Prez Says

Sullen eyes, droopy heads, and the sounds of whimpers; these are the memories of the animal shelter that haunt me. To see a pet with no sparkle in its eyes, and who has lost all hope of returning home or finding a new one is enough to break your heart. This is what I saw in row after row of cages at the shelter.

After many sleepless nights, I made a decision that something had to be done to save 'last day on earth" pets. For these adoptable pets that run out of time, I set aside a goal of saving at least one a month. Each time I saved a pet from euthanasia, I was greeted with a wagging tail and sloppy kisses. I know this was their way of saying thank you. This goal was achieved with the help of the Animal Foundation who alerted me about the pets, Theresa and Jordan at Betty Honns, and Stacey, an animal lover who housed the pets until permanent homes were found.

Even with this accomplishment I realized that more needed to be done. A handful of animal lovers and myself banded together to solve this problem. We have spent months researching animal shelters and sanctuaries to learning from their experience and expertise. It became our mission to build the best no-kill animal sanctuary in the Country. With this in mind, the Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary was born.

Everyday I am reminded of how good it feels to save lives. Two of our dogs are "last day on earth" pets. Our big black Lab mix named Bo was one of those dogs who had lost hope. Week after week he lay in his cage not wanting or caring to look at the strangers trying to get his attention. I almost missed him as he lay hopelessly in the back of his crowded cage. No one could have imagined what a loyal, loving and gentle giant he turned out to be. His tail has not stopped wagging since we left the shelter.

My other constant reminder is Teddy, a beautiful Collie-Chow mix. Teddy, unlike Bo, made such a ruckus I could not help but notice him. Teddy and I bonded after spending time before an adopt-a-thon. He had ended up in the shelter after his owner became ill. When he did not get adopted I could not let him be killed. Because of pets like Bo and Teddy, the Heaven can Wait Sanctuary will become a reality.