Testimonials

“I had heard of Old Friends for years and, with my rescue Chico noticeably slowing down, it got me thinking about it being time to take in another dog. When it came time to choose an Old Friend, the Foster Program Manager and I communicated about what our family was comfortable with, and Chance was the first and only dog we saw.

Chance is a good dog that needed a home. He tolerates our ignorance about the proper way of doing things and he absolutely does things his own way. He is so athletic and quite vocal when he gets going leaping and jumping about.

“I am a Geezer Guardian to Hector, a little Yorkie.  I have a friend who was also a Guardian and I heard about Old Friends through her. I have watched how the caretakers at the sanctuary take care of all the seniors and show them love and care for them, and everyone there is always so nice. I contribute because I see the difference they all make in the lives of the dogs they care for, and am glad to be a Geezer Guardian.”

“I find it frustrating that once people or animals pass their chronological prime we are considered old or, worse yet, useless. My own personal journey with senior pups began in my childhood. My family loved and kept beagles at home and my favorite activity was to lay with the most senior dogs on the floor and just enjoy their presence. In adulthood, I have rescued all sorts of God’s creatures, most of them elderly and afflicted. I’ve had two senior pups with Addison’s disease and several with diabetes, too. The dogs were treated with costly medication daily which alone made them ‘un-adoptable.’ I am happy to report they lived long, fruitful lives until God called them home. It is my pleasure now to have an elderly pup named Huey, who is blind and deaf. Despite his disabilities, he lives a full life on our little farm.

If I could, I would adopt dozens of dogs just like my Huey. Organizations like Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary are so critical in this world. They make sure each and every pup lives their own best life. They provide the love and support for each pup (whether they are forever fostered or not) that goes way beyond the needs of shelter, food, and medication. The Old Friends founders and staff pour their hearts into these precious pups. They show them all that yes, they are needed, wanted, and – most of all – LOVED.

Times are tough for us all. Everything costs more. But for the cost of a week’s worth of my tall chai latte drinks, Old Friends can give a senior pup the nourishment they deserve. Every little bit counts! They have a lot of sweet mouths to feed! I discovered Old Friends by chance several years ago when two famous senior pups were ‘running for office.’ I started sending a check or donating online and following them online. They post such fun updates! Earlier this year I became a dog sponsor and although one of my sponsors, Fred, crossed the rainbow bridge I am honored to donate in his name.”

“We have been Geezer Guardians of sweet Murphy for over 5 years now! Murphy was heartworm positive when we first brought him home (he’s now negative!), and we think he may have been abused in his early years as he is very submissive/timid and flinches when he’s petted. We wanted to give him his best life because he so very much deserved it.

The Old Friends vet team has been and continues to be superb at meeting the medical needs of Murphy. One example: a couple of years ago, a piece of wheat had worked its way behind his eye. The vet team quickly referred us to an eye specialist who was able to get it out with minimal trauma, and he recovered quickly. Murphy is 13 years old now, slowing down, and getting lots of gray on his face. He loves living out in the country and the openness it provides, and even has neighborhood friends that come over to socialize with him! He also ADORES a Christmas tree! We adore our Murphy, and love on him as much as he wants and/or lets us!”

“I support OFSDS because I am committed to senior dog adoption. I choose to be a dog sponsor because it allows me to support OFSDS from afar. I sponsor Sookie, Jane, and Lulu because they seem like such sweeties (my family adopted a beagle mix when I was a child, so I have a very soft spot for beagles).

I know first-hand how much love one stands to give and to receive from adopting a senior dog. In December 2020, my partner and I adopted a senior Jack Russell Terrier, whom we called Chimi, from a shelter in New Hampshire. Chimi was in our care for 21 months, until her passing on September 28, 2022. Caring for Chimi has been the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done, and being her final resting place was my life’s greatest honor. OFSDS facilitates these kinds of experiences, helping place sweet senior dogs into the homes of people who open their hearts to what is truly a transformative love. And for the dogs who aren’t adopted, OFSDS is for them what we were for my sweet Chimi: safety, a source of boundless love, a final resting place, home.”

“I began working at OFSDS in early 2020 as a veterinary assistant to the sanctuary’s vet, Dr. P. As a new Tennessee resident living in the Mt. Juliet area, I had driven by Grandpaw’s Gardens many times without knowing exactly what it was. I took a chance on an employment advert and am so glad I did. I can honestly say that coming on board with OFSDS has been one of the top 5 best things in my life. 

Having been at the Gardens and now at The PAWvillions, I have witnessed the undeniable impact that donations make. Donations are given in many different forms and are always utilized to their fullest extent. Whether it’s dog beds, toys, blankets, clothing, treats, you name it, the sanctuary needs it and uses it.

Monetary donations enable us to provide the desperately needed medical treatment to so many dogs. Medical treatments we provide range from necessary required vaccines to lifesaving surgeries to extensive physical therapy regimes that include daily ultrasound therapy, underwater treadmill therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care.

Some may not see some of these medical techniques as necessary, but I have witnessed first-hand the difference they make in the lives of our Old Friends and it is remarkable. Dogs that have come to us unable to walk due to physical injury or neurological conditions are able to walk on their own again, and it gives them back their sense of independence and brings them (and us!) so much joy.

I could go on and on about all of the miracles – big, little, overwhelming – I have witnessed as an employee of OFSDS, but it would take writing a book!”

“I had picked out an Old Friend on their website, but found out she was spoken for when I went for a tour. As I was touring OFSDS, we went outside where a group of dogs were enjoying outdoor time. Without any coaxing, this beautiful salt and pepper, gray faced, Bluetick Coonhound slowly approached and stood in front of me. She shyly looked up at me and I knew she had chosen me. I brought Bailey home on September 25, 2021, and we have become two old girls living happily together. 

Her biggest accomplishment has been becoming a wonderful travelling dog. It took 3 months with a whole lot of short practice rides where she would constantly bark, howl, and cry. Honestly, she did not stop until we pulled back into the garage. She hated riding and it was stressful for us both, but we persevered until that one magic day when she finally realized that going places was fun and, more importantly, we always came back home. Ask her now if she wants to ride and she gets very excited. She is calm and relaxed whether we are just going for her spa day or running to the carwash. Even taking a long road trip to visit family or a long road trip to the coast. She is extremely well behaved in any pet friendly hotel and around all strangers, two-legged and four-legged.

I am so happy she chose me that day. And a big thank you to OFSDS and its donors for sending Bailey and I to an opthalmologist to have a cyst removed from her lower left eye lid. Of course she disliked the cone but had a successful recovery. We travel on!”

“Ella (formerly known as Cruella) is my second Old Friend. I wanted to be a Geezer Guardian because I am a dog lover, but I am 71 years old and wanted a senior dog, not a puppy. I love that Old Friends’ mission focuses on the quality of life, not quantity of time, a dog has.

When Ella and I became family, she had a cataract in her right eye that made her nearly blind. This past June, it was time for her to have corrective surgery. Recovery was supposed to take 6 weeks but, due to complications, an ulcer and infection caused it to be longer. The doctors and staff quickly responded to the problems, adjusting her care plan. There were 7 different drops and pills prescribed during her recovery. Having had cataract surgery in both of my eyes, my recovery was very simple compared to Ella’s. The doctors and staff were terrific.

Humans and dogs need extra medical care in our golden years. That care is expensive; I could not have spent the money to have this done for Ella but, because Old Friends arranges and pays for her medical care, she now has full vision in her right eye. I am so impressed with the OFSDS staff. They really care about the quality of each dog’s life.

I am truly grateful for Ella who is smart, funny, well-trained, and can communicate with anyone regarding her needs if they pay attention to her. She has many ways to communicate: stares, whines, whimpers, and barks. If I do not get her what she wants, she barks and jumps as high as my waist. Generally she needs to go outside, eat, ride in the car, or it’s her bedtime. I have to spell the word ‘car’ because when she hears it she goes nuts! At her bedtime, she wants her bed near me. When I go to bed, she wakes up and follows me upstairs to sleep in my room. She immediately bonded with me and is a wonderful dog. I am thrilled to be Ella’s mom; she is 11 years old and has many years left. Thank you OFSDS for everything that you do for our senior dogs.”

“We are Geezer Guardians because we believe that all life is sacred. Pancho, our Old Friend, has added such joy to our lives, and he has delighted in being a part of a family. His life matters.”

“My husband and I have worked in dog rescue for the last 20 years. I have no idea how many dogs have come into our orbit for help. We lost the last of our pack three years ago. The last five years of involvement were focused on needy seniors, and our goal was to provide these wonderful ‘kids’ with a calm, loving, stable home for the last phase of their lives, and to pamper and spoil them. We wanted them to know that humans can be kind and loving.

Seniors make the best pets! A few years ago, while researching senior dog rescues/sanctuaries, I came across @ofsds. I was thrilled to find a place that aligned with our values and we were happy to donate! They provide great medical care, enrichment, and most importantly a safe haven either for the rest of their lives or until they become forever fosters.

Friends often ask, ‘How do you pick a dog to sponsor?’ I will pick a dog that’s been there awhile or who reminds me of one of our pets who’s crossed the bridge. Over the years, I have been able to sponsor Lady Bug, Amos, Peaches, Lumpy, Big Ben, and BB.

This giving season, or any day, please give generously! You’ll be supporting a wonderful organization that truly makes a difference for our grey-muzzled friends.”

“We’ve been huge fans of Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary since 2016, adoring them from afar here in New Zealand!

We were lucky enough to visit the Sanctuary in 2018, where we got to meet many amazing friends like Mack, Bagel, Chanel, Sharkey, Knight, and Babs – many of whom became the inspiration and stars of @Old Friends Dog Game. During our visit we got to see first-hand the amazing work that goes into supporting dogs at the sanctuary and also hear more about their individual stories.

We were touched by Bagel’s story of being a neighborhood dog that got injured in a storm, or how Leo was found on the streets. We wanted to tell these stories through the game and support such an amazing rescue that relies entirely on the generosity of its donors!

Mack is our superstar in the game, the first dog that players make a connection with – so as soon as we could we knew we had to sponsor him! We met Knight on our visit, he seemed like a toughie on the outside but such a softie on the inside, so we HAD to sponsor him, too! Bagel is one of our favorites, we already knew and loved him. Although we weren’t able to sponsor Bagel directly, we made a tribute donation in honor of his memory.

If you can, please consider supporting our friends at the sanctuary! A sponsorship or donation makes a massive difference in the lives of these dogs by providing for their food and medical bill costs. Just like OFSDS, we hope to encourage senior dog adoption and show what wonderful friends senior dogs can be. We think regardless of personality or breed every dog deserves to be loved!”

 “I decided to volunteer at Old Friends soon after I first heard about it. I knew instantly that it was the place for me, because I love every dog sooo much. They are the BEST creatures on earth (don’t tell my cats I said that)!

The first time I volunteered at Old Friends, I was not sure what to expect. But the dogs didn’t want me to leave and all the people at Old Friends are super nice as you would expect, because people who love dogs and animals are the best people. I tell everybody I know about Old Friends; even my god-daughter is thinking of becoming a Geezer Guardian!

I love volunteering and got addicted to working in the Old Friends laundry room because it is so badly needed, and I know that way I am helping ALL the dogs. It is so very rewarding. AND there is time between cycles to visit sweet doggies.”

“My husband and I have three totally different and beautiful hound mixes from Old Friends. We found OFSDS in 2019, and had a desire to only work with senior dogs because we had just lost our two 16-year-old rescues.

We initially wrote in about Friday and asked if there might be a mate for him to bring home. Susan recommended Copper for us. For me, it was love at first sight. We were told he is ‘the most timid dog she’s ever met’ by Sally. That was really an understatement. When he first came home, he stayed in his bed all the time. I had to physically carry him out to the yard. I had to bring him his food right next to his bed. We thought his tail was broken because when he did get up to walk, his tail tucked so far up into his stomach. He did not wag. He shivered. Several people asked me if we were going to take him back, but that was not going to happen. Remember, I told you it was love at first sight, right?

Here we are 2.5 years later: he wags, makes old man grunts and sounds, he plays with toys, loves to irritate his sister Old Friend Charlene and snuggle with his wifey Old Friend Babs. We call him Benjamin Buttons because he appears to get younger every day. The only thing Copper wishes for is that more people would take a chance on old dogs. Dogs with ‘no personality.’ Dogs that don’t fit into the ‘cute’ bubble. He would like everyone to know that he is a case in point in how love changes everything. We are so appreciative of Old Friend Senior Dog Sanctuary for seeing that beauty.”

“In 2021, I wanted to surprise my son with a dog of his own for Christmas. As soon as I saw Tiny, I knew he was the right dog for myself and my son. On December 31st, Tiny came home. Tiny had been neglected and was not taken care of until Old Friends saved him; he’d come from a home where he slept on concrete most of his life. Old Friends put a lot of weight back on him and gave him the best care until we arrived.

As soon as he became part of our family, I went and bought him a memory foam twin bed so he could spend the rest of his life in the best possible home. Tiny became very loving and was my son’s protector. Sadly, on November 2nd, Tiny went to be with God. Tiny was 18 years old, which is amazing! It was hard, but I’m just fortunate that we had the opportunity to have him.

Without Old Friends’s donors, Tiny would not have lived as long as he did. The generosity of donors provided so much for Tiny, including surgery a month after I forever fostered him, and I will never forget that; they helped keep him alive.

I must say Old Friends is hands-down the best place for senior dogs I have ever seen. Every time I took Tiny in for a check-up, the staff would take their time to see him. I loved Tiny and he will be missed. Next year, I’m moving to a farm, and I will make sure to forever foster more than one from Old Friends. Again, thanks to all of the donors and to Old Friends for giving a guy like me a chance to love Tiny.”