Hydrotherapy update

John holding Penny in hydrotherapy pool
John Lambert helps Penny prove that "all dogs swim!"

As one of the only sanctuaries for special needs cats and dogs in the country, Home for Life® is fortunate to have the support and expertise of professionals like John Lambert of K9 Hydrotherapy, located in St.
Louis Park, Minnesota.

K9 Hydrotherapy is a state of the art facility dedicated to canine, and occasionally feline, wellness, performance and conditioning, with
a fully-equipped, heated indoor resistance swimming pool and custom designed underwater treadmill tank.

John has been working with three of HFL's dogs, Moppet, a paraplegic Basset Hound, Tuffy, an arthritic Yorkie Poo, and Penny, a Pitbull/Border Collie mix.

Penny suffered brutal abuse at the hands of her former owner, followed by incompetent and negligent care from a "rescue group" who acquired her from the
owner.

Penny had been tied to a tree and beaten by her owner with a bat until her spine fractured. Her back bears obvious deformity, and she has difficulty using her hind legs to stand upright or move.

For these three dogs, John developed customized plans for therapy and his skill, kindness and love for dogs has made the difference in restoring their ability
to enjoy a full and active life.

Penny, who came to us from New
York, had never been in the water before. But as John points out “All dogs swim.” Penny is fitted with a life vest, and John works one
on one with her during her session.

It is so difficult for dogs who have physical challenges to take any exercise, yet muscle atrophy begins
quickly in an immobilized animal, further diminishing their strength. In addition, dogs seem to become
bored and depressed if they lose the ability to move independently.

Each week, our dogs look forward to their therapy sessions with John in the warm water pool and on the treadmill, and to the individual attention John lavishes on them. Even Penny, who was brutally
abused by a man, and now cowers in the presence of most men, seems to trust John and understand that he is trying to help her.

For more information: John, Moppet, and the late Pooh were featured in a WCCO story earlier this year. Read about it on our Press page, and link to the WCCO story.

Summer Sanctuary Tours

June 2 marks the beginning of summer tour season at Home for Life®. Make your appointment to meet the residents and enjoy the natural beauty of the sanctuary surroundings.

Tours are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Appointments are required. Please call 800-252-5918 or email info@homeforlife.org.

The first weekend is already booked!

The people behind Unleashed

Unleashed raised $16,000 for the sanctuary's animals, a great result for a first time event!

Thank you to Horst Rechelbacher of Intelligent Nutrients for hosting our event, and to Summit Beer for supplying the beer, Todd of Bungalow 6 for the beautiful floral decor, Alexis of Lola Red PR for pre-event publicity, Muddy Paws cheesecake for the food, Airforce Nutrisoda for the non-alcoholic beverages, all of our generous silent auction donors, our hard-working volunteers and the HFL staff who helped, and to Cory Johnson, event chair, for organizing such a successful event.

Prevous Animal Updates: June 11, 2007

Something is always happening in the lives of Home for Life® residents: achievements, visits from sponsors and supporters, and milestones. This page highlights just a few of the many events that residents experience throughout the year.

The Mavericks of Home for Life®

In principle, Home for Life® supports trap/neuter/release (TNR) as a means to controlling feral cat populations. We also believes that all cats are deserve the special care offered by our sanctuary, even those who are not amenable to human contact.

While many of of our feral cats become tame and even affectionate once they receive warmth, comfort, food, and loving care they can depend on, not all are able to bridge the gap. Nonetheless, Home for Life® cherishes these cats for who they are and strives to ensure that they enjoy a quality life at the sanctuary. Even if they don't tolerate human affection, these cats love their feline friends and form strong bonds with the other sanctuary cats.

Many so-called feral cats are actually former pets—house cats that were abandoned or who became lost. These cats are more than happy to put their days of roughing it behind them and enjoy all of the comforts that the sanctuary offers.

Our feral cats love to look out the windows to observe the daily goings on at the sanctuary. Some recovering feral cats like the one-eyed Oliver are completely happy to hold court indoors and have no wish to go outside. Temperature control and soft cozy beds are the name of the game for cats like Oliver.

little orange and white cat on windowsill
Molly at her usual spot on the windowsill. She would like the camera to go away now so she can get back to watching the day.

Others like beautiful Ava, a siamese cross, relish the opportunity to the cat runs attached to the feline facilities. Year around, on all but the very coldest days, Ava and other feral cats at HFL like Holly, Stormy and Molly can be found outside sitting on the cat trees, watching the birds that come tantalizingly close to eat at the feeders and suet holders and bathe in the bird baths.

beautiful long-haired cat
Ava soaks up the fresh air as she meditates.

HFL's feral cats are a fascinating part of the sanctuary family; their willingness to trust and their resilience in body and spirit after often difficult pasts, their love of freedom, their independence, and the strong friendships they form with the other cats are all qualities we cherish. At Home for Life®, our "maverick" cats are welcome to be themselves and enjoy life on their own terms.

Charlie and Kobi Unleashed!

Charlie, HFL's spirited three-legged black lab made a rare
public appearance at the recent Unleashed event. Charlie has nothing against public appearances, but as a tripod, must limit them despite overwhelming demand, because the evenings can get long. Charlie's handsome face and friendly demeanor make him a hit at parties, and the Unleashed event was no exception.

Charlie sits with two happy women
Charlie poses with just a couple of his ardent fans at Unleashed.

Charlie is around 10 years old. A few years ago, animal control in Minneapolis found him lying in the street, having been hit by a car. The dog had no collar or identifying tags. His pelvis and both femurs were shattered. He was in immense pain and lay in the animal control facility that way for the five-day holding period. The officers were touched and impressed with Charlie's gentle nature. Despite his injury and obvious agony, he never showed any aggression.

When the five-day period was up and no one claimed him, the animal control officers let the holiday spirit get the best of them and called HFL to see if we would take Charlie and help him through our Emergency Medical Care Fund. It was Christmas Eve the day they called. HFL found the only available surgeon during the busy time of year: Dr. Robert Levine, a well known veterinary orthopedic specialist.

Charlie underwent surgery on both legs and was in recovery and rehabilitation for several weeks. Sadly, the leg that must have received most of the impact from the car had to eventually be amputated high on the hip.


Kobi poses with a cat lover at the Unleashed event.

Charlie retained his good humor and gentle nature and has lived at HFL ever since. He has learned to run on his three legs and even climb stairs. He tires more easily, but has made the most of his second chance at HFL.

Kobi, a cat who suffered horrible abuse in his past, also made an appearance at Unleashed, representing all of the cats at HFL. He was less enthusiastic than Charlie about being out of for the evening, but deigned to pose with several of the attendees for some fun photos.

We look forward to seeing everyone at the 2nd Annual Unleashed on May 15, 2008 at Intelligent Nutrients.