February 25, 2010 — Our foster dog Nellie, who we were ready to adopt as soon as she finished her vetting, died during surgery yesterday. She was with us for a month. We are heartbroken.

She was as close to perfect for us as they come — half fun and games, half kisses and snuggles. She managed to ingratiate herself with every member of our family — human and canine alike.

She was a very special girl. No one knows what happened — why her little heart just stopped beating 2/3 of the way through some fairly routine surgical procedures. She was full of life, joy, and energy. We’re all crushed; even the staff at the vet’s office are upset. The receptionist and one of the techs cried with me in the waiting room yesterday when I went to have them take a print of her paw for me to remember her by.

She was a little dog, but the impression she left on our lives is deep, and her absence is great.

May 28, 2010 – In loving memory of Miss Mattie May, our sweet, spunky, wonderfully mischievous, loving little girl.  She was approximately 10 years old when we adopted her 15 months ago.  She was the most beautiful husky/sheltie mix who showed her love by coming up and burying her face in our knees asking to be stroked.  She lived for food and would stop at next to nothing to get it.  She had been described as a heat-seeking missile for food and less than 1 week before she died she was still on top of her game having stolen a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from the kitchen counter!  But perhaps she was best known for her unusual quirk of stealing – and ingesting – socks.  Not any other small article of clothing, just socks.  Socks from the floor, socks from the hamper, clean or dirty, she loved to seek them out and walk around the house in front of us with them.  And initially she wouldn’t give them up so we learned (i.e., she taught us) to trade her for them.  A treat for a sock.  And it worked, but she would still eat them when we weren’t home despite our best efforts to not leave them lying around.

So when she began vomiting and not eating for 2-3 days we brought her to the vet.  X-rays were indeterminate.  Exploratory surgery revealed cancerous obstructions along her digestive tract which were already too advanced to be able to successfully treat.  The cancer had spread throughout her body.  They also found a sock which had appeared to have been in there for a while!  So we made the ultimate painful decision to let her go while still on the table, not wishing to wake her up, have her heal from major surgery, and then rapidly decline again anyway.  We came in to be with her as she passed.  She was sent to her rest with a sock wrapped around her right foreleg.

Even though Miss Mattie May was not with us for nearly enough time, the time we had with her was unforgettable and we would do it all over again in a minute.  These senior guys & gals have so much personality and so much love to share and we are so glad that she and we mutually chose each other, and our family will miss her terribly.

In the meantime, Young At Heart has created “A Sanctuary of the Heart”, a sanctuary program where foster families with enormous hearts agree to take on the lifetime care commitment of one of our pets that is happy and has many months or years left, but may not be considered “adoptable” by many people. These dogs and cats receive all the medical care, love, and attention they need for the rest of their lives, cared for by their Sanctuary Homes, and financially supported by Young At Heart.

The dogs and cats in our sanctuary program have been rescued from pounds and shelters with the intention of being adopted out, but medical issues have prevented them from becoming fully adoptable. SANCTUARY HOMES ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR DOGS AND CATS FROM OUTSIDE YOUNG AT HEART’S ADOPTION PROGRAM.

With a BIG HEART, you can help us build our Sanctuary!

Land for a Sanctuary and Adoption Center

As you may know, we are constantly working towards the purchase or donation of several acres in Lake or McHenry County, IL on which we will eventually build a Sanctuary and Adoption Center for senior pets. We began our campaign in February of 2008 and will continue to work to raise funds for this goal. If you are interested in donating land you currently own, purchasing land to donate to Young at Heart’s use, or to donate to this campaign, please email Executive Director, Dawn Kemper, at dkemper@yahpetrescue.com or call 847-529-2025.

Meet Our Sanctuary Residents!

Minnie is our newest Sanctuary Resident. Minnie was recently diagnosed with an inoperable mast cell tumor under her jaw. Because of her age and her condition, it was decided she should live out her days in comfort and surrounded by those her love her most, and thus Minnie is now a Sanctuary Pet. Welcome home, Minnie!

Hi there! I’m Minnie, an “aging gracefully” Miniature Pinscher who was diagnosed with an inoperable Mast Cell tumor on my jaw, and that’s how I went from being adoptable, to being a Sanctuary Resident of Young at Heart. I love my toys and my four-legged siblings, and I am helping my mom finish her degree by “studying” with her every night. I’m super smart, you know, and a big help! I love car rides and going to work with mom, and am a very big Diva, if I do say so myself. I love fluffy beds, fluffy toys, and my wardrobe is ever-growing with the cutest outfits! I am definitely living the good life!

Update: June 2010- Hi everyone! Just checking in to let you all know that I’m doing fantastic! I am enjoying my life as “queen” of the castle, loving every moment with my “Mommy” and my four-legged siblings. My mast cell tumor has not grown since I became a Sanctuary Resident over a year ago, which makes everyone very happy! I get to spend my days snoozing in my fluffy dog bed, watching birds out the window, and playing with my canine buddies. I love to “help”my mom around the house when she comes home from work so that she knows I love her very much. Thanks to all of you for allowing me this wonderfully happy ending. I hope to see you all at an event soon!

Hi there! I’m Cinnamon, and I came to Young at Heart from a local pound in early December, 2009 after waiting there for months on end for a home of my own. Even though I was a sweet and beautiful kitty, my age scared everyone away. I am such a sweet and noble little girl, but unfortunately not long after I came to Young at Heart, I began vomiting, and couldn’t stop. A trip to the vet revealed not only that my kidneys were diseased, but that I had a tumor in my abdominal cavity as well. I was put on a prescription diet for my kidneys, which is working great, but unfortunately my biopsy revealed that the mass in my abdomen is cancer. But, unlike many other places where I would’ve been put to sleep, here I was sent to a Sanctuary home! I’m living with my Sanctuary Mom, Nancy, and she takes great care of me. I get steroids daily to control the growth of the tumor, and it’s working because not only am I eating like a horse and keeping my food down, but I’m feeling so much better, too! No one knows just how much time I have, but I get to live out my days loved and getting the care I need to be comfortable. I’m so thankful for this chance to be loved in my golden days.

January 23, 2009- Goodbye, Cinnamon.

A note from the Director: Cinnamon went to kitty heaven yesterday. We had placed her on Predinisone to try and shrink the tumor, but the cancer was too aggressive, and Cinnamon was no longer comfortable. We had hoped that we would have many months with Cinnamon, as the time we had with her was far too short. I know she’s rolling in fields of heavenly catnip and chasing butterflies now with her kitty buddies in heaven. Sweet dreams, sweet Cinnamon.

Hi everyone! I am Natalie, a 14 year old Collie Mix who was found in early 2008. Animal Control found me in a storage locker facility, where my family had broken into the office so they could keep me safely tucked away in a climate controlled environment while they went to a people shelter for the homeless. They loved me so much that they risked being caught, all the while making sure I was comfortable as they could make me. I could barely walk due to my arthritis, and I was in need of a shave-down due to the amount of matts in my thick coat.

Animal Control brought me to a local vet, where I was treated, and though Young at Heart knew I wasn’t an extremely adoptable dog due to my age, they rescued me anyway. I’ve spent the last year in a wonderful foster home, where I have been treated like a queen! Recently my arthritis has made getting around on their wood floors tougher than it had been, and so I found my way to my new home where I will live out my days in comfort and surrounded by love. I love my Sanctuary Family, and I even have a four-legged buddy about my age to hang out on the ground floor with me! We watch birds and squirrels out the window together, go for short walks together, and best of all, get to spend lots of time with the family. I’m so happy to finally be home.

7-11-2009-- Goodbye, Sweet Natalie.

From the Director:

I can remember the phone call like it was yesterday. “I don’t know if you can help her, she can barely walk, but she won’t have a chance anywhere else.”

The phone call came in the coldest snap of January 2008. Natalie, as we named her, had been found in a climate controlled storage facility, matted to the bone and barely able to walk. Could we help her? Her owners, who the police were sure were a local homeless family, must have loved her greatly, as they broke into the storage facility, stole a key somehow, and each night before they would take themselves to a nearby homeless shelter, would tuck Natalieinto the storage facility’s office- a large bowl of water, a big bowl of dog food, a comfy couch and heat/AC. No one knows how long they got away with it, but once we heard the story, we knew we couldn’t let Natalie down. Her people had fought so hard to keep this old, arthritic family dog out of the pound where she had no chance at all. We were going to make sure we did the same.

The day we met Natalie was the coldest day of the year. The poor girl had been so incredibly matted that we had to have her sheered like a sheep at the vet’s office, leaving her nothing but a tail and a lion’s mane. She had to be sheered down to her skin, and it was freezing out. The vet sent her home in a employee t-shirt, and we immediately went and bought her many fleece jackets and blankets to get her through. Natalie was sweet and stoic, taking everything in stride, but not letting her guard down for a second. Her arthritis was terrible, and we had to help her with each step. She was immediately started on a battery of anti-inflammatories, supplements, and high quality holistic food to help her. The Krinninger Family made sure she was comfortable and loved while we arranged for a foster home that would be willing to foster her long-term. We knew it would be a long road to help her regain her strength. The kids even made Natalie her very own fleece blanket, which she loved. And then Natalie continued her journey and went to live with the Kratz Family, her long-term foster home.

Within weeks of living with the Kratz Family, she was walking easier and on her own. Soon they had her going for short walks, and then she could walk 6-8 blocks. She began to enjoy life, wagging her tail and giving little kisses, the spark returned to her eyes. We took her to adoption event after adoption event, often being the center of attention with people wanting to pet her thick fluffy coat that had grown back so nicely, but no one wanted to adopt her. She didn’t care. She was watching squirrels, going for car rides, getting love and treats from her foster family. Life was good again!

In March of 2009, Natalie became a Sanctuary Pet for Young at Heart Pet Rescue. The Losacco family took her in as one of their own, and we are certain Natalie never knew so much love. Nataliewalked into their home like she owned the place, sat down next to her new four-legged foster brother by the back door, and watched squirrels together. She knew she was home. We continued to pay for all of her medical bills, and Natalie blossomed even more than we thought was possible. Her sweet and loving nature was obvious at all times now, the days of her stoicism long behind her. She was happy.

After a year and a half of Natalie gracing us with her kind demeanor, her gentle ways, and her happy spirit, we said goodbye to her this morning. Her downturn was swift- a tumor on her heart- her goodbye was peaceful with her “mom” by her side. We are so lucky to have been graced by the presence of such a gentle soul for so long.

We will miss you greatly, Natalie. You were truly Young at Heart.

Hi everyone! After many months of desperate attempts to control my allergies, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that has earned me a spot in Young at Heart’s Sanctuary Program. I will live my days with my loving foster mom and her four-legged kids, and thanks to Young at Heart, I will get all of the medical attention I need. I’m currently on whopping doses of Predinisone, a steroid to suppress my immune system, and for the first time in months, I feel fantastic. I have been through allergy shots, allergy testing, several different medications and shampoos, special diets, custom allergy shots, several visits to the dermatologist, and a skin biopsy. The skin biopsy determined that I have an autoimmune disorder, so my body is basically attacking itself, making me itch from head to toe 24/7. I was not a happy camper. So, weighing the options of keeping me comfortable, the rescue decided on one last attempt with immune system suppression, and it’s working! Yay! I feel GREAT, and am eating like a horse (that’s mostly the steroids, but I feel better, too!), and am actually sleeping soundly for the first time in several weeks. Everyone felt so bad for me, and people kept whispering about what might happen if this last ditch effort didn’t work, but it’s working, so I’m enjoying life to the fullest now!

6/18/2009 –

With heavy hearts, we said goodbye to “Lady”, one of Young at Heart’s very special sanctuary dogs, this past Thursday morning.

Lady came to us exactly a year ago after being surrendered to a local pound by her owner. Lady had allergies, and her owner could not afford to feed her or medicate her any longer. When we agreed to take Lady in, we figured a diet change and some allergy meds would do the trick.

Lady had allergy testing, custom allergy shots, the most expensive “new” allergy medication, medicated baths, special order ground venison and vitamins, just to name a few of the things we tried to get her comfortable. Finally, a skin biopsy revealed the news- Lady had an autoimmune disorder. The only course of action was to suppress her immune system with large amounts of predinisone and cross our fingers that it worked. And work it did!

Lady blossomed, her itching stopped and she began to eat and play, finally comfortable in her own skin. She loved her Sanctuary Mom, Barb, with all her heart- her eyes would follow Barb wherever she went, a doggy smile onLady’s face non-stop. She was finally comfortable and home.

On June 18th, Barb awoke to Lady’s labored breathing, but before Ladycould make it to the vet, she passed away at home. She had been happy and playful up until the very night before, and died the way all of us should- wrapped in the love of our family, comfortable and peaceful in our own homes. Lady was one of the lucky ones. We will miss her greatly.