Some rescues take in any adoptable dog, while some choose to specialize in specific breeds, size or age. Then there are those that specialize in the castaways that no one is lining up for, like the dogs at Pets With Disabilities (PWD) in Prince Frederick, Md. The group is upfront about what kinds of pets they take in to rescue, rehabilitate, offer refuge and adoption resources. They have been given the Dogster Hero title, according to Dogster.
Joyce Darrell and her husband, Michael Dickerson, run the nonprofit for the disabled and overlooked pets at shelters, bringing them into their 501(c)3 sanctuary. They started this labor of love unintentionally after adopting an energetic dog 16 years ago who injured himself doing what dogs do - playing with another dog. The injury was traumatic and resulted in a severed spinal cord.
Physical challenges come in the form of blindness, deafness, missing an eye, missing an ear, lame, attached to a rolling cart or needing a rolling cart. While the goal is to find loving forever homes for the dogs, some with special circumstances need to remain at the sanctuary due to extra needs and care, and that's OK, according to One Green Planet.
And for the wonderful volunteers at PWD, they do not overlook the special-needs orphans languishing in the shelters. They see the lovable qualities, the spirited personalities and the joy these little pets have and the love they have to give. Presently, the sanctuary has room and healing space for 30 disabled dogs. They also offer courtesy listings for other rescue groups and shelters.
The sanctuary is 100 percent funded by donations from the public. Fundraisers are necessary to help the operational costs of running a sanctuary and they even have what they call "Angel Sponsorships" for specific pets.
Special needs means extra money needed and Darrell estimates that they spend at a minimum $2,000 for support, diagnostics and healthcare for each new pet they take in.
"Dogs with more complex issues, like our Brody or Jersey, can incur up to $10,000 in specialized treatment fees," Joyce said. "But once these problems are finally addressed, we typically begin to see the sweet, vibrant, playful dog who's been there all along."
Darrell and Dickerson personally care for all of the pups, living right on-site. PAWs is also lucky enough to have a small group of trained assistants and a local network of health care providers. You have to rely on your sources when taking in special needs animals.
"When it comes to optimizing each dog's mobility and quality of life, our goal is to think outside the box and do whatever we can," Darrell said. "So we've hand-selected an extremely gifted and compassionate health care team - including internist Dr. Susan Simmerson, general practitioner Dr. Lori Giuffre and a range of specialists."
Once healthy and mobile - or as mobile as they can be - the dogs are up for adoption. The most rewarding part is when previous adopters come back and adopt another pet. "I'm so thankful that people can see the profound love and resilient spirit that just radiates from the eyes of these dogs," Darrell added.
"Our mission is to find them a wonderful, loving home," Joyce concluded. "And if nobody comes forward to adopt them, that home will be here with us."
