with this wonderful organization!

Special Needs Animals Are Welcome At Angel's Gate

In a world where old, ill, injured, and disabled animals are all too often unwanted and abandoned, there are few safe havens. Angel's Gate Animal Hospice in upstate New York is one of them.

When Susan Marino founded Angel's Gate in 1993, she envisioned a place where animals with special needs would be welcomed with open arms. Today, Angel's Gate is home to nearly 400 animals including dogs, cats, chickens, parrots, ponies, swans, pigeons, geese and rabbits!

The animals have a range of abilities, and it's not unusual to see dogs rolling along on wheels or cats with diabetes-related blindness basking in the sun. The emphasis, says founder and director Susan Marino, is "on what they can do as opposed to what they can't." She notes that visitors to the sanctuary are "likely to be impressed with the vitality of our family members even though they are 'special needs' animals."

Samson (shown above middle) is a handsome brindle boxer who was born with a form of dwarfism. Like 90-95% of the dogs who arrive at Angel's Gate, he came from a puppy mill. Along with the other animals, Samson will be lovingly cared for for despite his disability. As Susan told Oprah, "What we do is make a commitment to the animal for a lifetime so that they know that they're never going to be abandoned. They're going to be loved the rest of their lives."

Susan gave up a lucrative job as a registered nurse 18 years ago, determined to care for "the misfits and the cast-offs of our society." With a new 100 acre location in upstate New York, world-wide acclaim, and the $50,000 grand prize from Rachael Ray's "Mutt Madness" contest, it seems safe to say that Susan has realized her goal with Angel's Gate. Best of all, her work has inspired countless others to open their hearts and homes to disabled animals. Click here to see a video clip of the Angel's gate animals in action (Samson included!).

Celebrate Earth Day With Some "Recycled Love"

In honor of Earth Day, we are spotlighting a fantastic grassroots rescue group called Recycled Love. Founded in 2004, Recycled Love works tirelessly to find homes for death-row animals in the Baltimore metro area. Recycled Love has saved nearly 1,000 cats and dogs to date, and relies entirely on volunteer foster families.

The group is not afraid to take on challenging cases of neglect, injury, and abuse, and they place many special needs animals. Noel, for instance, a sweet young American Staffordshire Terrier (shown below) who was struggling with multiple injuries as a result of being hit by a car. Although she will never completely recover, the folks at Recycled Love knew she was still a deserving dog and they didn't give up on her until she was placed with a forever family.

Moses is another Recycled Love success story. This adorable senior terrier mix was found as a stray. As if that wasn't bad enough, Moses is almost entirely blind and deaf. Fortunately, he was rescued by Recycled Love and adopted out to a loving home. Judging by his picture below, jaunty little Moses is certainly enjoying his status as a "recycled" pooch!

In keeping with Recycled Love's belief that all animals deserve a second chance, the organization voluntarily accepted three dogs that were seized from Michael Vick's property in Virgina. Click here to read more.

The Recycled Love team is always on the look out for foster and adoptive families, but you can still get involved even if you don't live near Baltimore. Annual membership is just $25.00 and there is also a sponsorship option to benefit animals awaiting adoption. Best of all, Recycled Love is an organization that helps to prove that so-called "secondhand" pets often make the very best companions!

Sanctuary Spotlight: Old Dog Haven

Not far from our home in Western Washington, there is special sanctuary that's devoted exclusively to senior dogs. Fittingly, this organization is called Old Dog Haven and it offers rescue and hospice for elderly canines. Several years ago, founder Judith Piper was compelled to create Old Dog Haven after a friend asked her to take in a senior pooch named Liza. Piper recognized that Liza was just one among many aged dogs that end up abandoned in shelters at the end of their lives. On the Old Dog Haven website, Piper explains the rationale behind her organization:

"All too many dogs of advanced years find themselves terrified and confused at shelters, where their chances of adoption are almost zero. Others are desperate for a new home because of a move, owners working much longer hours, trouble with small children in the home, a death in the family, or bad financial circumstances. Many of these dogs are in poor physical condition as well, making them even less appealing to others. Helping them is sometimes challenging, is often expensive, but is very very rewarding."

Old Dog Haven does not operate a traditional shelter. Instead, the group's canine charges reside in dozens of foster homes throughout Western Washington. Last year 60+ volunteers cared for 400 dogs, providing hospice for approximately 85 percent of them, including little Shawnee - the 14 year old Yorkie pictured above. As heart wrenching as it might sound, hospice care is a wonderful gift for a dog who would otherwise die afraid and alone in a shelter. The Old Dog Haven website puts it this way: "Our goal is that their last years are happy and that they die safe and at peace, knowing they are loved. Wouldn't we all wish this for our own pets, and for ourselves?"

In addition to providing "final refuge" for senior pooches in need, Old Dog Haven also places dogs for adoption. Many of them have age related ailments like vision impairment, deafness, hip dysplasia, etc. Still, the folks at Old Dog Haven recognize the value in these sweet seniors and they provide a compelling list of reasons to adopt an elderly pooch:

-Older dogs, especially those that come to us, settle in easily and are more than ready and willing to bond with you and your family.

-What you see is what you get with older dogs. They've already grown into themselves in all ways.

-An older dog probably won't need a great deal of exercise, and will really appreciate quality time with you and a good nap. And of course, your socks and underwear will remain intact.

-Older dogs generally like to watch the same TV programs that you do, so you won't have to learn to enjoy cartoons.

-Many older dogs have already experiences rides in the car and walking on leash, so they're instant companions and ready to continue those activities with you.

-Older dogs have figured out what humans are all about and are willing and eager to add new information to their knowledge of human behavior. Old dogs can absolutely learn new tricks!

-Older dogs are very grateful for the second chance they've been given and they are very good and giving and receiving love.

-There's absolutely nothing like the smile you get from older dogs - especially dogs that haven't felt like smiling in a while, but now have reasons to smile because you love them.

-Older dogs are looking for human companions who will value their wisdom and their slow pace. They have their very own special appeal.

-When you adopt older dogs, you can erase any unpleasant past experiences that they've had by loving them and caring for them. It doesn't get any better than that!

What a great list! With these wonderful sentiments in mind, I highly recommend a visit to the Old Dog Haven website. I should warn you in advance, though - your heart might just be stolen by one of the precious adoptable seniors you see. I'm currently in love with Natasha, a 12 year old mini Dachshund who looks so much like Greta...

Sanctuary Spotlight: Rolling Dog Ranch

During the course of my work at the shelter, there are many days when I dream of rounding up all the hard-to-place, special needs animals and whisking them off to a tranquil haven where they will be loved, understood, and cared for unconditionally. Believe it or not, such a place does exist in a remote Montana valley. Rolling Dog Ranch is a remarkable sanctuary that's devoted exclusively to disabled animals.

Husband and wife team Steve Smith and Alayne Marker founded the ranch in 2000 after several years of preparation and scrupulous saving. Both Steve and Alayne used to work for Boeing in Seattle, and the couple used their nest-egg to purchase acreage in Ovando, Montana (population 71) in order to start the sanctuary.

You may think that “Rolling Dog” refers to pooches in wheelchairs, but there was a different inspiration for the name. On their website, Steve and Alayne share the reason:

“From the outset, we named the ranch the "Rolling Dog" because our dogs love to roll around on their backs in the sagebrush- and grass-covered meadows on the property. We'll have as many as four dogs at a time rolling around upside down, feet straight up in the air, scratching their backs in the fields.”

What a charming image! I can picture Dewey and Greta joining in with the rolling dogs and getting a nice, long back scratch…

Over 30 special needs pooches reside at the ranch. Their disabilities range from blindness to cerebellar hypoplasia - a neurological condition that impairs balance and motor control. Some, like Bailey the dachshund pictured above, have spinal problems. Despite his bad back, Bailey is leading a life full of mischief and glee. His penchant for stuffed animals is limitless and you'll often hear stories about his antics on the Rolling Dog Ranch blog (I should insert a disclaimer here: once you begin following the RDR blog, you may become hooked!)

The sanctuary is not just for canines, however. Over 20 blind horses and approximately half a dozen disabled cats also call Rolling Dog Ranch home. In fact, the first animal to arrive was Lena – a blind mare. Steve and Alayne had cared for cats and dogs in Seattle , but they were inexperienced when it came to horses. Through Lena , they were able to learn the basics of equestrian care, and her gentle spirit and love of life inspired Steve and Alayne to take in more blind horses and begin a website called www.blindhorses.org

The ranch is sustained entirely by donations, bequests, and grants. With so many needy animals, it is truly a labor of love that entails 14 hour days, physically demanding work, and limitless compassion. Still, Steve and Alayne insist that they are living their dream. "I can't imagine doing anything else" Alayne told The Bark Magazine in a 2006 interview.

And, so, during those moments of despair that inevitably arise at my job in the shelter, I give silent thanks for the fine folks at Rolling Dog Ranch and dream of a day when all disabled animals will get the same second chances that they do at Steve and Alayne's sanctuary.