What We Do

  • Rescue

    It all begins with rescue.

    Dogs come to us from all over the eastern U.S. when everyone else has given up on them.

    If you would like us to consider a dog for intake please email Trisha. It will go a lot faster if you include the following:

    • photos

    • age

    • is the dog spayed or neutered?

    • is the dog good with other dogs or cats

    • are vaccines up to date?

    • special needs

    • does the dog need transportation?

    • any additional history or info that would be helpful

    • contact phone number

  • Rehabilitation

    On any given day, we are caring for dogs who are blind, deaf, paralyzed, amuptees, or suffering from Megaesophagus, Cerebellar hypoplasia, and other physically debilitating diseases. These are the dogs that standard shelters and rescues cannot care for as they don’t have the equipment, resources, and training.

    Our days are filled with feeding, bathing, fitting dogs with their carts, outside walks and potty breaks, play time, vet visits, physical therapy, and continuous monitoring of each dog’s progress and needs.

    We celebrate every milestone, no matter how small, knowing that our amazing pups are one step closer to their forever loving home!

  • Rehome

    Our greatest joy is the day our pups graduate from our facility and meet their generous new family who will love them, perfectly imperfect just as they are.

    Our adopters come from all walks, and live all across the USA. When needed, we work with USDA-certified and highly specialized small animal transport companies to get each pup to their new forever home.

    There is nothing in the world like the love of a dog with disability. Nothing.

    It takes a wonderful person to adopt a wonderful pup like ours. Would you be one, too?

“We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.”

— Immanuel Kant

Education

Teaching the public about animals with disabilities is a critical component of our work. Reading to children about our dogs helps them understand themselves — and classmates, siblings, and friends with disabilities — better, too.

Author and founder Trisha Malfitano has written three books about dogs with disabilities. Here at the Harborfields Public Library she reads aloud from her children's book, My Dog Kiefer, a story about a Border Collie who is deaf. Children get to learn basic sign language and practice with Kiefer and another deaf dog named Mocha.

Sanctuary

Some of the dogs with special needs that come to our rescue are unable to be rehomed. Most of the time this is because of the severity of their medical issues, and sometimes it is because of their temperament.

For these dogs, we provide a loving sanctuary where they can live out the rest of their lives receiving the veterinary and home care that they need, for as long as they remain happy and comfortable.

Scroll through the table below to meet our sanctuary dogs! Please note: these dogs are not available for adoption.

Get Involved

Adopt, foster, fundraise, or volunteer at our shelter!