Staring Cruelty in the Face: The Story of Raha

Introduction

Over the years, we have taken care of many animals who have been the victims of outrageous cruelty. For anyone who loves animals, it is soul destroying to learn the details of what a dog or cat has suffered. In our current care are several dogs and cats who have suffered vicious and incomprehensibly cruel treatment at the hands of people.  Ben who was kicked and stomped on to unconsciousness as a puppy in Chicago, to the point where he suffered such severe brain damage that he is now blind due to trauma to the optic nerves. Kitchee was stoned nearly to death as a 6 month old puppy. Simone, Janet and Junebug who were nearly starved to death while in the care of a Minnesota animal rescue.  Dogs and cats who have been mistreated while under the care of self described " animal lovers"- kicked, beaten, thrown, poisoned, strangled. Cats deliberately abandoned to their fate outside when it is freezing out and there is no way they could survive.. Apricot and Twa, two cats who suffered paralysis as a result of  being kicked or shot. Nino whose entire litter was slaughtered by a gang with machetes and who was the sole survivor but whose hind legs were cut off before he was saved by his mother. Lucky was beaten nearly to death and left for dead and now can see only shadows. Amal who was shot in the face and now has no lower jaw.  These are just some of the animals at our small sanctuary, currently.  Open social media and it's impossible to avoid photos of trophy hunting and animal abuse cases yet other than ranting on twitter or facebook, it's easy to feel hopeless with no way intervene.  

It's hard not to want vengeance for the suffering of these animals, yet feel powerless to create change. But after we took Raha in last year, I decided there had to be a more effective strategy than raging on social media or becoming incapacitated by despair to think of the cruelty in the world. We can't undo the horrors our animals may have experienced but we won't let the abuse define them, nor be the end of their stories.               

Every animal has a story, they say. When people meet a dog or cat at our sanctuary, or see them on social media, their first question is, “What is their story?”

With Raha, a senior Anatolian Shepherd mix, no one needs to ask. His story is plain to see: the horror and cruelty he suffered…and his resilience and joy that could not be extinguished.

Above: Raha, enjoying a beautiful fall day at Home for Life®, October 2018.

The Rescue of Raha

It’s hard to remember Raha’s desperate condition on the day we met him just one year ago. Some sadistic people had attempted to blow his head off. They put firecrackers in his mouth, taped his muzzle shut, and then lit the fuse. Miraculously the firecrackers did not explode, but they still did plenty of damage—their intense heat seared away Raha’s gums, cracked his teeth, and even burned into the bones of his face and jaw. His injuries left him unable to open his mouth more than a centimeter. By the time we met him, he was slowly starving to death.

Raha arrived at Home for Life® emaciated, weak, and
in pain from his injuries. He had traveled halfway
around the  world from Iran to reach
our Midwest sancuary!

Raha was born a street dog in Iran, and he had encountered cruelty before. In fact, his ears had been cut off in a prior incident. He was an older fellow at the time of this latest attack (our veterinarians estimated him to be about age 8). It hardly seemed possible that this lonely, aged street dog from a developing nation could have a future after life had treated him so harshly. But as it turned out, fate had a plan for Raha.

Disfigured and starving, he wandered around for two weeks. Finally, townspeople who had witnessed the attack called the Vafa Animal Shelter for help, and representatives came to his rescue. Vafa took Raha in, but they knew he would need more medical care and ongoing support than they could provide. He was horribly malnourished and he had developed an infection because of his injuries. Vafa reached out to Home for Life® to help with his case.

Raha's rescue story touched the hearts of people all over the world. They were moved by his spirit, and also shaken by the thought that anyone could be so sadistic toward a good dog.

What happened to Raha will always be visible. His disfigurement bears witness to the sickest tendencies of human nature. Yet his enduring trust and gentleness demonstrate that compassion and kindness prevail.

Raha made the long journey from Iran to Amsterdam, Toronto and finally to Home for Life’s® sanctuary in the Midwest, where at last he could receive the complex medical care and extensive rehabilitation needed to restore him to health and happiness.

Staring Cruelty in the Face: Home for Life’s Emergency Medical Care Fund

Our Emergency Medical Care Fund was established for animals like Raha who need extraordinary veterinary care. Thanks to the generosity of many compassionate donors, we were able to get Raha the help he needed.

Veterinarians at the University of Minnesota treated the terrible infection in his face and mouth resulting from his injuries. Next they cleared away the extensive scar tissue so he could open his mouth. Sadly, one eye and several teeth were damaged beyond repair and had to be removed. Raha was fed a special liquid diet for weeks until he regained weight and strength. His recovery took nearly 6 months, but at last his energy returned, along with his interest in life around him!

There is no excuse nor explanation for the evil Raha suffered, but there is an answer to those who hurt him, tried to ruin his life and kill him, and for anyone who has been cruel to a defenseless animal. And that is the rest of Raha’s story, his real story.

Raha’s REAL Story

Raha enjoys community outreach work as a
member of HFL's Peach Creatures Therapy Dog
Corps. Here he is visiting with students at Como
Senior High School in St. Paul, MN.

Home for Life® responded to the senseless cruelty Raha suffered by ensuring the recovery of this humble dog whose name means “free and peaceful” in Persian. Even after all he endured, Raha is a kind dog. The same trusting heart that made him an easy target for cruelty has also inspired compassion and protection from caring strangers who were moved by his courage and resilience. We were determined to help him heal and give him a life of purpose and joy. With our supporters’ generous help we have succeeded!

Our sanctuary is the first true home Raha has ever known. Here he has found stability, friendship, comfort, and so much more—an opportunity to touch the lives of countless people with his story and through his example.

Raha’s story,
written all over
his face, tells
the tale of good
overcoming evil.

Raha has become an ambassador of compassion and peace. As the newest member of Home for Life’s Peace Creatures® therapy dog corps, he brings hope to people battling adversity: patients in hospitals and mental health wards; families in battered women’s shelters; wounded veterans; and students at area high schools.

Raha’s Story Comes Full Circle

As part of the Home for Life community, Raha is helping to bring positive change to the world every day. He touches people through his therapy work and through his own life story. His story has even touched the heart of Dr. Jane Goodall, who met him when she was the special guest speaker at our Spring 2018 Gala. Dr. Goodall was heartened to see how far Raha had come and commented that his story must bring hope to shelter workers around the world who are dealing with neglect and abuse cases every day on a scale that is hard to imagine here in the U.S.

We sent photos of Raha and Dr. Goodall to the Vafa Shelter, whose workers had first stepped in to save the dog’s life. Vafa’s staff and volunteers were thrilled to see Raha healthy and happy at last. His life journey had taken a direction that none of them could have predicted when they first rescued him. Vafa sent us these photos of their volunteers and staff posing with the photos we had sent!

The pictures express, better than words can, the bond we share with those who love animals no matter where in the world they live, a bond that transcends political ideology and other divides. Raha’s story urges us to seek the common ground we share with others, something to think about after this tumultuous year, and as we move into 2019.

A house is made with walls and beams

A HOME is made with love and dreams

Animal sanctuaries are needed everywhere as worldwide interest in Home for Life® attests. Home for Life’s mission and services give hope to animal welfare workers in other countries who face enormous challenges in their efforts to protect animals and provide humane care.

As a care for life sanctuary, Home for Life® supports the work of animal welfare activists in the U.S. and in other countries by helping them with the most desperate cases. To extend this aid restores the faith of brave individuals on the front lines and brings a ray of light to the often bleak circumstances and uphill battle they face.

At Home for Life®, we envision a world in which the most vulnerable animals like Raha can reach their full potential. His story shows that it is possible to make the best of a terrible start in life. He is a living example of goodness triumphing over cruelty. Raha has survived to enjoy a full life and even give back as part of Peace Creatures® community outreach programs.

More animals need the life-saving dream that only Home for Life® can provide and now is the time to make a dream come true for another dog or cat like Raha who might not have that chance without your support. Thank you for all the dreams you have made come true for Raha and all the animals at Home for Life® in 2018. Think of all the animals we can continue to reach in 2019 with your help.

No One’s Dog; Everyone's Dog: The Story of Charlie

When a dog or cat is given up by the owner, no matter what the reason, that dog or cat, considered property under the law- no more than a TV set, a couch, a car- becomes like an abandoned or unwanted household item. No one’s cat or dog. With no owner to protect him anymore, that dog or cat is completely vulnerable and at the mercy of whomever he encounters.

Under the law, animals are considered property. The reality is that an animal who is surrendered or abandoned by their owners is like an abandoned couch or chair on the street. They belong to no one and therefore, are completely vulnerable, at the mercy of whomever may end up in charge of their care. The dog or cat may have some characteristics that irritate the individual who now has life or death power over them, and qualities that were once endearing to the original owners are misunderstood and may become justification for giving up on that animal or disregarding the cat or dog as the cherished individual he or she is.

I have encountered this problem even with veterinarians,trained animal care professionals who should know better. Shelter animals or impounded animals are not owned by anyone and not protected the same way a beloved pet would be. Years ago, a shelter where I volunteered filed a complaint with the state against a veterinarian who, without permission, used a blind cat from the shelter to “teach” his new vet technicians how to put a catheter in. This cat was older, plain looking and though gentle, lacked a “big” or charming personality or the feistiness to fight back. She had gone in for a legitimate reason, a simple check up and blood draw for a chemistry profile. But when Tess the cat came back to the shelter with her forepaw swollen three- four times its normal size,we asked why. The vet admitted what he had done, figuring what did it matter-Tess was “just’ a shelter cat. No one’s cat. I imagined what that blind, old cat had gone through, being practiced on, having that catheter inserted-incorrectly – again and again and was sick and heartbroken. Obviously that was the end of the work the shelter gave that vet clinic.

I don’t think this vet was incompetent or heartless, so much as just going about his business as usual. When I was on a fundraising board of a vet school and hospital, one of the veterinarians who also served on the board told me that as a student, she and her classmates were each assigned an animal, from a shelter or impound, generally a homeless dog, on whom they would practice. The dog she was assigned was named Laura. During the course of a semester, she spayed Laura, then repaired a broken limb ( after it was deliberately broken) and performed several other surgical procedures. At the end of term, the animals, worn out and in pain after the several surgeries, were put down-the last procedure the students performed. No one’s dog. The vet who was on the board with me told me she never forgot Laura. Is it any wonder the vet thought he had not done something so wrong, using Tess the shelter cat for his vet techs to practice on? He was no doubt trained the same way.

Those of us at the shelter could not make it up enough to Tess for what had happened to her. She quietly accepted our extra attention. Tess is dead now. I often think of her when I do my best to vigilantly protect the welfare of the cats and dogs at Home for Life Sanctuary and seek out the best staff and professional care for our animals. They are no one’s animals yet they are everyone’s animals because they are cherished and beloved by us and our supporters and sponsors. Knowing these animals as individuals and treasuring all that makes them so special and unique is what defines Home for Life sanctuary.

Another example: our Charlie who was taught to “smile” by his original owners when his name was called or his photo was taken. In these smiling photos, does he look aggressive, like he is about to turn into a werewolf? Yet this sweet gesture was considered a display of aggression for which Charlie was severely and unjustly punished.

The poem below was written by Charlie’s elderly owner. His wife had died, and he was terminally ill and had to move to assisted living for his final months. There was no way he could keep Charlie. The couple had acquired Charlie ( age 9 at the time the poem was written) as a puppy. After his wife died, Charlie’s owner tried on his own, for months, to find a home for his dog.. When his health deteriorated. Charlie’s owner had no choice but to surrender him, with his poem, to the local animal control facility, a high volume open admission facility. Although this organization does euthanize,their caring staff is proactive about networking to find rescues for as many of their animals as possible. The animal control officer was touched by the poem his owner had written,full of hope for Charlie’s future, and resolved to do everything she could to find a safe haven for him. Charlie passed his “ temperament test” so the animal control officer contacted the Young at Heart Rescue a wonderful foster organization based in Chicago which specialized in finding homes for senior dogs.

Young at Heart placed Charlie in an adoptive home that they thought would be a good fit. But this situation did not work out for Charlie.He had always been an “only child” from the time he was a puppy. He had never had to share his toys or treats. So,shortly after Charlie was in his new home ,when the adoptive owner grabbed the dog treat from Charlie as he was eating it, he snapped at her. (hey he had never learned to share his treats! Never had to!). Charlie loved food and was possessive of his treats and toys. But now he had a “bite istory” and was returned to Young at Heart. The rescue had no open foster homes at the time so Charlie was placed in a boarding kennel.

This kennel had a “dog trainer”. Charlie’s owners’ had taught him to “smile ”when his name was called or his photo was taken .

But this trait, which charmed his original owners, was misinterpreted by this sorry excuse for a dog trainer as “snarling “ and aggression. One day, when Charlie smiled at the trainer, he beat Charlie up, to a bruised and cowering pulp, while he was supposed to be under the care of the kennel. A kennel worker, who heard Charlie’s cries of pain and desperation, and witnessed the brutal beating, called Young at Heart’s executive director, told her what had happened, and warned her to get Charlie out of the kennel immediately.

Young at Heart’s director was devastated at this turn of events. She reported the kennel to the State of Illinois and somehow found a foster home for Charlie where he would be safe and well cared for. In January of this year, she called Home for Life with the news of what had occurred, and begged us to help Charlie, sharing the poem Charlie’s owner had written forhim.

We were full. (We’re ALWAYS full), but the poem written by Charlie’s owner, shared with us by Young at Heart, spurred us to find a place for the dog. We could only imagine the heartbreak the owner would have had, had he known of the brutal treatment his beloved Charlie had suffered because of the dog trainer at the terrible kennel. Through a blizzard, in the middle of a frigid January winter, the volunteer from Young at Heart drove Charlie from Chicago to Home for Life.

Charlie has easily adapted to life at our sanctuary, and seems relieved to be safe and not in transiiton with his life and future a question mark. At his new home he is appreciated just as he is . He loves the company of his new dog brothers and sisters. Even though he had lived as a singleton for his entire life with his old owners, he seem to enjoy the camaraderie of living with other dogs. His one condition is that he be allowed to enjoy his meals and treats without interruption. Home for Life is set up to ensure that Charlie can dine in peace.With great quality food and plenty of it, plus treat time each evening, Charlie does not feel deprived . Charlie is now nearly 11 years old, and we think he is probably a pointer/lab mix or redheeler/lab mix rather than a dalmation/jack russell as referenced in the poem. He is still very athletic and loves to run and explore in the exercise areas and meadows. He always has a cheerful“smile” for our staff.

After reading the loving and heartfelt poem Charlie’s “dad”wrote, the animal control officer, the volunteers of Young at Heart and all of us at Home for Life were moved to help Charlie. We were determined to ensure that Charlie would never have to be at risk for such brutal abuse again,after his wretched experience at the boarding kennel and that, for the rest of his life, he would be safe and loved. It was as if the poem for Charlie had conferred a special blessing on him, that protected him and motivated those whose lives he touched, to help the dog who was now no one’s dog yet somehow everyone’s dog. We could all imagine how we would have felt if OUR cherished pet had been mistreated as Charlie had been.

"Farewell to Charlie Who I Love So Very Much"

On October 17, 2003 you were born on that Happy Day

On January 4, 2004 we brought you here with us to stay

We found out quickly you were a very active little boy

You filled our home with so much excitement and joy.

When we were out together we were very proud

The happiness you brought to us knew no bounds

Anywhere we went you were always with us too

All complimenting your beauty and wanting to hold you.

Playing with your toys you were as happy as you can get

Stopping that you getting into more mischief was a sure bet

When you wanted us, you let us know that you were there

We had such a joy treating you with great loving care.

When Mary and I would go for a nice long ride

What a joy and pleasure was having you at our side

We were told that Charlie was you name

When we called Charlie you very happily came.

Mary is gone and the day has come that I did fear

I must give up someone I love and treasure so very dear

A mix of Dalmation and Jack Russell Terrier is your make

A big lump in my throat and my heart is about to break

Praying each day these wonderful people with help from Heaven above

Will find you a wonderful home full of Joy and Love."



Not every dog and cat who is given up by their owner will have a poem to bless them and protect them by inspiring people to help . There are many animals who end up in rescues and shelters, once a treasured family member, who will end up anonymous and forgotten. Once given up,with no one who will protect them or care about what happens to them,they can so easily be misunderstood or overlooked and fall through the cracks, only to end up with a heartbreaking end to their story as Charlie nearly did.



Home for Life Sanctuary Snow Days

With another two feet of snow on the ground as of today and another snowfall expected later this week, a blog post about winter at the sanctuary seemed timely.

Home for Life is located in Star Prairie,Wisconsin, just over the St. Croix River from Stillwater, Minnesota, and we experience four distinct seasons. Winter seems like the longest season, lasting from approximately mid November through the end of March. At Home for Life we experience the range of temperatures with each season, and so must cool our buildings when the summers are hot and humid and heat them in the winter. While all our buildings are heated and air conditioned, including all of our 15 townhouses, they are spread out over several acres so the staff spends alot of time outdoors, going in and out of the buildings to check on the animals every hour. Coping with the extremes of the weather, and the elements is a big challenge of the job . This winter has been especially brutal : for example,one morning in January the air temperatue registered -30 degreees. That day, it was still below zero at noon. With the windchill, it was oppressive and dangerous to be outside for any length of time.

Each townhouse and the apartments of our dog buildings have attached runs with one or more gates,as do the 4 fenced meadows we use to exercise the dogs: after a snowfall, each gate must be shoveled out so we can swing them open and closed. To access the property after a heavy snowfall, the long driveway, and all the areas in front of the buildings must be plowed and paths to all the buildings and townhouses shoveled or plowed with a snowblower. Yesterday,with over two feet of new snow, we plowed out the driveways and roads TWICE, at 1 am in the morning and again 9 hours later when the snowfall finally stopped. Winter has gone on so long, with the cold and heavy snows, that it seems like it will never end. It becomes almost impossible to remember what the summer weather was like just a few months ago, let alone imagine that it will ever be sunny and warm again.

Two weeks ago we just had a nice melt of the huge amount of snow we received earlier in the season, and temperatures were in the high 40s and even reached 50 degrees one day. So it was demoralizing to have yet another huge snowstorm to contend with today. We still have about six weeks more of winter to get through til spring with March, the snowiest month, yet to come.

This time of year it helps to think positive thoughts about winter and especially about snow.

Here is my list of all the good things about winter at Home for Life:

1. we don't have to worry about weeding our huge gardens or getting the lawns mowed

2. the snow makes everything look clean and covers up alot of things like fluff from toys and cushions the dogs have destroyed, poop we missed when scooping, the holes that the dogs dig in their runs and in the meadows, and Home for Life's huge septic system with the cement tankcovers and chimney's sticking out of the ground.

3. the white snow matches our white buildings

4. the snow looks festive on our many pine and spruce trees

5. we can see the tracks of the many wild animals who live on the sanctuary property: about half of our forty acres is used for the sanctuary facility;we have left about 20 acres natural and undeveloped, and this land includes a wetland, hardwood forest, river frontage on the Apple River and prairie meadows. Over the years, we have spotted black bear, eagles, deer, coyotes, foxes, rabbits and opposums among other forest creatures. I call this part of the sanctuary "the other Home for Life", reserved for the wild creatures.

6. the colder temperatures and snow eliminates most bugs and parasites; ticks and fleas can't survive subzero weather. Nothing is more cleansing than a good freeze.

7.it is much more comfortable to work in the winter as long as you bundle up and wear a hat. In the middle of summer, when it is 90 degrees with coresponding humidity, even air conditioning cannot take the edge off, and the heat makes animals and staff alike feel prostrated with exhaustion. In the winter, the animals can exercise without the risk of heatstroke.

The best thing about winter is watching the fun the dogs have playing in the snow.

Most of the Home for Life dogs love the snow. We have been trying to raise the money we need to build an indoor exercise and training building for a while now. We envision it like an indoor horse arena where the dogs can exercise indoors when it is cold. However, most of our dogs enjoy the winter weather, and love getting outdoors year around. Unless it is way below zero and a cold wind blowing, they love being outside. There is nothing prettier or more exhilirating than a sunny winter day with clear blue skies and fresh, crisp air. As long as there is no cold north wind, that winter weather creates conditions that are just about perfect for the dogs to be able to run and play, and they definitely enjoy being outside.The snow provides a great cushion for them to run,especially for the older dogs. What dog doesn't relish rolling around in a fresh snowfall? I think even if we are lucky enough to raise the money someday for the indoor arena,we will still let our dogs outside to exercise whenever the weather permits.

Below are two of my favorite photos of our dogs playing in the snow:



Muffy the black schnauzer and Monty the sheltie play in the lower meadow in this photo. Muffy was very timid when she first arrived at Home for Life. She had been taken in by a rescue group who saved her from a puppy mill. Muffy was born with spina bifida and was going to be put down at the time she was rescued. At Home for Life,she was very shy of the other dogs, and sat quietly without saying anything,shrinking back in her kennel from attention or interacton. Monty came from a neglectful,harsh home and at age 3, is one of our younger dogs at Home for Life. He had come to Home for Life about 18 months before Muffy. A few months after he arrived, we tried to involve him in the Renaissance Program, where he would be trained by a student with the goal of becoming certified for therapy work. But Monty, having never had any confidence instilled in him as a puppy, was too insecure and intimidated to participate and would freeze in place during class. His whole security came from being at the sanctuary at Home for Life,where he felt safe. He lived in the feline leukemia building with some of our more gentle and sedate dogs. While they were gentle with Monty, he lacked a playmate with comparable energy. This photo captures the first time Muffy and Monty were let out in the field together. Forgetting their sad pasts, they had a blast playing and haven't stopped playing and smiling since! Muffy now lives in the feline leukemia building with Monty, so they are now fast friends and her true terrier personality has emerged.

Ben is a small sheperd mix who came to Home for Life as a puppy. He was surrendered by the Animal Welfare League of Chicago. Chicago police officers witnessed a group of boys beating Ben to a pulp.Even the hardened cops were horrified.They stopped their squad,jumped out and chased the boys away. They picked up Ben,who was unconscious, and rushed him to the League shelter . Ben was in a coma for several days as a result of the beating, and it was touch and go whether he would even live. The shelter staff fought for his life and pulled him through. When Ben was about three months old, the Animal Welfare League surrendered him to Home for Life.

Sadly, as a result of the beating, Ben is blind. ( HFL had his eyes checked by a veterinary opthamalogist at the University of Minnesota Veterrnary Medical Center, and they are normal,but the lesion on his brain from the beating had left him blind). Ben is also clearly brain damaged as a result of the beating and, learns much more slowly than other dogs. For example, walking on a leash has been hard for him to master. Most often Ben can be found sitting quietly on his hammock listening to the activity around him. He knows his name, can get around his dog run and through the dog door to his apartment but has never learned to climb the stairs to the exercise run. Ben lives with a group of very kind dogs (Wyley's group profiled in our 2010 newsletter) who are very protective and gentle with him,yet who make him feel a part of the pack.

The day this wonderful photo was taken we carried Ben up in the exercise field so he could play in the fresh snow with the rest of his dog group. In a way,this photo was startling- it was surprising to see another side of Ben- so joyful and happy and observe him playing so enthusiastically in the snow with the other dogs. With animals at HFL like Ben who have had such terrible pasts, it is hard to focus on anything but their prior suffering and tempting to define and identify them by those prior experiences i.e Ben becomes identified as and thought of as "the puppy who was beaten and is now blind and brain damaged". Muffy is "the dog from a puppy mill" and so on .What happened to them before they arrived at Home for Life is so heartwrenching that it is hard to get beyond the tragic past when thinking about them. But animals know better than to let their past circumscribe them. For us who care for the special needs animals, we have to be able to imagine that a better future for them is possible to give them that chance,especially when considering dogs and cats who haven't suceeded in traditional animal shelter environments or in typical homes. If given half a chance they seize any opportunity for the hapiness all creatures yearn for,rather than letting a difficult history or present circumstances define and limit them forever.

For more great photos of Ben, Muffy and Monty playing in the snow please see Mark Luinenburg's photo album . And, here is a short video of some of the Home for Life dogs playing in the snow in one of the meadows at the sanctuary. Featured are Lily the cavalier/aussie, Spiderman the sheltie/eskimo and Channing a senior black standard poodle.



The second video features deaf doberman Justine, Henrietta the boxer and shy Sabra the afghan.

HFL's Emergency Medical Care Fund Makes a Difference for Many Special Animals

When love and skill work together,expect a masterpiece.- John Ruskin

As one of the Country's only care for life sanctuaries, Home for Life is often called upon to help desperate animals whose needs are beyond the scope or capacity of other shelters focused on adoption. Often other shelters will turn away animals with extraordinary medical needs, applying a triage philosophy to helping the most animals with limited resources. Occasionally a shelter will take in an animal with special medical needs, and then later recognize that the dog or cat will require on going, complex care that an adoption focused organization cannot provide. In such situations, Home for Life offers another chance- the "door number three" -for animals who are passed by for adoption but who can still live a quality life.

Last month, we spent alot of time at the University Veterinary Medical Center with many animals who needed specialized medical care. In animal rescue and particularily working with a sanctuary, where we try to help the truly lost cause cases, we see the worst in people and also the best,most kind and generous people. The pet owners who bring their dogs and cats to the University for care represent the most loving and dedicated of animal caretakers who will go to extraordinary lengths and expense to help their pets whom they love so dearly. It's not just that these people spend the dollars on their pet- you can tell that not all of them are wealthy-but you can see how extremely devoted they are to their dogs and cats-these pets are everything to them. Some of the dogs, are expensive and exotic pedigree purebreds but many, and certainly most of the cats, are not. Observing these pet owners with their hearts on their sleeves made me wonder at the devotion and sacrifice of these individuals on behalf of their pets,while many anonymous dogs and cats who are unwanted, unseen in shelters or rescues or abandoned will never have this effort made on their behalf. The only variable which seems to me to determine how resources will be directed on behalf of an animal in need seems to be the degree to which an animal is cherished as unique and as an individual . The owners I observed at the U have invested themselves in their pets and they are part of their lives and their hearts.

"To me you're still nothing more tha a little boy who is just like a 100,000 other boys. And I have no need of you.And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox, like a 100,000 other foxes. But if you tame me,then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world and to you,I shall be unique in all the world.

-The Little Prince

Home for Life had a number of desperate animals who needed our help in January which is why were were at the University Hospital so often. Frankie, pictured above, is one of the several we helped this January. Named for his blue eyes, and also becasue he was found near the birthday of Frank Sinatra, Frankie was found along a rural highway in Ohio. A concerned citizen saw him lying in the ditch unable to move. Three days later, the same good samaritan saw the dog again, still lying there, in 20 degree winter weather and decided to do something about the situation. He called the highway patrol who in turn call animal control. The animal control officers, along with the highway patrol, recovered Frankie, who was unable to walk and in great pain. Evaluating his condition, the animal control and highway patrol officers estimated that the poor dog had been there as long as a week,somehow clinging to life without food or water and exposed to the winter elements. When recovered, he weighed just 30 lbs. He was neutered,but had no microchip.

Frank landed at the animal control shelter,where a kind volunteer learned of his situation. After checking the internet and newspapers, she determined that noone had lost or was looking for a neutered male australian shepard. The shelter gasses unwanted or unclaimed strays that volunteers cannot move to rescue and Frankie,who could not walk and was incontinent,was scheduled to be gassed when the required hold for stray animals expired. Late on a Wednesday night in mid January, we received an urgent email from Paula and another volunteer she works with, a desperate email: if we could help Frankie, who was paraplegic and would need his bladder expressed, we had to let them know by 8 am Thursday morning or he would be put down. The volunteers said they would bring him to a veterniarian to be euthanized by lethal injection so he would not have to be killed in a gas chamber at animal control. At this point the dog had had no additional medical care and had sat for more than a week, at least,with the terrible injuries. With less than 12 hours to gather any further information on the dog, his temperment, or his medical status, we had to call it. Other rescues or shelters contacted by the volunteers had either not responded to pleas for help on Frank's behalf or had turned him down. Home for Life decided to try to help Frank and told the volunteers to send him north to us. After travelling via PilotsnPaws, Frank at last made it to Home for Life on the Sunday afternoon of that same week.

Once they knew that Frank would be coming to HFL, the Ohio volunteers sought some preliminary veterinary evaluations on his behalf,where it was learned that his right femur was fractured. The extent of any other injuries was unknown at the point he departed for Minnesota and Home for Life. But all who met Frankie were impressed by his will to live and also his stoicism: despite his injuries he was very gentle and never tried to bite.

First thing Monday morning, Frank was off to our local vet who discovered that, in addition to the badly fractured femur, Frank had a dislocated left hip that was completely out of the socket.Because of the time that had elapsed since the injuries occurred, surgical intervention was necessary to correct the injuries. Frankie was put on pain control and kept quiet and off his feet.By Thursday,just a week after we had accepted him at HFL,Frankie was in surgery at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center where renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Betty Kramek( pictured above with Frankie after his surgery), repaired both the right femur and dislocated hip. At this point, poor Frank had gone nearly two weeks with the terrible injuries, and the two ends of his right femur were completely out of alignment,with the muscles severely contracted. The hip socket of the left leg was filled with scar tissue and blood clots and again the muscles badly contracted. Dr Kramek elected to repair both injuries at once so he would be able to walk rather than risking further injury to either side. Frank's surgeries were done at the same time and both procedures were very successful,thankfully. He spent three days at the University recovering from surgery,and came back to Home for Life on Saturday afternoon.

Not much is known about Frankie's background but the U estimated his age to be about 4 years judging from his teeth. Another interesting observation made by his veterinary nurses was that Frank is deaf. His lack of hearing may explain how he came to be hit by a car; he would not have been able to be aware of the oncoming cars from the sound of the motors or tires,especially at night. Frankie intently watches everything around him,and relies on his sight to follow directions and anticipate what is going to happen. But at night, if he was abandoned, or lost and alone, he may not have been able to save himself from being hit by a car if he could not hear.

Since it was the beginning of the new year, we had money from the holiday donations we had received from many generous cotributors who had directed their gifts to the Emergency Medical Care Fund. Thankfully, we had the funds available to help Frankie, and pay his veterinarybill at the University and at New Richmond Vet clinic: the total: over $4000. Frank is able to go to the bathroom on his own, and Dr. Kramek feels that he will be able to walk again after he recovers from surgery. His rehabilitation period is estimated to be about six weeks. He will get his staples out tomorrow, and Dr Kramek will evaluate his progress as Frankie was tending to walk with his right hind paw knuckled under due to the trauma of the accident and length of time he went without treatment. Our staff is applying hotpacks to his hip and thigh and working with Frank doing physical therapy exercises to help his leg muscles regain extension and flexibility. Frankie is now best friends and roommates with another "January" rescue and member of the "Class of 2011 who benefitted from the Emergency Medical Care Fund: that is the tiny doberman Juliet who was confiscated by the police in a neglect case and came to HFL with several medical problems.( see Home for Life's twitter feed @hflanimals for photos and information on Juliet).

Frankie's case raises an important question about animal rescue and the philosophy of our sanctuary with regard to the animals we help. Why direct so many resources to helping one single animal? That amount of money it took to repair Frank's injuries and allow him to live a pain free life and to walk again, we hope, could have been used to help several animals. Where resources are limited trying to do the most good for as many as possible is a legitimate approach to rescuing animals.

Home for Life has always believed that helping animals in need and saving lives requires a multifacted approach. A focus on moving numbers of animals thru adoption addresses one aspect of the need. An exclusive focus on the numbers,however, will exempt many deserving animals from help. Sanctuaries like Home for Life have a vital role to play if as many animals as possible are to be saved because a true sanctuary is created to focus on the individual animal and their unique needs. The current focus in animal welfare is on moving animals through the system to adoption and posting high adoption numbers. Dogs such as Frank who fall outside the parameters of the 'adoptable' animal and who require a rescue to divert disproportionate resources to help them will not be served by the conventional current models offered by animal welfare. Frank was hours from losing his life when Home for Life stepped forward to help him. Sanctuaries whose focus is on the individual animal provide a depth of care and a lifesaving,life affirming alternative for these special animals.

It is the time you have wasted on your rose that makes your rose so important.

-The Little Prince

Home for Life established its Emergency Medical Care Fund in 1998, shortly after our founding.

Home for Life Sanctuary featured in the Bangkok Post!

Soidog.org,located in Phuket Thailand recently asked Home for Life to help two of their special needs dogs. Both Indi and Chok-Dee are paraplegic and Soi Dog,though no kill, believed that the two dogs would not have been able to receive the long term care they needed in Thailand. In September, the two comrads made the long journey from Bangkok to Minneapolis, with a stopover in Amsterdam.

Both dogs are doing well since arriving at Home for Life despite having to adjust to a drastic climate change. Indi and Chokdee have taken to their carts readily and Chokdee particularily loves to run at top speed in his.


The Bangkok Post wrote this great article about the dogs' journey to find their home for life at our sanctuary. The article ran in the October 27,2010 edition of the paper.


Read the article here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/life/family/202978/the-story-of-haan-and-indi

ChokDee,which means "lucky" in Thai, was named by the policeman who found and rescued him. His original name was Leo,then changed to "Haan", a Thai word meaning brave which ChokDee certainly is.But John and Leonard of Soidog thought Chokdee suited him better and that has remained his name since arriving at Home for Life.


Photos of the two dogs were taken in late September at Home for Life by Mark Luinenburg

Update on Nino,the 2 legged dog from Mexico

We wanted to update everyone on Nino, who came to Home for Life earlier this year from Mexico. As a 3 week old puppy, Nino's littermates were slaughtered, and he was mutilated by a gang of boys wielding machetes. They cut Nino's back legs off with the machetes but Nino's mother, a street dog who lived in a village outside of Cancun, managed to grab him in her mouth and run away with him to safety before her last surviving puppy also perished.

The owner of a taco stand and his wife regularily fed Nino's mother, and it was to them that she brought her puppy after he had been injured. They stopped the bleeding on his stumps and brought him to Rescate Malix, a shelter located near Cancun. Some of their volunteers contacted Home for Life via email to ask for help on Nino's behalf. Nino means little boy in spanish. More on Nino's early life was covered in a prior blog post: http://homeforlifesanctuary.blogspot.com/2010/05/home-for-life-sanctuarys-brush-with.html

Now about six months old, Nino has grown to be a handsome and happy boy who is as full of energy as any young dog. He most resembles a miniture australian shepard in size and appearence except for his coloring which is white with the brindle markings- the coloration of wild dogs. In fact Nino has a great affinity and interest in the many coyotes that reside and roam near us and is very curious to check out any smells when he is let outside in the morning. Street dogs are often a melange of many breeds so perhaps it is possible that his heritage includes some coyote blood. Nino lost his legs so early in life that he seems to have no memory of the trauma of the abuse he suffered. He is always happy and smiling. Like all the disabled animals at Home for Life, he has adapted and makes the best of his situation even though he has only two legs. He can move around with astonishing speed by balancing his weight over his front legs. He is currently going thru the adolescent puppy stage known at Home for Life as the "landshark phase". Everything and everyone is a chew toy, and Nino gleefully wrestles with the large cats, and some of the smaller dogs,who avoid him at all costs. Nino doesn't take offense at being avoided and is good natured about chasing them with a big smile on his face. He needs to be with other dogs about his size who can teach him to play with proper boundaries ie don't apply pressure if you want to "playbite". When he is around some of the other sanctuary dogs his age or older,he is like the suddenly shy kid at kindergarten who is a tansmanian devil at home.Like all adolescent dogs he is pushing his boundaries right now but is not mean spirited or aggressive,just typical of the boisterous puppy.

Notwithstanding his disability, his mind works fine, and he is still learning about boundaries.He cannot be obedience trained in the conventional way,but he has learned the concept of housebreaking, the recall, stay and leave it. His very favorite food is dried chicken tender chews which he looks forward to as a beditme snack each evening. Although he is shy with strangers, he has made some public forays to meet new friends such as the students at Totem Town who are pariticpating in the Renaissance Program this fall. '

Because of his youth and agility we really wanted to see if he could be fitted with prosthetics to enable him to move like a normal dog. The first hurdle to overcome was to get the pressure sores on his stumps to heal. While with the rescue in Mexico, he was fitted with homemade prosthetics but they caused pressure sores on the very end of his leg bones. These wounds have taken a long time to heal, and on one of his legs, the very end of the leg bone had to be amputated and the skin sewn over it to finally take care of the open sore and swelling the thigh. Determining if Nino could be be fit with prosthetics was a detailed process involving sending the xrays and measurements of his back legs( which were cut off unevenly and at about where the thigh meets the shin bone) to the company which would custom make the devices. Sadly, after a review of the xrays and second opinion obtained, it was determined that Nino's legs were cut off too high to allow for the prosthetics to be fitted;there was not enough leg bone for the stump cup. Prosthetics even for people, can be very difficult to manage unless they are fitted precisley- human patients often challenged by sore stumps and pressure wounds -they are an imperfect solution in reality. Although Nino is so agile and gets along well on his two legs, the concern is that eventually he will cause stress to his upper leg joints and shoulders over time. So it seems Nino will be destined to use a cart. We are glad he has had the warm summer and beautiful fall to grow to full size and learn to manage his disability and grow up to his full height and weight. His athletic ability and the strength he has developed on his front quarters will enable him to master using a cart very easily . The cart will help him continue to enjoy the outdoors as the weather turns colder,without subjecting his fragile back legs to frostbite or discomfort. He will have the opportunity to enjoy the snow like all dogs do without risking injury.

Once he is used to his cart, we think Nino will make an excellent candidate for our Renaissance Program where he can work with a student from Totem Town to learn obedience within his physical limits and train to become certified as a therapy dog. Nino,with his 'can-do" attitude and sunny outlook, will be a real source of inspiration to human patients challenged with the loss of a limb or other disability.
Nino's photo was taken by Mark Luinenburg at Home for Life in late September. If the blogger does not allow you to see the video of Mark meeting Nino for the photo session please see this You Tube link for the same video: www.youtube.com/homeforlifesanctuary#p/a/u/0/-r3s1bFMTmM

Home for Life Animal Sanctuary helps soldiers at the VA Polytrauma Unit

Since 2008, Home for Life has provided pet therapy services to injured soldiers who are receiving rehabilitation and care at the Veteran Administration Hospital's Polytrauma Unit, one of just four such faciliities in the entire country.

One of the nurses from the Polytrauma Unit came across Home for Life's display at Macy's Courtyard during our annual holiday event at the Mall of America at the end of 2007, and noticed that, in addition to providing refuge for at risk animals, Home for Life helps at risk people through our Pet Peace Corps pet therapy programs. She observed many of our animals used wheelchairs and had other disabilities yet were thriving and happy under our care.She thought that our animals could help her patients if we could provide pet therapy to the injured solidiers at the Polytrauma Unit,lifting their spirits with the visits from the dogs and also inspiring the injured young men and women who would see that our dogs were happy despite the fact that that they were coping with disabilities.

The patients in the Polytrauma Unit have suffered multiple injuries in the wars- amputations, terrible head injuries from IED weapons- and face a long,uphill battle to regain their lives and independence. If the dogs at Home for Life could provide some comfort through our pet therapy visits, we were more than happy to try to help.

Our visits, which are part of Home for Life's Sit*Stay*Heal program, involve several dogs at Home for Life who visit the patients. It is fun and uplifting for the veterans to see the dogs,but the dogs also provide vital motivation for rehabilitation: for instance patients exercise their uppper body strength by playing fetch with our dogs. One young soldier who had been in a coma,finally responded when visited by one of our dogs and a few weeks later,uttered his first words since being injured,asking for Simon,his favorite Home for Life dog. The dogs seemed to restore his will to recover.

On Memorial Day, we remember and honor the servicemen and women who have given their lives to preserve the freedom we often take for granted residing in the United States. We have to remember as well the many soldiers who have suffered serious injuries in the wars. These young men and women will never be the same and will face innumberable challenges as they seek to regain their lives. It is haunting to think of the incredible sacrifices made by our troops for our country.

As average citizens, we cannot do much to impact the outcome of the wars or influence the politcal debates. It is easy to feel helpless and depressed when seeing the carnage on CNN.

At the same time, it is thrilling to know that we have made a difference for some of the injured veterans who have benefitted from the visits from the Home for Life dogs and volunteers.

The story of Nate and Simon which appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press is incredibly touching and illustrates what a profound difference the pet therapy visits can make for soldiers at the Polytrauma Unit. Read the story of Nate and Simon, one of Home for Life's dobermans and a certified therapy dog here: http://www.homeforlife.org/media_09.htm

Audrey Hepburn,whose VA Hospital id badge is pictured above,Harry the maltese and Amigo, a retired K9 , are the other Home for Life dogs who participate in our outreach program at the Polytrauma Unit.

Brush with Fame- Nino the puppy meets Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale

Nino, the little shepard mix puppy from Cancun Mexico, arrived Home for Life on Wednesday this week. He was very tired and spent most of the rainy afternoon sleeping. The weather was so rainy all week that it made everyone sleepy. He is a pretty gold color with black markings creating a brindle effect. His coat is still that soft fuzzy texture that puppies have, and he has the needle- sharp puppy teeth. I was worried initially because he seemed so subdued ..but considering all that he has been thru in his young life it is not surprising it took him a few days to regroup and get his normal puppy energy back. I had a chance to have lunch with Angie who runs the Cancun Mexico rescue Rescate Malix,where Nino was taken after he was rescued. She cared for him for months after he was rescued and is quite bonded to him. I was glad to have the chance to talk more with Angie to learn more about what had happened to Nino and also to hear more about her rescue efforts in Mexico. Rescate Malix means rescued strays in spanish. Angie and all the people who assist with her efforts such as Maia of Pet Project Rescue of Minnesota are doing so much to help these street dogs who suffer greatly from ignorance,disease,neglect and outright cruelty. Angie believes that education is the key to transforming the attitudes of the people which result in so much suffering among Cancun's dogs. She coordinates spay/neuter clinics, rescues and finds homes for many dogs through organizations in the US like Minnesota's Pet Project Rescue and cares for many dogs at her shelter in Cancun.
Angie gave me more details about how Nino was injured and how he came to her at Rescue Malix. Apparently, Nino's mother, a small stray ,street dog, hung around a taco stand with her pack of three dogs.The taco stand was in a small village outside of Cancun,near protected forests or jungles( like our state forests). The husband and wife who ran the taco stand noticed Nino's mother was pregnant and fed her more to try to help her. At some point,according to the couple, she had her puppies in the protected jungle near the taco stand but would continue to visit the stand to be fed. She had had 5 or 6 puppies they told Angie. When the puppies were about 4 weeks old, one afternoon, the taco stand couple heard cries and screaming, yelling, then barking coming from the direction of the forest where the the mother dog had lived with her puppies. They were puzzled but the cries were so distressing,that the husband went to investigate. As he approached the protected jungle area, he saw teenage boys carrying MACHETES laughing and running from the area. The man entered the forest where he knew the mother dog had been with her puppies. What he found horrified him: blood everywhere. But the mother dog and the puppies were gone. He was very upset and went back to his stand to tell his wife about what he found. A short time later, that same afternoon, the mother dog emerged from the forest where she had been hiding and approached her friends from the taco stand who had always fed her and helped her. She was carrying her only surviving puppy in her mouth;she approached the man and dropped the puppy, who was Nino, at his feet, and then ran off. The man and his wife examined the puppy and saw that the hind legs had been cut off half way up the leg. The stumps were bleeding. They were in an area that was really very remote,with nothing like a veterinary hospital near. The wife grabbed some onions they had at their stand, cut them in half and put them on the puppy's stumps to stop the bleeding. Apparently onions are a natural disinfectant and anti-coagulant.
Through the grapevine,the taco stand couple had heard of Angie and somehow from their village got word to her and brought her the puppy for care. Shortly thereafter, through volunteers with Candi International.org, an organziation of professionals in the travel industry who help in third world countries, Nino's case was brought to our attention, and we agreed to help him. Nino is the name given to him by Angie and it means 'little boy". Nino's mother is still living on the streets of the village,near the taco stand. Angie and her volunteers hope to be able to provide vet services and spaying for her at some point. It is hard to think of the mental trauma and heartbreak Nino's mother went thru trying in vain to protect her puppies and having to watch them be slaughtered and her desperation as she tried her best to save her last living puppy by bringing him to the taco stand couple.
Candi International made arrangements for Angie to accompany Nino to the United States and to Home for Life. Angie spent time in Los Angeles raising awareness for Rescate Malix with Nino serving as the ambassador and representative for all the dogs of Cancun and while there she and Nino met musicians Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale who were very touched by his story and were delighted to pose for this photo with him.
Despite the cruelty Nino suffered,everyone who has had a part in his journey are determined that good will come out of this evil. The first goal is to make sure that Nino has a great life and either with prosthetics or a cart,has the ability to walk and run like a normal dog. He is only four months old so we will have to wait for him to reach his full size before he is fitted for the cart o prosthetics so his bones are strong and fully developed. We will also consult with veterinarians experienced in rehabilitation to be sure we are doing all we can to facilitate his ability to live as much as possible as a normal dog. It will be challenging to give him the ability to be mobile but not cause trauma to his stumps which will be prone to the development of sores. Nino loves people and other dogs so a full life for him will include ample opportunities to play and socialize with other dogs as well as the chance to have training to become a therapy dog with the goal of participating in our outreach programs. Another positive to emerge from this tragedy is the way Nino's situation has united the goodwill of people from all over the world, from different rescues, different countries,individuals from humble backgrounds and those who are high profile and famous. It is truly miraculous that Nino,who started life as one puppy of a litter born to an anonymous street dog from a village in Mexico, is now held close to the hearts of so many people,and through the tragedy that befell him, will now be able to bring awareness to the plight of the stray dogs and the heroic efforts of Rescate Malix to help the street dogs of Cancun.

Home for Life Animal Sanctuary featured on Fido Friendly's Blog!

Today's Fido Friendly's Blog features Home for Life Animal Sanctuary:  Through the Third Door

Fido Friendly is a "travel and lifestyle" magazine for dogs and their owners. The blog posting discusses our theory of change to transform animal welfare and reduce the euthanasia for the most vulnerable animals, like Piper, HFL's epileptic golden retriever, surrendered to HFL by RAGOM.

In Loving Memory of Winter

In memory of beloved Winter: 06/08-04/26/09

Namesakes at Home for Life Animal Sanctuary

On the left is one of our newest cats. This is Spyder a six month old kitten,named for the manufacturer of my ski jacket and also for the late ski racer Spyder Sabich. He( Spyder the skier) was killed by his girlfriend, the former wife of singer Andy Williams, Claudine Longet.( Remember them?) Spyder the kitten kind of looked like a daddy long legs as he walked,picking up one foot after another very deliberately.But I also wanted to give Spyder,the kitten,who has hyperplasia cerebellum( like cerebal palsy,caused by pre-natal distemper infection) the name of a skilled and celebrated athlete to imbue him with the courage he would need to live as much as possible like a normal cat. Spyder was found outside in rural Wisconsin, the runt of a litter of kittens born outside. The people who brought him to HFL late last fall( actually bringing him to the Mall of America while we were at our Holiday Event) did not believe he would survive the winter on his own with his disability. Spyder is very bashful, and we have never heard him meow. He is still small for his age. He absolutely loves to be pet and leans into your hand at the slightest show of attention and affection.Thank god he was not left outside this winter to starve and freeze.

I have named some of our other physically disabled animals after athletes but I may have to rethink this practice.

Before Spyder, I named a young disabled dog Tiger- after Tiger Woods. Tiger is pictured on the far left. Tiger the dog came to HFL in 2007 with deformity of the hind legs caused by malnutrition. He underwent two separate and complicated orthopedic surgeries to correct the legs to give him some hope of having the ability to walk and run without experiencing pain -he was only 6 months old when he came to the sanctuary and could not run or even walk without severe pain. The surgeries were mostly successful although Tiger still stands somewhat knock-knee-ed. He does run and walk now,though he seems to get more tired than a dog his age should. Tiger went on to complete the Renaissance program and become a therapy dog. He also stumped the Canine DNA kit when a reporter from the St. Paul Pioneer Press tried it out on him. She took an inner cheek swab and sent it into the DNA company for analysis but they could not determine his heritage.Tiger's breed mix is anyone's guess,but he looks like like he could be part lab,pit bull and ??

Meanwhile Tiger Woods, the golfer, Tiger's namesake, has his own problems- coming in 4th in the Masters, the Vanity Fair magazine article,ect.

Have you ever read those articles about naming children? It seems important to give a child a popular name if you want them to be popular,successful ect. So naming a girl Winifred may create alot of problems for a kid whereas if they had a sweet or cute name like Ashley,Christie,ect they will have less hurdles in life. A name,your identity and what you are called,even for an animal can help make life easier. Giving our animals who already have challenges the name of a popular and gifted athlete seemed a way to give them a boost in what could undoubtedly be a difficult life.

The turn of events for Tiger the golfer has been very shocking to say the least and nothing that we could have anticipated when we named Tiger the dog after him in 2007. When we thought of naming our dog after the great golfer, we thought of his incredible athletic talent, his drive,his focus and his success. With all that has happened to the golfer, we could just say that Tiger the dog was named for his brindle coat. But we were not thinking of Tiger Wood's personal life when we named our beloved puppy after him; we just wanted to give him a name full of hope for better days ahead when he could move gracefully,with ease and without pain .

Luce is a wonderful supporter of Home for Life and also loves to bring needed supplies for our animals everytime she visits- although she lives on the other side of Minneapolis she still makes a point to see the animals at Home for Life Sanctuary at least every couple months. She arrived with her SUV filled with overstuffed dog beds,blankets and toys for the animals. We couldn't let her leave without getting a photo of her with Pierre, our dogue de bordeaux whom she sponsors. Here she is playing tug with him in one of our meadows, the last weekend of snow at Home for Life. It's hard to believe it will be 70 degrees this week!