Frequently Asked Questions
How can dogs come to live at The PAWvillions? / Can you help this dog?
We ONLY intake dogs from local Middle Tennessee animal control facilities or other rescues/shelters; sometimes from other areas within the state and on very rare occasions from neighboring states if we have the space and resources to help. We do not accept surrenders from the public under any circumstances whatsoever.
If you are within the Middle Tennessee area, we kindly encourage you to contact your county’s animal care & control or humane shelter; it is likely that they have worked with us in the past and will be familiar with our intake process. If not, a staff member may email us at dogcare@ofsds.org for details.
If you are outside of the Middle Tennessee area, please reach out to your local facilities and/or visit Saving Senior Dogs USA for a list of other senior dog rescues in the USA. (This is not a complete list of senior dog rescues; just those who are members of Saving Senior Dogs USA.)
Do you adopt dogs out? / What does "forever foster" mean?
We offer a Forever Foster arrangment rather than traditional adoption. The purpose is the same, however – to place our dogs into loving forever homes.
With our Forever Foster program, a dog can spend the remainder of its life in a home with a family or individual (“Geezer Guardian(s)”). Legal ownership of the dog remains with Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary as we provide veterinary care and medications for each Old Friend for the rest of its life. This is provided at the sanctuary’s clinic, by our veterinarian and staff, and any veterinary specialists to whom we may refer, if such intervention is indicated. This is not an arrangement in which Geezer Guardians vet where they choose and Old Friends covers the charges. We also provide the monthly heartworm and flea/tick preventives for our Old Friends in forever homes. Geezer Guardians must live within 100 travel miles of our location here in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. We do not want the distance-to-vetting to be unduly burdensome for our forever families. Also, this distance limit makes compliance more likely with our requirement to return the dog if the home can no longer be provided, as approved Guardians sign a contract stating that in the event they can no longer provide a home for the dog, they will return their Old Friend to the sanctuary and will not place the dog with animal control, another rescue, or another family or individual, etc. Potential Geezer Guardians can read more information and complete the application here. We provide other ongoing support as needed with consulting, equipment when available, training, grooming, etc.
Can people come in to just visit/walk/play with the dogs?
No. This is not a public facility; it is our dogs’ home. Because we offer a home-type environment, there are ~120 dogs at the sanctuary moving about freely in small groups. They are older, and many of them become anxious with a parade of strangers in their space. We do, however, offer guided tours two days a week. You must reserve your space online in advance of your visit. Click here to schedule your tour. We do ask for a $10 donation to reserve your tour space. We take a maximum of six people on each tour. Tour participants must be age 5 or older. These times are the only times that visitors can walk through the sanctuary and meet the dogs.
What do you consider a "senior" dog?
We do our best to take in Old Friends who are a minimum of 10 years old. It is not an exact science; most often, age is based on the best guess of animal control officers and/or the veterinarian providing services for that facility. Since large breeds generally have a shorter lifespan than smaller breeds, we do have more small dogs at the sanctuary than large dogs.
Where are you located?
The PAWvillions is located about 20 miles east of downtown Nashville. Our address is 765 Nonaville Road, Mount Juliet, TN 37122.
How are you funded?
We are primarily funded by private donations. The average donation is about $30.
How can I make a one-time or recurring donation?
How can I make a tribute donation or sponsor a dog?
I have an issue with a donation I made through Facebook...
Donations made through Facebook are transacted through the Facebook Pay system and we have no access to this, or to your payment information. Please use this link to contact them for a refund if an error has been made with your donation: https://www.facebook.com/help/
What donations do you accept other than money?
Thank you for considering donating to Old Friends!
Our Amazon wish list has items that we need and use. Other than items on this list, we always welcome new or lightly used: washable/reusable potty pads, leashes (not retractable), pet beds, harnesses, blankets, towels, and sheets. If you have items to donate, please email info@ofsds.org to make sure they are items we need and are currently accepting. Please do not drop off items at the sanctuary without having obtained confirmation that we are accepting these.
We sometimes accept dog food. Each of our dogs is on a diet unique to their health needs. We primarily use Purina ProPlan and Royal Canin dog food for Old Friends at the sanctuary, though we will accept other brands for Old Friends living in forever homes. We are unable to accept expired or opened dog food.
We do not need furniture, crates, kennels, toys, treats, bowls, collars (other than martingale style), pillows/pillowcases.
We do have a Gift Shop at the Sanctuary. All profits go directly to the care of the dogs living at the sanctuary. The Gift Shop is open from 9am-4pm, Monday through Saturday. We accept cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and Apple Pay.
Can I volunteer?
Yes! We are always accepting volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please click here and complete the form to request more information and a link to our volunteer application. We do not offer short-term, internships, remote, or vacation volunteer opportunities at this time. We are hoping to offer something like this in the future, but are currently unable to do so. This also applies to service hours/court-ordered community service.
Volunteers MUST BE 16 years old and up. Once your application is submitted, our Volunteers Coordinator will contact you with times and dates of orientation sessions. The orientation is required before you can serve. This is a proactive safety measure to guard the wellbeing of both dogs and volunteers.
How else can I help?
Very thoughtfully consider your commitment and responsibility to a dog FOR ITS LIFETIME, BEFORE you get one.
Have your dog spayed or neutered.
Be an advocate for welcoming a rescue dog from a shelter or rescue rather than purchasing from a pet store or breeder.
Help us spread the word about our mission and love for senior dogs.
Click here for our wishlists and other ways to help.
