Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc. @whisperingwillowssds - Tumblr Blog

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Have you met sweet Princess? She is truly a gentle heart. 💗 Princess came to us with Albie and Piggie Pie from a Tennessee shelter. She was confiscated due to cruelty. Recently having puppies and of course heartworm positive. She was spayed before she left the shelter. Princess, from what we know, lived a very sad life. Used for breeding. Litter after litter without any care and obviously abused. She has had very sad eyes and a sad heart but thankfully she is warming up and accepting all sorts of love. We are seeing a lot of tail wagging 💗 Her eyes just yearn for love and attention. How could you not love her, better yet how could you use her and hurt her...? This sweetheart will be getting xrays, heartworm staging and start of treatment. She does have a cough but most likely from heartworms. She also has an infection from her spay. She is oozing green puss and we will get that taken care of. Her body has been so used. When she hears balls squaking or the little dogs whine she gets very protective as if they are her puppies. Her body and mind are still dealing with the repercussions of so many litters. We are so happy she is part of the family and she will know all of the love she should have always known! 💗🐶💗 She is truly a Princess! Paypal.me/whisperingwillowssds (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8E-z8hJ9pN/?igshid=vt04y9ipufo4

*Warning graphic photos* 14 years of torture. 14 years of neglect. 14 years of abuse. When we were sent Pigs picture we knew we had to pull him right away. He was on death row and was completely out of time. We rushed to find transport and brought him here that same day. We had no idea just how bad his condition was until he came to us. If dogs could talk I’m not sure we could handle his story. Pigs eyes were soft but told a story of being unloved. Starved for attention. The scars all over his body let us know that our sweet Pig was used as a bait dog. His teeth filed down so he couldn’t defend himself. Pig yearned for a family, for a pet, for a simple touch of a hand. Not only was Pigs body in deplorable condition on the outside he was dying on the inside. His heart bursting at the seams with heartworms. Every chamber overloaded making it difficult for him to breathe, filling his chest cavity with fluid because his heart was simply failing. His spleen contained a large, cancerous mass. A mass that had been ignored for so long that the cancer riddled his entire body. His chest full of nodules from metastatic disease. When we saw the look in our vets eyes we knew nothing could be done for our sweet Pig. He was too far gone. Pigs owners surrendered him because “he needed more than they could give”. And they were right, he did need more. Pig was never loved. Pig was never cared for. PIG DESERVED BETTER. We lost our sweet Piggie. His body could no longer fight. He let us know that he was ready. Our happy Pig had given up. We don’t have the words to describe the loss we are feeling. For the days we had him Pig was so unbelievably loved but that will never suffice for the years of pure torture he endured. We know that Pig was met at the rainbow bridge with all the others we lost. Free of cancer, free of heartworms and free of pain. Pig represents many of the pitbulls all over America that truly suffer for a persons gain. So many stories are untold. We will continue to fight for all the “Pigs”in the world. May our sweet Piggie be a wake up call for everyone. Paypal.me/whisperingwillowssds (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8D-X9gJHdg/?igshid=1ue38rlc6v1qp

These women are incredible. Valerie, Anna and Molly are the heart and soul of Whispering Willows. Without them, our very special sanctuary would not exist and this needs to be said. They deserve all the recognition in the world. They give every ounce of energy they have to help seniors. No matter the time of day or night, they drop everything to take care of our dogs. I wish there were more people that worked as hard as they do to make a difference. They are beyond dedicated and very rare. Valerie, who is our President and Founder, is a true leader. As she always leads with love. There isn't a job within the organization that Val won't or hasn't done. I have watched with my own eyes in awe of Valerie and her strength. She is up early in the morning, feeding the dogs, loving them and spending time with the special ones that need that extra care. And she doesn't stop until late at night. Many of the dogs sleep in her bed and never leave her side. Val also gets up with the dogs during the night as seniors require very special care. Anyone that has met Val knows that this is her purpose in life. She started a rescue purely to help senior dogs in their final days, dogs that others don't want, those that are discarded and dogs that have no place to go. She has so much patience and is often the first gentle touch the dogs feel when they come to the sanctuary. Val has nursed many dogs back to health only to have to let them go very soon after....this is what I'd call true love. Anna, who is our Medical Manager, has a true connection to seniors. She recently had to let go of her 2 forever fosters, Gerry & Shadow, Anna had to let go of 2 of her very best friends just this week. She spent countless hours taking care of Gerry & Shadow because they were and will always be her dogs. This morning she drove Jasper to the vet, he was struggling so badly and in so much pain. Anna comforted him and held him while he peacefully passed away. Instead of Anna saying she couldn't this week, or it was too much, she helped the dogs. She took on what most people couldn't handle. She saw a much bigger picture & an opportunity to do something outside of herself. Continued in comments (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8AsFJ-p2o4/?igshid=1ej8mrne6ecj6

Piggy Pie (Pig) is a 14 yr old Pittie. He arrived to us with his friends from the MAS shelter in Tennessee. He was on death row and running out of time. We knew he was ill but had no idea how truly sick he was. This sweet boy wants love and has life in his eyes but his body is so battered. He winces at touch. We didn't really like "Pig" as his name so we have been calling him Piggy Pie! 💗 During transport he was coughing up mucousy blood. Overnight he was coughing/ vomiting up blood. We had gone into feed him but he had a coughing fit and then fainted. His gums were so pale and being heartworm positive we were very concerned for him. We took him into our vet for a full workup. Piggy Pie had an ultrasound, hw test, bloodwork, and xrays. We have discovered some deeply concerning issues that have now put Piggy Pie on hospice watch. He has deserved so much better than this and we are heartbroken for him. Piggy Pie has a very large mass on his spleen. He also has nodules in the thoracic cavity and has metastatic disease. He is in very serious progression of the disease. Piggy has a large embolism present near his heart which could rupture at any given time. His thoracic cavity is fluid filled, likely due to the cancerous tumor. Coughing significant amounts of frank blood. He has large boney growths on both legs, likely cancerous and highly suspected to be Osteosarcoma. Piggy Pie is also severely anemic, on top of being heartworm positive. His heartworm burden is so extremely large our vet said it is pushing on the chambers of his heart. His prognosis is extremely grave. At this point nothing can be done for Piggy, his condition is beyond repair. What we can do is offer him comfort from the pain and tell him we love him. Our hearts sunk for him today as we held him. We will not have very much time with him and to think that his family gave him up to have a better life. They robbed him of the life he should have had due to the lack of care and abuse. We can not turn back time, or stop the cancer and progression of his failing body, but we can tell him over and over that we love him. Continued in comments... Paypal.me/whisperingwillowssds (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B79QX3JJ3_7/?igshid=1tfgcny9bvtf7

Our sweet Shadow was ushered into peace. How do you put into words how much a dog means to you? Shadow was my moon and my stars. When Valerie sent me the information on Shadow something in my heart fluttered. I knew he was destined to be with me. Shadow was left at an abandoned home, living under the house. His housemate died in the heat of summer. Shadow deserved more. I worked night and day to get him transported and when he finally came to me it was love at first sight. I was soon to find out he was heartworm positive. I fought so hard for him but his body simply gave out. Shadow had no fight left in him so I did what I had to do and gave him a dignified ending to an extremely hard life. I will miss Shadow so much. He didn’t love many but he loved me. And when he loved he loved hard. The stars shine so much brighter tonight for my sweet Shadow man. ❤️ -Anna (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B77yGrQJgUZ/?igshid=k4azbghgquap

From the moment I first met you White face, but young at heart I knew that I would love you Right from the very start When I first brought you home It was a strange new place So I gave you treats and kisses You seemed to like your space You loved it when I scratched That spot behind your ear You never barked at anything Except for skunks and deer You always had a gentleness The kind that can't be taught You loved me unconditionally Without a second thought That morning when you couldn't walk I wouldn't let pain be your fate So I took you to the vet And you went through Heaven's gate Although my time with you was short Much shorter than I planned I know I'll love another dog When I get the chance It's only been a couple days But I'm coming through the fog For now I know the courage it takes To love a senior dog This very beautiful poem, "To Loved a Senior Dog" was sent to us by Tiffany Bressler and it really touched our hearts, She recently lost her precious senior dog named Henry. And we also just recently lost our special senior, Henry too. We are so grateful for our seniors. They teach us about love, life and letting go with compassion. Each one is always in our hearts, forever. (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B72PPFLJ8Jz/?igshid=17qy4ut2d5i1x

Trudy was used breeding her entire life. She was a means for income. We were contacted by her owner and were told things had gotten too difficult, Trudy was going potty in the house. But that wasn't the actual story. And now at 11 years old, she has the beginnings of pyometra. Because Trudy was never spayed and had litter after litter of puppies, her body has developed this infection in her uterus. This is life threatening. Just 6 months ago Trudy had a litter of puppies. For years she had been living in a crate in her own feces, her nails were so long they were curled under into the pads of her feet. She had an eye infection as well as a painful skin infection. The last couple of days, she has not been acting herself. And we knew last night that something was very wrong and she was in pain. She was swollen and extremely uncomfortable. We rushed her to the ER Vet. They gave her an exam as well as xrays. The vets feel like surgery is what is best for Trudy. And we have that planned for this week. So now Trudy will be taking antibiotics, pain meds and will have strict rest. She will be monitored very closely. We had to save this sweet soul and give her the life she has deserved for so long. PLEASE HELP TRUDY! She is going to be getting the best care possible. And is surrounded by lots of love. Paypal.me/whisperingwillowssds (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7zUBnMlcEk/?igshid=1xuj61a909zsb

Seniors Seeking Sweethearts 💗 All our seniors really want is to love and be loved! So, this Valentine's we are asking you to be their Valentine! 💗 Here's how it goes: Mail a Valentine to one or all of our seniors at the sanctuary! Include $1, $3, or any amount you wish! All donations are tax deductible! The total amount raised will be revealed Valentine's Day! 💌🐶💌 Send cards to: 22051 Old 64 Highway Hermitage, MO 65668 Our 29 Seniors Seeking Sweethearts are ~ Diesel, Missy, Peanut, Charlotte, Oozie, Lionel, Fayah, Indi, Rusty, Scooter, Raven, Cannoli, Bernie, Puppy, Penny, Lizzy, Aro, Noodles, Trudy, Shadow, Sadie, Winnie, Mel, Bishop, Nora, Ginger, Gigi, Kamira and Honey Bear! (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7w65sIFmni/?igshid=w84j8kqluz8a

This was never a post I wanted to write. And writing it now makes everything so real. I have lost my sweet meatball eyed boy, Gerald Gerald came to me in dire conditions. On the brink of death. Slowly I nursed him back to life and saw the true dog he was. Gerald was my heart and soul. He knew me, knew my every emotion. He saw me through my darkest times and always put a smile on my face. Losing him is a reality I am having a hard time grasping. Time has seemed to really stand still. Gerald began to deteriorate about 3 months ago. I constantly pushed his body to the limit. Heartworm treatment, foreign body surgery, medication after medication. Gerald was the definition of a warrior. He took each hurdle with grace and never ceased to amaze me. When Gerald started to throw blood clots I knew our time was coming to an end. No dog ever suffers in my home but the thought of saying goodbye to him hurt so much more than I could handle. On Wednesday I looked in Geralds eyes. Everything was different. His body was truly shutting down. His lust for life had always been tangible, but it was gone. He was letting me know it was time. Gerald was done fighting. I held him close as the Dr administered the euthanasia solution, everything was a blur but I remember every little detail. I felt his last heart beats, felt his last peaceful breath. I kissed him and sobbed, there was not a dry eye in the room. My Gerald was finally free. As I held the shell of what was once my sweet happy boys body I thought “How can I go on? How can I live in a world without him?” Gerald and I relied on each other, a world without him doesn’t seem real. In time I will be ok but I will miss him every day. Without all of you Gerald would have never had the chance he did. Your donations, well wishes and prayers truly saved him. So tonight I ask you to kiss your babies extra, squeeze them a little tighter and always remember my sweet boy Gerald. Geralds bill is still over $1,000. Please consider donating to help cover these costs. Thank you all for your support ❤️ -Anna (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7uYtmkpVn7/?igshid=14zncmg9m5iy6

Gigi, Cannoli, and Puppy are already at the clinic this morning. Our sweet little girls are in dire need for dentals. All three have many, many teeth that are rotten. To help keep them healthy and staying healthy they must have some dental work done. 🦷💗🦷💗🦷 Did you know healthy teeth means a healthy body? Canine dental care is so very important and its what most people neglect to take care of. Keeping their teeth and gums healthy will help prevent oral pain and help prevent organ damage. Bacteria in the plaque can enter the bloodstream and spread to the heart, kidneys and liver. This is so very common in senior dogs and simple issues that can be taken care of before they cause permanent damage to their organs. Today is also "ruff"on Miss Cannoli. She is diabetic and has Cushings. We know Dr. Levin will take extra special care of her. We love you girls we can't wait to see your sparkly white teeth! 🦷 Their dentals will run close to $500 today. Please donate to help with their care and help us continue to keep them feeling as best as they can! 🐶💗🐶💗🐶 (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7tFS2OJ4Ke/?igshid=wanjppjaph12

Scooter our little love muffin has a special announcement ❤️ Valentine's Day is just around the corner. And we love a holiday all about love!!! So we are doing something special!!! This year will be our first annual Seniors Seeking Sweethearts! Each of our 30 seniors is in need of a Valentine, and of course, the more the merrier! We want them all to feel so much LOVE!!! Here's how it goes : Mail a Valentine to one or all of our seniors at the sanctuary! Include $1, $3, or any amount you wish! All donations are tax deductible! This will help us with all of our senior sweeties!! The total amount raised will be revealed Valentine's Day! Send cards to: 22051 Old 64 Highway Hermitage, MO 65668 Our Seniors Seeking Sweethearts: Honey Bear, Puppy, Cannoli, Kamira, Bernie, Nora, Raven, Gigi, Fayah, Ginger, Scooter, Indi, Lionel, Oozie, Rusty, Penny, Shadow, Peanut, Mel, Winnie, Bishop, Missy, Charlotte, Diesel, Sadie, Trudy, Noodles, Lizzy & Aro. (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7sV6W2J8Bq/?igshid=vlzyr33xqkfw

It's a littles kind of day! Deep cleaning is happening at the sanctuary! All the beds and blankies are picked up! What else do you do but congregate on Mom's bed! They have many demands on their list! I hope they are met! It's icing outside so we are all staying cozy! ❄💗🐶 (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7pJOtUJNZd/?igshid=1hh7u3ojvny2l

Sweet beautiful Tess was transported to us last Monday a week ago. Tess was a 17 yr old sweet Doxie. Her health was failing and her elderly owners no longer could care for her and maybe could not handle seeing her decline. She was surrendered at a shelter. Tess had declined rapidly overnight. She had been out in the yard with her new friends touring, ate dinner like a champ, laid down for a nap and never moved again. She was lateral and near comatose. We rushed her to the emergency hospital where she had a heart rate of less than 60. We had feared we wouldn't even make it to the hospital in time. Upon arrival she was dying. The vets best guess was our sweet Tess had a stroke. She had lost control of her entire body and was no longer aware of anything going on. We set her free peacefully and together. Not alone but with Anna and Molly. Snuggled and telling her she was loved. We had hoped to have this sweet pea a little longer, the Doxie trio will not be the same without her. Her body was ready and tired. We are honored to have loved her and cared for her in the time she was at the sanctuary. While here she enjoyed warm blankies, food, and a whole lot of love. 🐶🌈💜😢 Run free in your healed body and sweet freedom Tess, we will miss you. 💗 Thank you to all who helped get this sweet baby here in time. (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7moKZ4pYTA/?igshid=1rx7ktf8rydqa

Hello, from our beautiful Lizzy Dane 💗 This precious girl has been with us 2 weeks now and is settling into retirement life. She has the softest fur and the most gorgeous eyes. And Lizzy's frosted face is pure perfection. She's really a gentle girl with a sweet spirit. We do know Lizzy has a splenic mass and we are keeping her comfortable and feeling loved. You'll find Lizzy snuggled on the softest bed. And she's always close by her brother Aro ♡ They love each other and we are so thankful that they are here with us. We adore you pretty girl 💖 (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7kGfL9pk51/?igshid=s6f4heiawstw

Diesel the Dane is starting to find hope 💗 He is still shy but there is a little twinkle in his eye. It is not the end dear boy, but just the beginning! 🌟 A lot of medical care, love, and encouragement can go a long way. We added a stronger antibiotic and an appetite stimulant to his regimen. His Pneumonia is improving quickly. Rest, a cool mist humidifier, and lots of love is also helping do the trick! He has significantly less crackles and wheezes in his lungs! Yay, Diesel! You will be playing in no time! In this picture he joined his new siblings in the hope for treats last night! Smart boy 💗 Thank you for sending all the love and care to him, he is definitely feeling it! (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7hC3IppABF/?igshid=1l2cqyj6yl89j

Sometimes (hoomans) can be so busy we forget to slow down. When we do, tiny lil fellas like Mr. Bishop crawl up in your lap and lean in for a sweet snuggle. 💗 Bishop is not super snuggly so this is indeed a special moment! He is quite the independent man! The simplest moments can be the best and was exactly what both our hearts needed. Happy Sunday, take the time to feel the love today! 💗🌞🐶 (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7gZ2wJJFsW/?igshid=15ywffyrgbois

In memory of Henry. 2 years ago Henry came out of Ava, Missouri from a hoarding situation and had truly lived in filthy conditions. He was living in a trailer with many, many other dogs that were all used for breeding. The ladies that owned the animals were not able to take care of themselves let alone the dogs. Many of the animals were taken, vetted, and found rescue. Henry was one of the oldest seniors that needed special care. WWSDS was asked to help and we stepped in for this baby. Henry had a very large mass on his side when he came. It had been there for quite a long time. It made him walk off balance which made it even harder for him to walk. He was also very overweight for his little body. His arthritis was in such severe condition, Henry had a very difficult time even walking. His nails were also curled under his feet and were digging into his paw pads. Upon his arrival we had the mass removed. He also had a full dental where most of his teeth were pulled. After healing up and being given arthritis medications, Henry was a new man! Henry was 15 years old. He was so very special. He had a very special bond with Val. She was the only one that he played with and she was his caretaker. Henry was a mini beagle, such a tiny little guy. And Val held him and rocked him often. She held him until he was ready to let go. His old beagle body just couldn't go on. He had struggled to eat and had started to suffer from dementia. So it was time for him to cross the rainbow bridge and be free of pain. We remember Henry for his pink poof, that was his favorite place to lay. He had an old man walk and waddled from side to side. Henry had the most soulful eyes. He is always in our hearts. We love you Henry!!! (at Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7cgTWjJjJg/?igshid=1p1cqxhk49pea

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Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc.