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 How do you restore a dog to psychological health who has known nothing but abuse? How do you persuade such a dog to trust and love people again? At The Heart and Soul Animal Sanctuary, we have an answer: The Giant Doghouse. There are no cages or pens in this house. It's actually a home--a group home for 25 to 30 rescued dogs, presided over 24 hours a day by our founder and director, Natalie Owings. The Giant Doghouse is filled with soft beds, which are covered with freshly laundered blankets or towels. Soothing music plays quietly. The dogs wander in and out. They are free to play outside, to explore the woods, to lounge, socialize or nap on the wrap-around covered porch. At mealtimes they are given top-quality, nutritious food, ladled with a meat and vegetable broth from a simmering crockpot.
Take Rosie. She's a delicate white Australian shepherd, deaf and half-blind, with milky blue eyes. Some months ago her elderly owner suffered an incapacitating stroke. Rosie and her sister had to be placed in a foster home. There, Rosie was attacked by other dogs and starved. Her sister was killed. The day Rosie was brought to us she was a skeleton, with open sores on her face and pure terror in her eyes. We thought she might never overcome her handicaps and traumatic past. But that first night, she climbed on the bed and draped herself over Natalie as if hanging on for dear life.
Such is the power of love--and the Giant Doghouse--to restore even badly damaged dogs to health and happiness. It is stunningly clear that this environment supports the fundamental rights of dogs. By contrast, cages promote loneliness, howling and mental degeneration. This is the heart of what we do at The Heart and Soul Animal Sanctuary. We are here to give these dogs a second chance at a happy life, with as much freedom to be themselves as safety will allow. That is our great gift to them. Our great regret is that we aren't able to take in every dog who needs and deserves a life like this. |
Spirit was found abandoned at a gas station in near the Arizona border. No one knew anything about him except that he was a "dumper" puppy, about 4 1/2 months old. A good man picked him up and drove 300 miles out of his way to bring him to us. Spirit was starved and shy, with bad skin and a dull coat. Today he's the right arm of the Sanctuary staff. Truly a remarkable dog, he protects all the new dogs and puppies, riding herd on the ones who misbehave.
Posie, a tiny, wire-haired dachshund, was found by a friendly mechanic in a remote area, dumped on a lonesome dirt road. A year old, she was thin, starved and had a sparse, unhealthy coat. Her dark, beady little eyes pierced us with intense curiosity and love. It was six months before she was healthy again. Now Posie and her new boyfriend, Perry, sleep curled up together on Natalie's bed at night.
Chaco was a wandering, lost, starved puppy when he was picked up at age 4 months in Chaco Canyon, Arizona, by a traveling veterinary technician and brought to the Sanctuary. Chaco is very intelligent and kind, but being "plain-looking" he has never been adopted. "A good dog is never a bad color" is the title of a book that could be written about him. We love Chaco very much, and feel he actually is quite handsome.
