A lot of humans get dogs for their unconditional love. They are loyal creatures that are willing to dedicate their lives to their beloved owners. Unfortunately, not all humans have the heart to be with their pets when their last days come.
Michele and Jeff Allen are no ordinary dog owners.
After losing their beloved pet, the couple decided to get another one. They called a friend from an animal shelter who referred them to a senior dog named Goldie. At that time, she was nearing the end of her life.
Goldie’s condition didn’t stop the couple from taking care of her.
In fact, it only made their motivation even stronger. Instead of just fostering the dog, they actually adopted her.
In an interview with USA Today, Jeff reasoned:
“Because she’s not going to go to the rainbow bridge without having a family.”
The adoption process made the couple realize so many things.
For one, they found out that there weren’t a lot of resources for hospice dogs that are terminally ill. Because of that, they decided to open up their own hospice house for dogs.
Monkey’s House was established on the family’s Burlington County farm.
Through it, they were able to look after around 25 senior dogs each time. They try their best to make the last days of their lives the best.
According to Jeff:
“It really put the spark under us to do something. Still today, there are very little resources for hospice dogs or terminal dogs in the shelter system.”
In the hospice house, Jeff and Allen make sure that the dogs are well looked after.
They feed the dogs a nutrient-rich diet.
They take note of their illnesses and prepare their meals based on that.
In addition to that, they also take the dogs on field trips on a regular basis.
They take them on their senior bus.
Michele wants others to see these dogs through their eyes:
“This is 90% the happiest place on Earth, and 10% the saddest. We want people to see that these animals are full of life, and that a devastating diagnosis is not the end of your time with your dog.”
Because of their hard work and passion for dogs, the couple won an award.
They were given USA Today’s Best of Animalkind Award.
It happened through a public nomination process where the finalists received over 70,000 votes.
They were awarded $1,000 to help with their cause.
In addition to the votes, the couple’s story also earned many positive comments.
One YouTube user said:
“That has got to be one of the kindest but also hardest things to do. These wonderful people are truly Angels here on earth, thank you with love.“
Truly, it’s not easy to do what these people are doing.
Hopefully, many will get inspired by their stories and follow in their footsteps.
There are thousands of terminally ill dogs who are waiting for families to look after them in the last days of their lives.
Learn more about this lovely couple’s initiative in the video below.
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