This is the last month of our 20th anniversary year and I’d like to revew the key elements that make it possible for us, after 20 years, to do what we do to help homeless old dogs.
We believe that old dogs have much to teach us and we believe they should be loved, respected and valued.
Our Mission: Old Dog Haven is committed to the belief that all senior dogs should live peacefully in their final years as members of a caring family. To this end we:
- Provide permanent foster homes for unadoptable, abandoned or soon to be homeless, senior dogs in western Washington, age eight and over. We focus on the oldest and those with serious health issues.
- Assist owners, shelters, and rescues in finding homes for their adoptable senior dogs age eight and over by posting those dogs on our website and social media pages.
- Educate the public about the value of senior dogs in our lives and the unique gifts they bring us.
Fostering is a state of mind put into action. It’s walking your talk. It’s a mental and emotional state that goes beyond being just concerned about animal welfare. It’s a need to make a difference in an old dog’s life, and the ability to translate that need into something tangible.
Our staff works long hours for our dogs; they do whatever needs to be done to help ODH run smoothly and productively.
All of the activities accomplished by our volunteers represent a huge investment in time and energy for our dogs.
We’re very fortunate that our veterinarians are not only skilled, but also compassionate, accessible and dedicated to doing everything they can to help our dogs.
Since we don’t receive any state or federal financial assistance we depend on donations to fund our mission. We couldn’t possibly do what we do without the financial help of our generous and loyal donors. And, our donors are not only from all over the U.S. but Europe as well; people all over the world read about us and want to help our dogs.
Old Dog Haven is very fortunate to have a large community of supporters that value our heart work and do what they can to help our dogs.
If you look at the graphic you’ll see that ODH is a bit like a puzzle put together to make a house … or, in our case, a haven. The individual pieces fit together for form a whole. The puzzle isn’t complete unless all of the pieces are in place.
A special thank you to our dogs that trust us to care for and about them, to give them opportunities to have second chances at happiness and to be loved, valued and respected. Our dogs have much to teach us about forgiveness and positive thinking.
Happy Holidays from all of us!