$696
$348
75
0
Old Dog Haven provides homes for senior dogs (eight and over) who have been abandoned or are about to become homeless. The dogs stay in a permanent foster home and Old Dog Haven pays for all of the veterinary care. The dogs are cared for and loved for the rest of their lives, making their senior years golden years.
Since Old Dog Haven's founding in 2004, more than 7,200 senior dogs have been rescued and cared for. Due to advanced age and medical conditions Old Dog Haven was their only hope. Currently Old Dog Haven has 297 dogs in permanent foster care and there are always senior dogs on our wait list that need a home.
Without Old Dog Haven they would not have gotten a new "leash" on life.
Without Old Dog Haven there would be little, if any, hope for abandoned senior dogs in Western Washington. Because Old Dog Haven is providing homes for senior dogs often needing serious medical attention, and we cover all veterinary services, our costs continue to grow. As they grow, so do our fundraising efforts!
Thanks for helping give some of the most vulnerable dogs hope through your microgift!
Old Dog Haven's Maranda Fund was inspired by a dog named Maranda that arrived at Old Dog Haven as a stray in 2009. Maranda required surgery to repair her torn knee ligaments and despite a generous discount from the veterinary clinic, the surgery was very costly and a decision needed to be made.
Old Dog Haven decided Maranda deserved a chance for a healthy life so the surgery was successfully completed.
The Maranda Fund now exists in Maranda’s honor to help other dogs like Maranda that need major, one-time veterinary procedures that would give them a good chance for a happy life if successful, in excess of what we would consider normal veterinary expenses.
Old Dog Haven was founded in 2004 by Judith and Lee Piper. A friend of a friend asked if they would take a senior dog whose owner was moving into assisted living. They were told the dog had trouble walking and could not do stairs. They adopted the dog and it went from a dog that could not walk to a dog that ran around their five acres. She was not with them long, but they were hooked. They adopted two more senior dogs. After doing this they looked at each other and said, "This is something we could do," and Old Dog Haven was started.
Old Dog Haven was the first senior dog rescue in the United States. Through adopting senior dogs of their own, founders Judith and Lee Piper saw the need for an organization to help abandoned senior dogs by discovering that senior dogs in shelters have little, if any, chance of being adopted.
They developed a method to get senior dogs out of the shelters by creating permanent foster homes where the dog would be safe, cared for, and loved, for the rest of their lives.
Senior dogs are usually not adopted due to their age and medical condition. Potential adopters often cannot afford the care the dog needs, nor are they willing to take the risk of adopting a dog that may not live long. Old Dog Haven takes this worry away by paying for all of the veterinary care for their permanent foster dogs, allowing more people to become an Old Dog Haven permanent foster home and experience the joy of loving and caring for a senior dog.
Harley Rae was in terrible shape when she arrived in Old Dog Haven care. She had the BIGGEST group of mammary tumors we had ever seen and they ran the length of her body. She was also absolutely terrified at the shelter. Nothing seemed to be going Harley Rae’s way until she arrived at her ODH Final Refuge home.
Old Dog Haven used The Maranda Fund to cover the cost of her surgery. A very experienced surgeon removed all the mammary tumors and the surgery was a huge success. Harley Rae’s post-op went very well, and to everyone’s delight and surprise those ugly tumors were benign! Her terrible skin was also addressed and today Harley Rae looks like a new dog.
Her ODH moms and their resident dogs have done a wonderful job and Harley Rae has gained tremendous confidence; she has settled in far more easily than we ever would have guessed. One of her moms shares with us, “Harley Rae and my other dogs have formed a tight pack and love going for car rides, walks, and sleeping together on the bed. Harley Rae is affectionate and curious and is always up for a snuggle and a nap. We just adore her. This wonderful, loving, and hopeful little one now has a future ahead of her because of ODH, The Maranda Fund, and the compassion and generosity of ODH donors.”
There are always abandoned senior dogs in Western Washington shelters. The majority of the senior dogs Old Dog Haven takes in are in poor shape and in urgent need of veterinary care.
For example, Pippa recently moved into one of Old Dog Haven's permanent foster homes. She had severe gingival hyperplasia (abnormal growth of gum tissue) across her entire gum line. It was so extreme that her teeth weren’t visible and she was unable to close her mouth. Pippa underwent an extensive dental procedure with a specialist. The removed gum growth was tested for malignancy and fortunately came back negative. The procedure was successful and Pippa now looks fantastic and is doing well.
Old Dog Haven has countless stories of the transformation that can take place with the proper veterinary care AND a safe and loving home.
Would you give $4 a month to support four nonprofits that are making a big difference? Join forces with other 52andChangmakers to automatically give to every Cause of the Week. Every Monday, you’ll wake up knowing you’ve already made a difference! As our community grows, so does the impact!
Together we’ve become volunteers in places we would have never expected, planted milkweed for butterflies, provided books to kids in need, helped save endangered turtles, helped turn excess food into nutrition, helped bring art to youth, educated one another about how we are connected to our delicate food systems, helped save abandoned horses and given old dogs new hope, watched foster youth shine in the spotlight of movie making, helped clean tires out of rivers… we could go on and on and on. It is an absolute joy to be a part of such an amazing network of humans making a difference.
“ALMA reconnects the lives of the formerly incarcerated back to the fabric of society. Our participants have the chance at attaining gainful employment and becoming self-sufficient. Urban Farming helps everyone involved explore the relationships between plants, animals and humans as a way of creating a profound connection to both nature and their community.” - ALMA Backyard Farms
While we’re writing this and you’re reading it, Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes is out there, finding ways to provide food to more people in need throughout Santa Cruz County, where one of three residents are reported to be food insecure.
ChangeMaker Login
Share