No Animal Left Behind: A Sanctuary for Senior Pets

At this animal shelter, some pets are blind, some can no longer walk, and some are even missing a jaw.

But no matter how ailing they become, they always have a home at the House With a Heart Senior Pet Sanctuary.

Today Show animal advocate Jill Rapport recently ran a feature on this non-profit organization, which was founded by Cher Pavanelli to provide shelter and care for aging animals and pets with special needs.

Pavanelli says she started the project 5 years ago to create a safe haven for abandoned pets.

As I got older, I started getting phone calls from people who would ask me if I could take their senior dog because they couldnt take care of it anymore, Pavanelli explains.

The shelter is currently at full capacity, with 30 dogs, 5 cats and a horse. Pavanelli houses the animals until they die to make sure theyre 100 percent loved until the end.

And although it is a daunting financial and emotional task to provide for these aging and ailing animalsmany need to be medicated dailyPavanelli says its all worth it.

Im never tired. And I never get sick, Pavanelli tells Rapport. Im doing what I love.

Ultimately, Pavanelli hopes the Today feature will drive a message home to potential pet-buyers.

[Pavanelli] encourages all pet owners to make sure that [they] have a life plan for [their] pet, so they dont end up abandoned when theyre older, Rapport says.

Although the shelter doesnt allow adoptions, click here to donate to House With A Heart Senior Pet Sanctuary.

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