Welcome to Saving Senior Dogs USA
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Dog Tales |
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Belle, Dreyfus and Sugar's Stories - From Hard Times to Happy
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13 y/o Belle was going to be left on the street by an owner who was being evacuated from a crime-ridden neighborhood. She was not only older, but blind. We went to the location, scooped her up and one of the White Whiskers Senior Dog Sanctuary volunteers fostered her until a wonderful home was found for her. Her new owner has now had Belle (and 5 other rescued Yorkies) for 3 years, And Belle is THRIVING!!! This is a photo of Belle taking a snooze on her comfy dog bed!
11 y/o Dreyfus had lost both his caretakers and was living alone in a house, with neighbors looking in on him periodically. We found his perfect match!! 84 yr old Dr. Robert had lost his wife. His children were living all over the world. He was living alone with a daily housekeeper who did his shopping, prepared meals and did his laundry. But the hours when she wasn't there proved long and sorrowful. I found Dreyfus for him. Blind in one eye and almost toothless, it was love at first sight for both of them. Now, Dr. Bob is very grateful for his new buddy, and he says Dreyfus has made all the difference in the world to him! My senior family - I'm one too! Sugar (white Maltese mix) and her litter-mate, Cinnamon (tan-colored pup coming through the door) are 13. They were being surrendered by a senior lady who had fallen on hard times. She was on her way to drop them at a shelter, and I intercepted her and brought them home to foster. They are very bonded, and I am happy to say, I foster-failed within 3 days. Lucy (19 yr. old black Chi mix) is a puppy mill rescue. Bunny (11 y/o Jack Russel type) was a stray on her way to a shelter, and 13 y/o Bear (Newfie/Chow mix) was on his way to be euthanized, but instead, he was brought here and for two years now he has called this home. |
Boscoe's Story - From Puppy Mill to Pampered
Hi there! I’m Boscoe the basset hound! The humans describe me as a sweet and quirky old man… whatever that means!I was 10.5 years old when I came to Pepper’s Senior Dog Sanctuary (PSDS) in January 2022 from National Mill Dog Rescue. I have to admit, my early years weren’t so great. I was used as a breeding dog in a commercial puppy mill, so the concept of a loving family was unheard of for me. Despite my ruff start to life, I’m soooo glad to now be living at Pepper’s. I truly had no idea that life could be so good! In my new, rescued life at PSDS, I’ve discovered that I love this activity called walking! My human friends and I get to go outside and explore - and boy, oh boy do I love exploring! My basset hound sniffer takes me to all the good places and it’s so fun. My friends here say I’m also a really good dancer and love to swing my caboose when I’m excited. At the end of the day, I love to curl up in a soft dog bed, even if it’s not mine. I’ve also come to love stuffed animals - these are things I’ve never had before and now I don’t think I can live without. Seriously… give me allllll the stuffed animals. I love my toys ALMOST as much as I love food. You see, I wasn’t used to getting regular meals when I was younger. So, when it’s time for breakfast and dinner, I love to thank the humans with some hound howls! It’s the polite thing to do, right? I’m so thankful for my family at PSDS and I look forward to living out my days surrounded by loving friends, both human and canine!
Chonk's Story - From No Home Ever to Sanctuary
Chonk is what we believe to be some type of Puggle mix, we are not sure. We at Pepper’s Senior Dog Sanctuary really think he looks more like a loaf of fantastic bread as that is how he is built. Our friends @truefaithfulpetrescuemission rescued this elderly gentleman from the shelter in which he has been in and out of most of his life. This stopped when they swooped in and now we will love him for the rest of his days. Chonk has some back issues and at one point was not walking at all. The incredible people at True Faithful nursed him back to health, got his weight down and now he is walking 100% of the time. Chonk, you've found you forever home with PSDS!
Buddy's Story - A Blind Senior Dog and His Forever Family
Although totally blind, Buddy gets along fine and has been living “the life” with Paula and Russ since he was adopted in March of 2017 from Lily’s Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary.
If you haven’t considered adopting a senior, read these loving words from his mom, Paula…
“Why a senior dog? Well, with a senior you get cute, or handsome really (like Mr. Buddy), lots of snuggles and Appreciation, Adoration, Wisdom, Experience, Maturity and Calm. And let me tell you, the gratitude from those eyes is unending. No one knows how long they have left on this earth, but the deep satisfaction of knowing you’re making every single one of those days matter, makes all the difference in the world.
No, you may not get 10, or even 5 years with a senior dog. We’re living with our 4th Lily’s Legacy senior, Buddy, a blind chocolate lab. He’s somewhere around 15 or 16 and was lovingly surrendered after having had to have his eyes removed due to medical reasons. His blindness doesn’t slow him down one bit - his GPS works better than my car’s. He knows the route down the hall, into the bedroom and onto his memory foam bed (1 of 4 in the house). He has a pretty sedate life with his 2 cats, Lily and Rose, 6 1/2. His predecessors were Cali, Samantha and stubborn Clyde, all Lily’s dogs. All 4 no doubt had very interesting doggie lives before us, but we had, and have, the extreme pleasure of seeing them to the end of their days. They sure don’t require much - a warm bed, healthy food, a dignified rest-of-life, and most importantly, lots and lots of *love*. I promise you that our next dog will also be a Lily’s dog; there are plenty waiting for a forever home, and far too few forever homes waiting for a Buddy.”
If you haven’t considered adopting a senior, read these loving words from his mom, Paula…
“Why a senior dog? Well, with a senior you get cute, or handsome really (like Mr. Buddy), lots of snuggles and Appreciation, Adoration, Wisdom, Experience, Maturity and Calm. And let me tell you, the gratitude from those eyes is unending. No one knows how long they have left on this earth, but the deep satisfaction of knowing you’re making every single one of those days matter, makes all the difference in the world.
No, you may not get 10, or even 5 years with a senior dog. We’re living with our 4th Lily’s Legacy senior, Buddy, a blind chocolate lab. He’s somewhere around 15 or 16 and was lovingly surrendered after having had to have his eyes removed due to medical reasons. His blindness doesn’t slow him down one bit - his GPS works better than my car’s. He knows the route down the hall, into the bedroom and onto his memory foam bed (1 of 4 in the house). He has a pretty sedate life with his 2 cats, Lily and Rose, 6 1/2. His predecessors were Cali, Samantha and stubborn Clyde, all Lily’s dogs. All 4 no doubt had very interesting doggie lives before us, but we had, and have, the extreme pleasure of seeing them to the end of their days. They sure don’t require much - a warm bed, healthy food, a dignified rest-of-life, and most importantly, lots and lots of *love*. I promise you that our next dog will also be a Lily’s dog; there are plenty waiting for a forever home, and far too few forever homes waiting for a Buddy.”
Barkley's Story - A Transformation
Barkley was a stray from a city shelter, found on the streets in a rough neighborhood. When Barkley arrived at Lily’s Legacy from the shelter he was 15 pounds underweight, had no hair on his body and multiple skin infections.
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It is amazing how things can change for a senior pup who is in desperate condition when you add excellent veterinary care, nutritious food and lots and lots of TLC. Three months later Barkley had blossomed into this handsome boy.
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Barkley was adopted by a wonderful couple, Holly and Leroy, and is now living happily on a fenced acreage property with them and his cat. He loves to supervise his dad gardening and hanging out on his dog bed with his cat.
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Leroy reports; "We have doggy doors on both the front and back doors so he comes and goes as he pleases. So does the cat.”
Big Dog's Story - From Streets to Sanctuary
Big Dog lived on the streets of French Lick, Indiana for at least ten years, as remembered by the people in town. They fed him and let him sleep on porches or in garages in bad weather, but he belonged to no one and would not let people get close enough to catch him. In 2020 he was attacked by another dog and taken to the Orange County Humane Society to mend. It was time for Big Dog to finally have a home! He came to Senior Paws Rescue in July 2020. At first he had to be carried inside as he was not accustomed to being inside. He hid in corners or in the closet for the first few weeks. Slowly he started coming out of his shell. These days he sits on the front porch or visits with other dogs in the common area. He gets very excited about mealtime, jumping like a young pup. Some of the residents of French Lick check in on him from time to time. He will live out his golden years at Senior Paws Rescue.
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Gertie's Story - Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
It’s an age-old story. Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy. Boy and girl go kayaking together …
It’s the story of a senior dog’s whole new life, a rescue, yes, but also an adventure not yet finished.
Gertie had been rescued once before she came to us. Through no fault of her own, and despite people who loved her, life threw curve balls and darts at this dog. A sensitive girl, she picked up on the stresses of the world, building up a rather large and complicated case of anxiety that dominated her days. She worried. She took that worry out on anything within chewing range. She barked and howled if left to face it all alone. Some days she needed to be aloof. Some days she needed to act like Velcro. She loves food, but some days she couldn’t eat. Other days she ate the wrong things. The anxiety showed itself clinically as IBS (a short term that lets people not think too hard about “irritable bowel syndrome”) and that made everyone miserable.
Then she met Marla. And Marla took her home to meet Ron. Oh boy, was that ever a good day.
Marla is a veterinary technician at one of the clinics trying to find solutions for Gertie. Her skill set and understanding of Gertie is the perfect match for helping Gertie heal. Marla is unphased by injections, medications, frequent vet visits (they go to work together) or the need to buy carpet shampoo by the gallon. In Gertie, she also saw the dog her husband was seeking. Someone to watch Vikings games or read with, someone to stay home when the rest of the family insisted on taking big long hikes, and as it turns out, someone willing to hop into the kayak and spend the day on the water together.
We don’t write fairytales, so not every day is perfect in Gertie’s journey to recovery. The diagnostic tests from the vets have been stubborn to improve at times, but the progress in those numbers and in Gertie’s outlook is clearly on the upswing. Best of all, Gertie is discovering a whole new world opened up for her by two people who see the small adventurer inside. So here come the photos, of Gertie at the barn hunt…Gertie kayaking…Gertie camping…and for sure, Gertie sleeping with her truest comfort in the world. All of this is new for her, made possible by love and skilled veterinary care.
It’s a rescue, yes. But even more, it’s a life that is defined by the spirit, not the past.
~ Mary Gustafson, Top Dog Foundation
It’s the story of a senior dog’s whole new life, a rescue, yes, but also an adventure not yet finished.
Gertie had been rescued once before she came to us. Through no fault of her own, and despite people who loved her, life threw curve balls and darts at this dog. A sensitive girl, she picked up on the stresses of the world, building up a rather large and complicated case of anxiety that dominated her days. She worried. She took that worry out on anything within chewing range. She barked and howled if left to face it all alone. Some days she needed to be aloof. Some days she needed to act like Velcro. She loves food, but some days she couldn’t eat. Other days she ate the wrong things. The anxiety showed itself clinically as IBS (a short term that lets people not think too hard about “irritable bowel syndrome”) and that made everyone miserable.
Then she met Marla. And Marla took her home to meet Ron. Oh boy, was that ever a good day.
Marla is a veterinary technician at one of the clinics trying to find solutions for Gertie. Her skill set and understanding of Gertie is the perfect match for helping Gertie heal. Marla is unphased by injections, medications, frequent vet visits (they go to work together) or the need to buy carpet shampoo by the gallon. In Gertie, she also saw the dog her husband was seeking. Someone to watch Vikings games or read with, someone to stay home when the rest of the family insisted on taking big long hikes, and as it turns out, someone willing to hop into the kayak and spend the day on the water together.
We don’t write fairytales, so not every day is perfect in Gertie’s journey to recovery. The diagnostic tests from the vets have been stubborn to improve at times, but the progress in those numbers and in Gertie’s outlook is clearly on the upswing. Best of all, Gertie is discovering a whole new world opened up for her by two people who see the small adventurer inside. So here come the photos, of Gertie at the barn hunt…Gertie kayaking…Gertie camping…and for sure, Gertie sleeping with her truest comfort in the world. All of this is new for her, made possible by love and skilled veterinary care.
It’s a rescue, yes. But even more, it’s a life that is defined by the spirit, not the past.
~ Mary Gustafson, Top Dog Foundation
To learn more about Saving Senior Dogs USA & Saving Senior Dogs Week,
to become a member of Saving Senior Dogs USA, or a sponsor of
Saving Senior Dogs Week, contact Alice at [email protected]
or call 707-787-7010.
to become a member of Saving Senior Dogs USA, or a sponsor of
Saving Senior Dogs Week, contact Alice at [email protected]
or call 707-787-7010.