New Jersey dog hospice takes care of terminally ill pups
A couple in New Jersey have opened a hospice for dying shelter dogs, one where the furry animals have the run of the house and six acres of land so they can spend their dying days surrounded by sun, love and dignity.
The non-profit hospice, called Monkey's House, plucks terminal dogs from local kill shelters and gives them home-cooked food, beds, vet care, and plenty of belly rubs as their days dwindle down.
Dog loving couple Michelle and Jeff Allen have opened up their New Jersey home to dying dogs
The dogs all have their own beds. 'We want them on the sofas, on the beds' says Michelle
Monkey's House was named after a foster dog they had who died and left them determined to help other sick pooches
'This is their last stop,' says founder Michelle Allen. 'So I want them on the sofas, on the beds. We want it to be the very best it can be.'
The hospice, located in Southhampton and named Monkey's house after a foster dog who passed away, is in the home of Michelle and her husband, Jeff. There are approximately 20 to 30 dogs living at the home at any given time, all of them with health problems ranging from cancer to heart conditions to diabetes.
The pups have six acres of country land to roam on as well as run of the house
The hospice relies on donations from the public to pay its enormous vet bill every month
The dogs have children's beds which are the perfect size for ones who can no longer get around as easily
Michelle, a former nurse, says her profession prepared her to be able to look after ill dogs
The lucky dogs are selected from shelters where they would otherwise likely be euthanized due to their age and health issues.
Michelle, who used to be a nurse, says her former profession has prepared her for this saddest of animal care.
'I used to take sick dogs and say, 'Well I can handle this - I used to be a nurse.' Now I think I was a nurse and that was my preparation for this,' she told CNN.
'Having a senior dog spend its last days in a shelter is one of the greatest injustices,' says Michelle, who gets most of the dogs from kill shelters where they would be unlikely to be adopted
At Monkey's House, the dogs spend the days they have left with plenty of 'great love and great fun'
Volunteers are there to hold the dogs, give them lots of attention, and help care for them
One dog can rack up $1,000 worth of vet bills in a month, so the hospice is a non-profit that relies on donations from the public, as well as a 60-pound a month donation of dog food from a pet company.
There's also a dedicated cluster of volunteers who help care for the dogs and spend time giving them lots of love.
One popular pup, aptly named 'Much Loved Bob,' recently passed away and received an outpouring of sympathy on the hospice's Facebook page.
'Having a senior dog spend its last days in a shelter is one of the greatest injustices,' says Michelle. 'We give them a great life, great love, and great fun for the rest of their days.'