Many thanks to Katie Thering (pictured above) Photography & Design for their help in providing event photography for the Home for Life® Spring Gala last week - Katie and her team have helped Home for Life® with our events since 2007 when Cesar Millan was our special guest! It's been a journey for sure and Katie has been there to document all our galas from the start. She can say she knew us "when." Katie has agreed to allow us to share her blog post about the event - a great recap of a once in a lifetime event! Thank you again to all who attended for your support of Home for Life® - it was a magical evening!
Home for Life Spring Gala featuring Jane Goodall
Last weekend I had the honor of photographing the 2018 Home for Life Spring Gala featuring Dr. Jane Goodall. The Home for Life team always does a fabulous job with this event and this year was no different.To say it was an amazing experience would be putting it lightly. Dr. Goodall’s presentation was so moving that I had tears in my eyes! I have been doing volunteer photography for Home for Life since 2007, a year before I officially started my business! I so admire their mission, and their compassion and dedication to providing a quality life to animals who had run out of options is unsurpassed. To learn more about their organization and/or sponsor one of their animals visit their website. Lisa, the founder of Home for Life, asked me to photograph Dr. Goodall with one of their dogs, Raha (read Raha’s story here). As soon as the presentation was over I headed backstage to take the requested photo. Once I was back there, I realized I would have to “pose” Jane Goodall!! Mind. Blown. (and a little nervous!). When I walked in the room, Dr. Goodall was sitting on the floor with Raha and instead of posing them I let her interact with him as she wished, and it resulted in some of my favorite photos ever! Hands down, the highlight of my 10-year photography career! Huge thank you to my friend & business partner for Blush, Jeannette Nargelenas, for helping me with this event. She has helped me photograph this event many times over the years and it’s always great to have her talents along! Enjoy some of my favorites from the event. See if you can spot the local celebrity! Hint. It’s Sven Sundgaard. He did an interview with Dr. Goodall that will be airing on Kare 11 April 3.
The Native American Spiritual Adviser told her that she
would know when her husband Jim was close because she would see eagles near.
Eagles were Jim's symbol. So we knew it would be a special day when Hannah said
the eagles seemed to be accompanying her on her drive to Home for Life,
especially as she approached the sanctuary, circling above as she drove up our
driveway, as if to herald her arrival. Eagles have special meaning for her, and
it almost seemed as if the eagles had led her to Home for Life that chilly but
sunny and clear day this mid November.
For
Native Americans as well as people of
many other cultures eagles have long signified courage and a connection to the divine because they
can fly higher than any bird. They are of the earth but their powerful ability
to soar so high seems spiritual as well. Little did Hannah know that she would meet a special dog at Home for
Life that day, who seems to embody the spirit of the eagle, a gentle Doberman
with a mighty heart named Simon.
Hannah Stonehouse Hudson is an internationally acclaimed
documentary photographer whose photo “John & Schoep” went viral in 2012.
In the midst of this stupendous success, Hannah suffered an
unimaginable loss: the untimely death of her young husband Jim, a fishing
guide, due to hypothermia. During this thrilling time counterpointed by heartbreaking tragedy, Hannah has stayed engaged and
positive, practicing her art around the world and giving generously to the
animal rescue community by photographing the dogs and cats in their care. She is based in Bayfield, Wisconsin but
travels all over for her work. Her specialty is ”photographing objects that
move fast and bark!” Hannah adores dogs! She is so busy, famous and so in demand but made time to photograph Home
for Life's animals for our sponsorship program. She visited the sanctuary and
spent several hours with us late morning into the afternoon on her way to catch
a flight to California to photograph dogs at a rescue in Santa Monica.
Even before she came to Home for Life, Hannah said she
wanted to sponsor one of our dogs and was eager to meet them all. She
appreciates and loves all dogs but one of those at Home for Life really touched
her heart.
Simon is a red Doberman and now about 9 years old. Since he first came to
us, Simon has seemed to inspire everyone around him with his gentle and radiant
spirit and eagerness to forge special relationships with all he meets.
We were asked to help Simon by a veterinarian after the
former owners brought him in to be euthanized. There was no way the vet could
euthanize the 9 month old puppy (then called Phoenix ironically).The vet convinced Simon's owners to sign a a release surrendering the puppy to his custody. Simon
reportedly had physical disabilities that resulted in frequent accidents and
could not be trusted in the house. The owners would leave him crated when they
were at work but were fed up when they returned home to find messes in the
kennel. The vet didn’t think he could be placed in a new home and asked Home
for Life to take him in.
Simon has always lived in our doggy townhouses. With access to a
spacious outdoor run attached to his townhouse, Simon was able to get outside
for bathroom whenever nature called rather than having to wait hours in a crate
for the chance to be taken for a walk, or if not in the crate, to hope someone
noticed when he needed to be let out.
With Simon's young age we wanted to get him involved in dog
training to help him learn his obedience skills and provide him with a challenge for his obvious intelligence. We hoped that with
his gentle nature he would become a therapy dog. We enrolled him in our Renaissance Program, andSimon developed a special bond with Ron, his student trainer at Totem Town. Like Simon,
Ron was long legged and active.And like Simon, underneath a tough
exterior Ron was gentle hearted and caring.
Ron put his heart into training Simon, who was still an ungainly
pup, barely one year old, and successfully taught him the basics of obedience
like walking on a leash without pulling, sitting when asked, staying for
petting and lying down. Ron was so motivated by the
fact that he was helping Simon and the many people Simon would go on to help
through his work as a therapy dog. It was very inspiring to see Ron walk proudly
with Simon on leash in the final classes where it was obvious they had achieved
so much.
Ron was not able to finish the Totem Town class
unfortunately, but shortly thereafter, Simon met Cesar Milan when he was in
town and promotional photos were taken for our 2007 gala, a landmark event for
Home for Life. Because of Ron's hard work to train Simon, Simon was chosen to
represent Home for Life and our gala, posing for the pictures with Cesar, and
the photos by Mark Luinenburg turned out great.
Simon with Cesar Milan
Because of Ron's diligent work with Simon, he was able to
become certified as a therapy dog. Simon became a well-loved and well recognized
therapy dog with the VA Poly Trauma Unit in Minneapolis at the VA Medical
Center. This Poly Trauma Unit is one of only four such facilities in the entire
country. They are provided for veterans returning from the wars with multiple
traumatic injuries: head injuries, amputations and other conditions that will
require long term rehabilitation and care. As a Doberman, Simon was a “manly” breed who appealed to the soldiers,
especially the young men recovering from injuries. The physical therapists
incorporated the Home for Life's dog visits into the exercises for the
patients,for example, throwing balls for the dogs to retrieve to work arm
muscles. Simon's calm and loving presence
even motivated one young soldier's recovery from devastating war wounds, and
the relationship was documented in a St. Paul Pioneer Press article about
Home for Life's work with patients in the VA Poly Trauma Unit. See the article
here.
When Simon was approximately 7 years old, he developed a
spinal problem that is common in Dobermans: Wobbler's Disease. There is no cure and the impact on the quality
of life of affected dogs is profound. They become very disabled, and the
disease is progressive, rendering these large breed dogs unable to walk. As his
disease progressed, Simon became nearly quadriplegic. Yet he had such a
palpable will to live, and to give. He was not ready to give up and we couldn't
give up on Simon either.
We tried various approaches to try to help Simon:
chiropractic which was unsuccessful in helping him, and surgery. Surgery represented a huge risk since a
procedure might have left him unable to breathe independently, requiring him to
be on a respirator. At the University, Simon underwent an MRI; after evaluating
the MRI results, while Simon was still under anesthesia, the veterinary
surgeons and neurologists determined that they could not offer a solution for
him via surgical intervention. In a way
it was a relief because the risk was so great had the procedure failed.
At this point some staff
thought it might be better to put Simon down. He was so hard to care for they
complained. I vetoed this option,
clearly recognizing that Simon wasn't ready to die. Then, they thought it would be easier to care
for Simon and that he might do better in the main dog building rather than his
longtime townhouse and lobbied to move him there. We gave it a try. But, it was apparent that
this move was more for their convenience than Simon's. Dogs may not be able to talk but Simon made it
abundantly clear he wanted nothing to do with a new location. He wanted to stay
with his long time roommates and friends. He sat at the window of the front
door of our main dog building, wistfully looking out, searching for his friends
and crying. In the end it was decided
that if we could give Simon some comfort by letting him be with his friends in
his townhouse, that needed to be the place he should be, even if it made a bit
more extra work for the staff. Thankfully, our current staff accommodates Simon
and puts his welfare first before their convenience. Simon was reunited with
his longtime friends and roommates Stellathe sheepdog cross, Buster Brown the blind lab, and Ruby the walker coonhound.
Simon with Ruby,summer 2013
Simon with Stella and Buster Brown, taken last summer after Simon began walking on his own following his surgery
Searching for a solution for him we learned about a new
surgery for Wobbler's Disease that had had a high rate of success. In early
February 2013, we arranged for the pioneering surgeon Dr. Fillipo Adamo, to fly
to Chicago from his practice in San Francisco to help Simon. Simon was driven
there by some of our wonderful volunteers and underwent the new, but promising
procedure for Wobbler’s where a special device was implanted. We sent photos
of Simon to Dr. Adamao before his surgery - the photos of him with Cesar Millan
and those that had appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. With great insight Dr. Adamo commented that
from the photos, it was clear Cesar wasn't the only celebrity - Simon was a star in
his own right! The surgery was a
success but Simon had a long and slow recovery. For the first few months we
performed range of motion exercises to keep his muscles supple and preserve his
flexibility. He was turned every 2-3 hours to prevent the development of
pressure sores. He received medication to help with pain and promote muscle
relaxation. Four months into the
rehabilitation, when we had nearly concluded that the surgery must have failed,
Simon started to walk on his own! In the mornings, there he was - waiting for
the staff at the gate of his run- he had risen to his feet on his own and
walked out the dog door and to the front of his run. It was incredible and
miraculous to see him finally be able to stand up and walk on his own, and
we were so grateful!
Simon still has a good deal of stiffness on his right side
and doesn't walk “normally” but loves doing everything his roommates and our
“normal” dogs do including making his way to the meadow for exercise with his
roommates and best friends. After his surgery, Simon received several months of
acupuncture therapy which gave his muscles some relief. When Hannah visited
in November to take the sponsor photos Simon was there to greet her, and walked from his townhouse to the lower meadow
with the other dogs from his group. He wasn't going to miss the chance to meet a new friend!
HFL staff Kaitlin
takes Hannah's photo with Simon using Hannah's own camera!
This hard winter has
been a challenge to Simon's recovery. He
seemed to lose ground with his rehabilitation, losing his mobility as the
weather grew colder. This winter has been the coldest and snowiest we have had
in 15 years at Home for Life. By the end of 2013,Simon was not walking at all.
Our dedicated staff continued to take care of him faithfully, making sure his
bedding was thick and comfortable, holding a water bowl for him so he could drink,
helping him to his feet and getting him outside on warmer, sunny days. Even
though our employees never complained about caring for Simon, as heavy as he
was to handle, leaving him like this was not a good long term solution for him.
If Simon had ever let us know that he'd had enough, as difficult as it would
have been, we would have let him go, knowing that we had done everything we
could to help him.
How do we know when one of our animals is ready to cross
over, to die? How do we know when they have had enough? I am asked this
question all the time. Sanctuaries take in and care for the special cases, many
of them high risk animals with significant health conditions. It’s understood
that part of our mission is that we will go the extra mile for our animals. Our
animals need that extra mile, often, to have their best chance at a fulfilling
life. The toughest question we have to
ask ourselves is when our efforts are directed to saving us - from the
heartbreak of losing one of our beloved animals, and from the sense of defeat
that occurs with giving up hope, conceding that there was nothing more we could
do to help. It's hard to give up when
the entire reason for the organization's existence is to rescue, to save animals.
And - it's just as difficult to honor our animals' wish to continue to
fight for their life if they want to live. We've witnessed miracles often
enough over the fifteen years Home for Life has existed to know that we must
support our animals as long as they want to live.
Animals aren't afraid of death like most human beings
are. While they don't fear death, they
love their life and will fight to live if they know it's not their time to leave. As their caretakers,
humility is required to be able to listen to our animals and recognize when
they are done and have had enough versus when they still feel connected to life
and want help to make the most of their time left. They convey their
continuing connection to life thru eye contact, engagement in what's going on
around them and interest in food and treats! So many of our animals who have
terminal diagnoses are still alive and not only just alive - but happy, pain free,
active, enjoying their animal friends, and engaged in life around them. Defying
their medical prognosis, these animals live on. What if we had euthanized them;
put them to death after they had been diagnosed? If there is still a spark, killing them
before their time is a betrayal.
Disabled
and old dogs and cats take a lot of work and creativity to care for to ensure
them a quality life. It takes patience, effort, and imagination to picture the
potential of the animal instead of focusing on the limitations. The prevailing
idea is that if an animal cannot function or walk like a normal or young dog or
cat in their prime, they must have no quality of life. That position is pretty
ignorant. Most animals want to live if they can and will make the best of their
situation, focusing on what they CAN do not their lack. Simon is just one of
our special animals whose life at the sanctuary demonstrates that if a cat or
dog can enjoy the sun, tasty food, treats and attention, the company of their
dog or cat friends, the animal still has quality of life that should be
preserved and cherished. In fact Simon is one of four dogs at Home for Life who
were quadriplegic and later recovered fully. Their stories remind us to never give up and to honor an animal's choice
to live with adversity when they have faith and want to keep trying.
Animals like Simon who come into the world with
disabilities or who become disabled as they age still find a safe haven at Home
for Life® where they will be loved and cared for as long as they may live. As
we get to know these special animals, their disabilities become less of a
defining and identifying feature, while their courage and their indomitable
spirits become what we think of when reflecting on all they mean to us.
Our
goal is now to support Simon by helping him to walk again and to make sure he
will be able to enjoy this coming spring and summer when it finally arrives.
With this objective before us, we found a great canine rehabilitation facility
where Simon now goes twice a week. There he swims in a tank, walking in an
underwater treadmill. The warm water allows his tense neck muscles to relax and
the water buoys him up so he can stand and work his muscles safely. Massage and
physical therapy, and a change in his medication are also part of his rehabilitation program. Back at the
sanctuary, our staff helps Simon with his “homework” - a number of physical
therapy exercises to strengthen his muscles and improve his flexibility. This
physical therapy represents a significant investment in Simon of time and money,
but already there is improvement. Simon has much more flexibility of his neck
muscles and can turn and flip himself around to reach his water and get the most comfortable
spot on his bedding.
Simon'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 has taken to help Simon 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 multifaceted approach. A focus on moving numbers of animals thru
adoption and reducing numbers of animals thru sterilization 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 his/her unique needs.
The current focus in animal welfare is on moving animals through the system to
adoption and posting high numbers of animals altered and adopted. Dogs such as
Simon 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. Sanctuaries whose
focus is on the individual animal provide a depth of care and a lifesaving,
life affirming alternative for these special animals.
As
long as we've known this special dog, Simon, one continuing theme of his life
has been his ability to connect with amazing people who have identified with
his hopeful attitude and kindness. Had Home for Life not
invested the time and effort to help Simon during his years with us,
how much we and everyone he has met would have missed! His love of
life, his courage, and his resilience. We didn't direct Hannah's attention to Simon but in retrospect it was no
surprise that he was the dog who most touched her heart. Like Simon, Hannah has
faced adversity with grace and courage, and has stayed engaged with life in a
positive way instead of letting setbacks overcome her. It was very inspiring to
meet such a talented and optimistic person who still has an open heart to give
back, and to see her connect with a kindred spirit, our Simon.
The photographs of Mark Luinenberg, taken at Home for Life Sanctuary this year are featured in this slideshow which was debuted at our Fall Gala.,the Fancy Feast, September 23, 2012.
Mark is a celebrated photographer from Minneapolis who has traveled the world taking photos for clients like National Geographic and Purina. Mark has taken photos as a volunteer for Home for Life almost since our very beginning, visiting the sanctuary regularly, accompanying our animals and volunteers on community outreach visits and attending our events. His photos over the past 12 years create a history in pictures of Home for Life Animal Sanctuary. His website features many images of Home for Life's cats and dogs: http://www.markluinenburg.com/
When Mark comes out to the sanctuary, we draw up a list of animals whose photos we would like but deciding on the actual production of the images is left to his discretion. Why work with a gifted and creative person if you are going to dictate to them? I have had no input into the creation of these photos besides suggesting animals for the subject matter. These photos really express Home for Life and our mission as seen through his eyes.
We have featured other photographers on this blog, but I am embarrassed to say that this tribute to Mark's photos is long overdue. Home for Life is a new idea in animal sheltering, an animal sanctuary for special needs animals. We could pontificate and proselytize until we were blue in the face about why care for life sanctuaries are needed, and how our mission makes a difference. But with a single photo, Mark illustrates why Home for Life has and continues to make a difference in the lives of the animals we help.As a person he is understated and unassuming but sees everything and has an amazing gift for capturing the iconic moment.
In Home for Life's history we have had to struggle against the thought that our animals are pathetic and their stories heartbreaking. That they would be better off dead. If no one would even see our animals , how could Home for Life help them or justify their need for help? Good and kind people want to turn away from any photos of what one called our "damaged animals". Mark's photos have shown them to be anything but pitiful: on the contrary,beautiful ,soulful, full of life, joyful and worthy of support and attention. Because of his beautiful portraits of our animals, Mark has made it possible for us to help these animals who so need and deserve our assistance.
Mark's photos also have revealed that despite the challenges our animals have faced- old age,disabilites, neglect, abuse- they still have much to live for and much to give.Because of his photos, which have been the cornerstones of our newsletters and website, our animals are seen. Before, animals like those at Home for Life were thought to have little to offer and were shunned or hidden away.By making it possible for our animals to be visible and in such a beautiful way, Mark has given our animals an invaluable gift. No one can ever again dismiss them as having nothing to live for, nothing to give just because they could not find a conventional adoptive home.
Below are some of our favorite from Mark's photos of Home for Life's animals from the past few years. Some of these images have become legendary, iconic photos for all time.
Celeste is a feline leukemia cat who has lived at Home for Life for over five years. This photo was taken of her this summer in our outdoor run for Home for Life's feline leukemia cats. Celeste has no eyes.She is also a therapy animal and regularly visits Minneapolis Tubman's shelter for children who are impacted by domestic abuse.
Flurry and Winter, two"lethal white" Australian Shepard brothers. They were found
on the side of a country road in Illinois, abandoned. They came to Home for Life at age 6 months. We lost Winter( following his brother Flurry in this photo) at just a year old,but Flurry,though blind, is still going strong.Because of Winter's untimely death, I treasure this photo of the two dogs running through our meadow with the clover and wildflowers in the background.This photo was featured on our 2010 newsletter cover.
This photo is of Iso, the first K9 Home for Life rescued, on a community outreach visit to an elementary school. It's not commonly known that K9s are usually euthanized when retired if they cannot live with their handlers. Usually they cannot as the police officer will need to get a younger K9 who will live with him. These old K9 are used to working and need a job to do.They become bored and frustrated if they can't continue to have a way to remain active. Home for Life would like to care for more of these dogs. Our community outreach programs offer them a way to be of service, and they have a safe and loving haven at Home for Life where they will not be misused or exploited.
A touching photo taken in the Summer of 2011 of one of our senior dogs,a brown lab named Molly in one of our meadows. Her owner gave her up when she lost her home and could not take Molly with her. I had actually asked that our staff have Mark take another Home for Life Molly's photo: a senior toy poodle we had just taken in. Our wires got crossed and big Molly the lab was photographed instead. At first I was peeved, until we got the proofs from Mark including this extraordinary picture, which we ended up using for our home page late last summer: http://www.homeforlife.org/whats_new_092611.htm .
Joyful Ben: Ben is a small Shepard Mix surrendered to Home for Life as a puppy form the Animal Welfare League of Chicago. If I ever need motivation to keep going, working on behalf of Home for Life, this photo does it. As a small puppy, Ben was nearly beaten to death by a gang of boys. Rescued by the Chicago Police and brought to AWL, Ben was not expected to live. He had brain swelling, and was in a coma for several days. Though he survived the horrific abuse, Ben is blind and has suffered brain damage. But on a sunny winter day, nothing can stop him from enjoying a romp in our exercise run.
Home for Life's cover of our 2011 newsletter. What an extraordinary photo. Who else but Mark could have taken it? Bert, our senior St. Bernard is with one of our former staff Jamie ( who now works as a zoo keeper), swimming in the Apple River on a warm summer say. This photo is like an impressionistic painting.
Brown Megan was a retired seeing eye dog who was retired to Home for Life when her former owner, Annalisa, pictured here, could no longer care for her. Megan had developed arthritis and other medical issues and could not fulfill her duties as a seeing eye dog. Annalisa needed another dog to help her but could not keep two dogs in her small apartment. However, the two-Megan and Annalisa had a bond of over 10 years, that time and space could never sever as Mark's photo reveals.. Home for Life gave a safe retirement home to Megan and Annalisa was able to visit her often, with her new seeing eye dog Sundance. Megan had a loving and safe haven and full life at Home for Life as a "greeter" dog in our Feline Leukemia building and enjoyed the frequent visits Annalisa made to the sanctuary, where they spent time walking in our meadows, guided by Sundance.
Cedric was an older cat who came to Home for Life from a Wisconsin shelter. A farmer had found him after someone had thrown acid or lye in his face burning his muzzle, the left side of his face. and his ears. He was also starving and in poor condition.This photo was taken within days of Cedric coming to the sanctuary. Despite the cruel abuse he suffered and his painful injuries,Cedric was a forgiving soul,always appreciative of kindness and attention. He was a special favorite at our Mall of America events. He died of cancer in 2006 but enjoyed several years of good health and happiness at Home for life,beloved by our staff and many supporters. The tribute I wrote to Cedric and more photos of him are found at this link: http://www.homeforlife.org/cat_cedric.htm
Home for Life's brush with fame and Mark was there to capture it!: Here is our doberman Simon posing with the famed 'Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan. These photos were taken right before Cesar did a book signing and appearance at the local Petco store.There had to be over 1000 people lined up outside the store waiting to meet him, so Mark had to be quick about taking the photos. He got this great one for all time of both Cesar and gentle Simon smiling. I treasure this picture, not so much because of Cesar, but because Simon was young and healthy then. Simon has developed Wobbler's Disease now and struggles to walk but has a mighty heart and perseveres. He was one of our first therapy dogs serving the the injured soldiers of the VA Poly Trauma Unit. More about Simon: http://www.homeforlife.org/dogbio_simon.htm and his work at the VA Poly Trauma Unit including an article that appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press: http://www.homeforlifesanctuary.blogspot.com/search/label/Audrey%20Hepburn
Great photo taken in 2009. More by accident than design we found ourselves the caretakers of five Cocker Spaniels, all elderly, who had all lost their homes due to various circumstances affecting their owners: death, illness,job loss and home foreclosure. In the case of two of the dogs ( Goldie, 2nd from left and Joe Cocker, 2nd from right), the owners had abandoned them to near certain death when we were alerted and were able to intervene in time. These dogs all got to enjoy their "golden years' - loving care, companionship with other dogs,great food, treats and romps in our meadows. Sadly of the five pictured, only the black cocker, Elmo is still alive. He came to Home for Life, when his elderly owners died and Elmo's longtime veterinarian asked us to help him.
Giovanni was an elderly Italian Greyhound and is pictured here with one of our former staff members Genevieve,who is now a veterinarian. Giovanni's owner died and left him and several other animals of the household to the mercy of her family.The surviving family members wanted nothing to do with him, and through rescue contacts, Home for Life was alerted and able to offer him a loving retirement home for his senior years. Giovanni developed a cancer of the jaw at the very end of his life but up to that point was happy and made friends with another Home for Life Italian Greyhound named Vinnie who still lives at the sanctuary. I found it fascinating that these two dogs of the same breed became best friends and had that affinity for each others: we have found that dogs of the same breed do seem to gravitate to each other.
This photo always charmed me because I think the composition though simple is so stunning.. Several of our supporters remembered this photo and commented on how exquisite it is.
Home for Life believes at risk animals can help at risk people. Our Peace Creatures initiative consists of an array of innovative model programs where our volunteers and animals from the sanctuary provide pet therapy services to at risk people of all ages in our community. We focus on people who don't commonly receive the service of pet therapy-and who are the human being equivalent of our animals: shunned and socially marginalized. Are there any individuals who are more isolated in our society than the dying? We are proud to provide the service of pet therapy to hospice patients, those people who have received a terminal diagnosis and are in the last 6 months of their life. In this photo, Mark captures the heartfelt connection between Home for Life volunteer Sara and the patient she visited each week while he was in hospice care, and the bond that unites them- Home for Life therapy dogs Minnie, a schnauzer and Sammy a cockapoo.
Mark accompanied our volunteers on a community outreach visit we make several times a month to the children's floor at the University of Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis. In this photo, Mark said one of the nurses was going to close the blind because the sun was so bright but he asked her to leave it open. The result: the beautiful light illuminating the face of Home for Life volunteer Rachel as she introduces Patches, an English setter mix who had lost a leg to cancer to a young patient undergoing chemotherapy.
Newman was a long hair doberman. He had lived at a no kill shelter for over three years before he found his way to Home for Life.( More about Newman: http://homeforlifesanctuary.blogspot.com/search/label/Newman). He was such a great dog.,and even though he has been gone many years, I still treasure this photo of him. it's really true that if my house ever burned down the one thing I would grab, after making sure Rick and my animals were safe, would be my photo albums of all our Home for Life dogs and cats. After all these years, photos like this one still brings tears to my eyes and a smile to remember the special animals that have been part of Home for Life.
Here is a more recent photo,taken in January of this year, 2012.The photo is of a dog named Bear whom we lost just a few months later. Bear, along with the other three dogs in his home, were given up by their owner to Home for Life in the fall of 2011.The owner had to flee a dire domestic abuse situation and couldn't take her four big dogs with her. Bear came to Home for Life limping on his back right leg, but the owner hadn't been able to afford veterinary treatment for him. We had the leg x-rayed and evaluated by our veterinarians : Bear was diagnosed with osteosarcoma- bone cancer. The decision was made to amputate the leg to give Bear the best chance to live pain free and have as much time as possible. He had limped on that painful leg for so long that when it was finally removed, it seemed like he was relieved, and he was able to walk and run like he had always had only three legs. Read more about Bear's story here: http://www.homeforlife.org/whats_new_020112.
Even with amputation of the affected limb with the tumor, the prognosis for dogs with osteosaroma is six months or less.. Where do they go when they leave us? Bear had a couple good months before succumbing to the disease. In this photo, full of silver, winter light, Mark glimpses Bear at the threshold-we bought him some borrowed time with surgery and treatment, and he enjoyed those last few months he had at the sanctuary with us and his dog brother and sisters. Yet, in this photo, he seems like a shimmering spirit already, looking beyond his life here, to whatever might be ahead of him.
