SYLVIE, a Shepherd mix, and her two siblings were left without a home when her owner passed away in Northern Minnesota. The man’s daughter wanted nothing to do with the dogs and sent all three to a local shelter. Two of them found homes, but Sylvie, at age 11, had no one to take her. Someone at the shelter knew of Top Dog Foundation and contacted us. I learned from the shelter that the daughter lived in the Twin Cities but was up north at the time checking in on her dad’s home. I contacted her to let her know that Top Foundation would take Sylvie and find her a wonderful new home and asked if she could assist in transporting Sylvie to us. She said, “I am leaving for Minneapolis tomorrow morning but I have no room for Sylvie. My car is full of lamps and things from his house . . . I don’t want them to be stolen.” At that point my heart broke because I am quite certain her dad could have cared less about a lamp and a lot more about his precious dogs. How sad he would be to know that she so easily discarded them.

Sylvie is a beautiful Shepherd mix and an incredibly sweet dog. She had been a therapy dog in  the local nursing home. Besides needing a dental cleaning and regular vaccines, she was in good health. I welcomed Sylvie to come live with me and my Sheltie pack while seeking a new family for her. She loved it and fit right in. She enjoyed playing all day at Top Dog Country Club and meeting new friends. She is incredibly social and loves dogs and people.

We have a shortage of foster homes willing to take senior dogs which means there are many seniors that we cannot help. And while we are developing a network of individuals and families that are interested in adopting senior dogs, some dogs are less adoptable due to the demands of their care. While they still have much life to live, some senior dogs need extra care and require medicines and routines that are more difficult to accommodate. This is why the Sanctuary is so important in the rescue work we do. A sanctuary ensures that their remaining years are in a home (not a shelter) with plenty of food, a warm bed, love, and the medical care they need.

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