So many Dogs and cats of senior years get tossed aside with no one to care for them, especially those abandoned, neglected and abused. Shelters are often full of older pets, and it is a proven fact that most adopters want to take home a younger animal. As a result, the geriatric animals have a grim outlook on life. That is until Joe and Sher Polvinale started to open their home in Gaithersburg, Maryland into a retirement sanctuary for older pets.
The passion of the Polvinale’s to help more aged pets
Sher and Joe Polvinale rescued many animals for more than 30 years, devoting their lives to finding them a home.
As the couple grew older, they noticed that many of their rescues were also of senior age. This made it harder to place them in new homes. In 2006, the Polvinale’s came up with a plan to open a non-profit retirement home for senior pets that have been abused, neglected and abandoned, so that they can live out the remaining of their lives in comfort and dignity. After Joe Polvinale passed on, Sher continues to run the House With a Heart, along with the help of a loyal group of volunteers. Sher told People.com that anyone needs to fulfill a passion in life to fell happy and content. Her passion is the well-being of unfortunate senior pets.
The House With a Heart mission
9 sweet reminders why you should adopt a senior #pet https://t.co/nVg1znZaSj via @mothernaturenet pic.twitter.com/TefZpvx7A0
— petworldinsider (@petworldinsider) March 16, 2017
Sher continues her work well within her own senior years in honor of her husband.
She feels that he would be very proud of her mission through the House With a Heart mission. The organization was funded entirely through donations, providing numerous dog beds in every corner of the facility, along with steps that lead to each sofa and daybed. The facility is a four-bedroom home and senior pets (predominantly dogs) age twelve and over are referred there by shelters and others.
There could be at least 30 animals living in the retirement home at a time, caring for the animals the rest of their natural lives. A volunteer made a statement that there was great satisfaction in caring for these sweet animals with priceless rewards. These senior pets are truly blessed to get the love, care, and attention of Sher Polvinale and her dedicated volunteers as they live out their lives in comfort.
