SANCTUARY FOR SENIOR DOGS
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Mission Statement
To rescue senior dogs in need; To provide lifelong quality care for rescued dogs; To adopt appropriate dogs into loving, permanent homes; To develop programs that match senior dogs and senior people to their mutual benefit; To foster an awareness of our lifelong responsibility to our companion animals; To strengthen the bonds between humans and animals by teaching respect and compassion for all living beings
About This Cause
History: The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs had its early beginnings in 1999 when the founder Deborah Workman rescued Angel, a timid 8-year-old Whippet/Collie mix whose owner had just died. Angel’s family was about to take her to an area shelter that routinely killed all dogs over six years old. Several months later, Workman visited Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah; she was touched by the dogs in Old Friends and spent several days walking the gray-faced seniors and sitting on the porch brushing them and reading to them, sharing the sunlight. There she met Sammie, a beautiful 11-year-old Golden Retriever mix recently blinded in a fire; she had been at Best Friends her entire life. Sammie came to Cleveland to join Angel and Meghan, an 8-year-old abused Boxer that Workman had also rescued. Ralph, a severely neglected 10-year-old German Shepherd followed soon after. As the senior dogs continued to arrive in Workman’s home—Rose, Guido, Henry, Ted, Georgia—the idea of a sanctuary to provide refuge and hope for old dogs was born. In December 2000, the Sanctuary was incorporated as an Ohio nonprofit; federal 501(c)(3) charitable status followed in February 2002. Volunteers then began raising funds and developing programs in earnest. In the summer of 2001, the Sanctuary held the first of what would become the annual Summer Scoop in the director’s back yard. Since only two dogs had been adopted by summer of that first full year, the turnout was small, but the attendees were enthusiastic. The Summer Scoop is now the Sanctuary’s signature annual community event, taking place the second Sunday of August. Senior dogs from across Northeast Ohio and beyond join us to enjoy the “old dog party of the year,” featuring the Old Dog Olympics and many other exciting happenings. In the summer of 2005, we took a large first step toward realizing our goals by renting space for our first Adoption and Education Center in the historic Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland. Close to all of Cleveland’s major freeways, the Adoption and Education Center houses all of our business operations and provides a safe meeting place for people and old dogs. It is home many events, including Adoption Sunday, a meet and greet event that takes place on the last Sunday of every month. Foster caregivers bring their foster dogs to the Adoption and Education Center from 2-4 PM in order for the public to meet our dogs. Graying Muzzles, the Sanctuary’s annual calendar of old dogs, debuted in 2004. Destined to become a classic, the calendar is a huge success, celebrating old dogs by featuring prize-winning photos of them from across the country and Canada. In 2016, the Sanctuary purchased a home in Old Brooklyn to serve as housing for vet techs or other qualified people to live and care for senior dogs either straight from pounds and shelters with a high incidence of contagious disease or senior dogs with issues that make them unsuitable for our regular foster homes. The Q House has been completely rehabbed and is now occupied by a couple who are caring for the first dog to live there, Chalupa, a dog that had proved nearly impossible to place. Our long-range plans include an urban sanctuary with apartments and houses throughout Greater Cleveland, pairing live-in seniors with resident senior dogs. Currently, however, all of our dogs are housed in Sanctuary-approved foster homes in Northeastern Ohio. In the years since incorporation, the Sanctuary has rescued an average of 32 senior dogs each year. Some of the older dogs stay in a Sanctuary foster home for life because of health problems or, occasionally, behavioral issues or emotional fragility. The Sanctuary is committed to providing each dog that enters its program with a lifetime of care and love. Age, however, has not been a deterrent to adoptions because, on average, approximately 55 percent of our senior dogs have been adopted by loving families, demonstrating clearly that senior dogs are adoptable if given the time and the support. Beginning in 2013 and continuing every year, the Sanctuary has earned a spot in Great Nonprofit’s top-rated organizations, based on positive reviews by the community, and in 2019 was recognized as one of the top 10 places to volunteer in Cleveland. In addition, the Sanctuary carries Guidestar’s Gold Seal of transparency, increasing donor confidence in our operations. This year, the Sanctuary for Senior Dogs celebrates 20 years of continuous operation saving Ohio’s abandoned old dogs. As we continue to grow, our need for dedicated volunteers like you grows as well. You can be proud of your association with the Sanctuary, and you can be a vital part of our continued growth. Programs: Senior Dog Rescue & Adoption The Sanctuary rescues senior dogs primarily from shelters and pounds from across Ohio. Each dog visits the Tremont Animal Clinic for blood tests (heartworm and general screening) and a complete health evaluation before being placed in a foster home. Each dog receives whatever health care our vets deem necessary: treatment for heartworm disease, tumor removal, dentals, and more. The Sanctuary pays for all approved vet care, medications, and supplements for its foster dogs. Food is provided upon request. Forever Foster Care Dogs too ill or too emotionally fragile for adoption have a place for life in our Forever Foster Care. These dogs live as family members in Sanctuary foster homes and receive palliative care, behavioral therapy if warranted, excellent food, and lots of love. No senior dog is ever euthanized for space or time. As long as the dog has an acceptable quality of life, she has a home with us. Senior Therapy Dogs Through Companions, a program that works to unite senior dogs with senior people, the Sanctuary refers senior dogs with excellent temperaments to local dog trainers to be evaluated. Suitable dogs are tested and certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Inc. Certified therapy teams can then visit area hospitals, assisted living facilities, schools, reading programs, and hospice centers, offering friendship and companionship to the clients of these facilities. The Sanctuary also sponsors a small number of therapy dogs to represent us. Currently, we have four active therapy dogs: Ivy, a small, 11-year-old Pomeranian rescued from a hoarder; Roxy, a 9-year-old Coonhound mix; Pollyanna, a 10-year-old wirehaired Dachshund mix; and Simon, a handsome 10-year-old Beagle mix visit adult group homes, schools, nursing homes, special events, and colleges. Our past therapy dogs have been excellent ambassadors for senior dogs. Our longtime therapy dog Burt, a loveable 96-pound, 10-year-old Golden Retriever/Saint Bernard mix, served the Sanctuary for two years, earning an Honorable Mention in the Delta Society’s (now Pet Partners’) national Beyond Limits Awards (2006) in recognition of his extraordinary service in his rookie year. He is one of a growing list of distinguished past therapy dogs: Georgia, a regal Yellow Lab/Golden Retriever who earned her therapy dog status at approximately 12 to 13 years old; Gretchen, an exuberant 9-year-old Border Collie/Chow mix, a true clown and ham; Annie Brown, a sweet 10-year-old Poodle/Bichon mix, sadly diagnosed with cancer early in her therapy dog career; Vinnie, a 14-year-old Poodle/Dachshund mix, everyone’s favorite little dog; Cato, a 9-year-old gentle Rottweiler, a true ambassador for old dogs and for his breed; little Francesca, a 13-year-old Chihuahua whose sweetness made everyone smile; Delilah, a 12-year-old deaf Collie mix whose loved to bark out her joy; FayFay, a 14-year-old Lab mix whose love of life (and food) brought smiles to many; J.J., a 14-year-old, blind Husky mix, who liked nothing better than to roll on her back and wiggle her legs in the air; and recently retired Almonzo, a 9-year-old Bullmastiff whose size and gentleness earned him many fans. Spay/Neuter Senior Dogs Thanks to a grant from PetsOhio, the Sanctuary offered a no-cost voucher program for spay/neuter of senior dogs whose owners met income guidelines as specified in the Ohio revised Code. This innovative program was designed to close the gap in low-cost spay/neuter services traditionally offered only to younger animals and to provide necessary pre-surgical procedures for senior dogs; it has now been discontinued. New Program in 2020: Old Dog Assistance Network (ODAN) Designed to assist owners of senior dogs initially in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood and expanding to other neighborhoods as the program grows, The Old Dog Assistance Network can provide vet care, medication, heartworm preventative, or food for senior dogs (age 7+) whose owners are experiencing financial hardship or live on a fixed income at or below the poverty level. This program can also provide assistance with walking or getting to vet appointments for those who are home-bound or without adequate transportation. The aim of this new program is not just to assist the community in the care of their senior dogs but also, if possible, to keep senior dogs from being surrendered to area pounds or shelters, thus allowing them to live out their lives in the homes they have always known with people who love them but may have difficulty adequately providing for them. The success of this program will directly depend on enlisting volunteers willing to give of their time to go into homes identified by a collaborative effort with the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation, Cleveland Animal Control, Senior Citizen Resources, Inc., and other agencies working with our target population. Old Dogs, Great Friends!™