Sponsor a Sanctuary Senior Dog

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Sponsor a Sanctuary Senior Dog

Can't adopt or foster a senior dog? You can still help. All of the dogs featured below are permanent residents of The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs. They are not currently available for adoption for a variety of reasons; some have constant medical needs; some are in the final stages of illness; some have special emotional needs; Vinnie serves the Sanctuary as visiting dog and official spokesdog. Cato is in training to join Vinnie as a Sanctuary visiting dog.

You can sponsor one of our permanent residents (or an adoptable dog waiting for a forever home) through our Sponsor a Sanctuary Senior program. Your contribution provides food and ongoing medical care for our Sanctuary Seniors. Without sponsors like you, the Sanctuary could not continue its mission of protecting and caring for old dogs that cannot be adopted. In return for your support, you will receive a photo of the dog you have chosen to sponsor. You will also receive periodic updates from your dog sometimes signed with an authentic paw print. If possible, we will arrange for a visit with the dog you sponsor if you are local to Cleveland. Please be sure to tell us which dog you would like to sponsor. We are also planning an e-newsletter just for sponsors beginning in the early winter 2010.

Please see our dogs available for adoption if you are interested in helping us care for one of them.

You may send a check indicating which dog you would like to sponsor, or you may contact the Sanctuary for a sponsorship form; you can also set up your sponsorship through the links to PayPal at the bottom or the left side of this page. The dog you sponsor will be grateful for your help.

SANCTUARY HOSPICE DOGS

Martini, a 10-year-old Husky, was found by animal control wandering the cold streets of Cleveland. She had apparently been hit by a car some time ago, which left a scar on her face and a tilt to her head. Although she is hard of hearing with a touch of arthritis in her hips, she a faithful, loving dog in need of a faithful, loving family, one that will show her the meaning of unconditional love and provide her with a home for the rest of her life. In return, Martini will become your best friend. She had a malignant tumor removed from her thyroid gland in February. Her prognosis is guarded, ranging from several months to several years, since we do not know definitively whether the cancer has spread to her lymph system or not. She loves to play with other dogs and is friendly to every one she meets. If you can sponsor Martini to help with her ongoing medical needs for whatever time she has left, please contact the Sanctuary.

Oscar, a handsome 10-year-old Poodle, was matted, filthy, thin, and frightened when he landed in an area animal control facility after being picked up as a stray. He is a tiny slip of a fellow at barely 7 pounds. In spite of the serious neglect he must have endured, Oscar is healthy except for a touch of arthritis, and his spirits are good. He loves to cuddle with his people, give kisses, and go for walks in the neighborhood. Since coming to the Sanctuary, Oscar has been neutered and had a dental.

Update: Oscar was adopted by a wonderful woman who had to surrender him because of her own serious illness. So Oscar is once again looking for his very own home. Oscar has suffered some emotional distress and will do best in an adult home with people sensitive to his special needs. He is a sweet dog once he trusts you, but he is not especially comfortable around other animals. Oscar has developed kidney disease and heart disease, so he will stay with his foster family for life. If you can sponsor Oscar, please contact the Sanctuary.

GingerSnap: beautiful 8-10-year-old Collie mix. Shy but loving. Loves to walk and ride in the car. Neglected and needs to know unconditional love. GingerSnap came to us from an overcrowded Ohio shelter where she contracted parainfluenza, a dangerous virus, especially dangerous for older dogs like GingerSnap. She struggled for over three weeks, two of them spent at Gateway Animal Clinic on IV's. But GingerSnap is a tough survivor. She seemed to understand that her life was about to get better, so she fought to stay and enjoy it. She has now recovered from her ordeal and is gaining strength every day. She has begun to take short walks and enjoys lounging in the garden in her foster home. Her foster caretaker reports that she enjoys just resting in the garden sniffing the various flowers. Recently she had a cyst removed from her eyelid and has recovered from her surgery. If you are interested in sponsoring GingerSnap, please contact the Sanctuary.

Hazel is a very special girl who came to us with a sad story. She and 85 other dogs were removed from the home of a hoarder in Mansfield, Ohio, in June. The conditions were deplorable, and, sadly, only 22 of the dogs survived. Hazel, whom the shelter estimated at 14 years old, was pregnant and gave birth to four puppies at the shelter. Very shy and poorly socialized, Hazel was not likely to be adopted out, so she came to the Sanctuary where she has been slowly learning to trust people and to interact with them. Our vet Dr. Bob at Gateway Animal Clinic believes that Hazel's age is closer to 9 than the 14 suggested by the shelter. That is good news for Hazel. We hope she has a long time left to enjoy life as a loved family member rather than just a number. Because adjusting to new experiences is difficult for hazel, she will remain in her foster home where she enjoys patrolling the yard with the other dogs and sharing love and treats with her foster caregiver. Your support provides ongoing medical care for severe allergies and a high quality diet for Hazel.

Chester, 8- to 9-year-old Chocolate Lab/possible Chessie mix, came to the Sanctuary from animal control where he was taken from the streets of Cleveland. He was very thin and depressed, but after a short time in his foster home, he began to gain weight and his true Lab personality came shining through. Chester is a sweetheart, a happy-go-lucky fellow with personality to spare. His arthritis, which is being treated currently with medication, does not stop him from running and playing although he has a tendency to overdo it and requires some monitoring. Because of Chester's health needs and his arthritis, he will remain in his foster home for life, enjoying unconditional love and excellent care.

Dina, a 7-year-old Chihuahua, was one frightened little girl when she came to the Sanctuary. We suspect that poor little Dina, who weighs only 4 pounds, was badly abused; she is hand shy and very defensive until she gets to know you and until you gain her trust. A vet exam also revealed a broken jaw that was never treated. Dina had a long-standing skin infection, which left her with a bald tail and thinning coat. The infection, however, has responded well to baths, treatment, and regular care. Because Dina has lasting emotional scars from her years of abuse and reacts to new situations with fear and aggression, she will remain in her foster home, where she feels secure, for life.

MacGregor, a 13-year-old Border Collie mix, came to the Sanctuary in the summer of 2005, picked up as a stray by animal control. He is a beautiful, friendly, intelligent dog who was overlooked for adoption initially because he is an older black dog, traditionally hard to place. MacGregor had been a candidate for our therapy dog program because of his sweet-natured temperament and his love of people, but he is now a permanent Sanctuary resident because his arthritis has worsened significantly, making him a little grumpy with people he does not know. His foster caregivers, who call him Big Boy, take excellent care of him, making sure that he is healthy and loved. When MacGregor is not curled up in front of the TV, he loves to spend time enjoying his yard, making snow angels in the winter and just enjoying life the rest of the year. Your sponsorship helps provide for MacGregor's medical needs, including his ongoing medication to relieve the pain of his arthritis.

Katie, a 14-year-old Pug mix, came to the Sanctuary frightened and ill. Struggling with anemia, inflammatory bowel, arthritis, and an infected tooth, Katie kept her spirits up and relaxed in her foster home even while she was very ill and must have been very uncomfortable. Since she has been with us, she has had exploratory surgery to rule out cancer and had her infected tooth and the tumor that surrounded it removed. She has also been spayed. Katie is now healthier, but her inflammatory bowel requires careful monitoring and lifelong medication. She enjoys a quiet foster home with lots of cuddle time, short walks, and frequent trips outside to relieve herself. Your support provides for Katie's ongoing medication, her high quality diet, and frequent medical check ups.

Rascal, a 14-year-old miniature Poodle, found himself alone in a rural Ohio shelter when his special person died and the family would not keep him. He is a friendly but needy fellow who enjoys the company of other small dogs. He loves to wander around a secure yard in the sunshine and then come in the house for a bite to eat and a nice nap. He also likes to roll in the mud and stick his head in mud puddles. Just the thing for a white dog to love! Rascal is a bit hard of hearing and has some cataracts that diminish his vision although he can see in adequate light. His teeth were cleaned and several very bad ones were pulled. He has recently developed Cushing's Disease, so he will stay in his foster home for life. Your sponsorship helps the Sanctuary with Rascal's medication and frequent vet visits.

JP Monk, a 10-year-old Poodle mix, is a tiny slip of a lad. Weighing under 10 pounds, he was matted, filthy, and frightened when he was picked up by animal control on the streets of Cleveland. He is loving and very needy, always looking for a lap to share. An unusual shade of beautiful gray, poor Monk is missing half of one ear in what is apparently an old injury, but that doesn't stop him for a minute. Full of energy with personality plus, he is hypothyroid and has seizures; both conditions are treated with daily medication. But because he has some serious emotional issues stemming from past abuse, he will stay in his foster home for life. Your support provides for his special medical needs.

Clyde, an 8-year-old Lab mix, was found wandering the streets of Cleveland. Even though Clyde was pitifully thin and completely blind, he was confident, loving, and full of good humor from the first day we met him. Letting his nose be his guide, he is always ready to snatch an unattended piece of cheese or bread from a table or counter, and he is always ready for a walk or an adventure. He is friendly with most people, but he can be frightened and a bit defensive if people do not make their presence known to him before trying to interact with him. He bonds quickly and permanently, having made many new friends in his time with the Sanctuary. Because he reacted poorly in two adoptive homes, Clyde returned to his foster home where he feels secure and where he will stay, enjoying the company of his foster family and their dogs for life. Your support helps to provide ongoing medical care for Clyde.

Your monthly sponsorship helps us care for those senior dogs who cannot be adopted because of medical or emotional conditions. We provide foster homes, medical care, food, and lots of love with the help of sponsors like you. Thank you for considering a senior dog. Our permanent Sanctuary dogs send out a four-paw thank you as well.

$5 a month provides heartworm protection for your dog

$10 a month contributes to feeding your dog

$15 a month contributes to the medical care for your dog

$20 a month contributes to the total care of your dog

$25 a month contributes to the total care of your dog.

$50 a month contributes to the total care of your dog.

If you are interested in other sponsorship amounts, please contact the Sanctuary.

Sanctuary dogs past and present enjoy the good life in their foster homes

thanks to our sponsors and supporters!

Left: Gucci with his friends Riley and Arwin (adopted from the Sanctuary) and Bocci.

Right: Meghan, Georgia, and Henry take time out for a nap.

Left: Angel, Guido, Meghan, and Rose line up for scratches and kisses.

Right: Brady plays couch potato under the watchful eye of young Toby Reis, Poodle/Terrier mix, one of Missy's puppies (Missy the Poodle came to the Sanctuary in 2003 from West Virginia as an 11 y/o Poodle in need, but she was, we discovered after she arrived, a mere 4 years old and VERY pregnant).

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