Missouri Now Has a Retirement Home for Senior Shelter Dogs

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can give them a fresh start. As the AP reports, a new sanctuary in Independence, Missouri, rescues dogs from animal shelters and gives them a loving home where they can spend their “golden days in retirement,” according to the facility’s founder, Russell Clothier.

It’s called Shep's Place Senior Dog Sanctuary, and it serves older doggies in the Kansas City area that are effectively homeless, having lived in shelters for many years. Clothier said he came up with the idea while volunteering at shelters and noticing that the elderly dogs often got left behind.

“We believe senior dogs deserve to live out their lives in a safe, loving environment,” the sanctuary writes on its website. “Our facility and volunteers are dedicated to caring for these dogs, to give them the support and attention they have lost. We will try to find new families for them, but if we can’t, we will be their family and home, for as long as they live.”

The sanctuary is situated on four acres of land in a renovated old house. After spending much of their lives in kennels, the dogs who come to Shep’s Place get to run (or mosey) around, play in the yard, and sleep when and where they like. The sanctuary says it’s starting out with just a few dogs for now, but has plans to expand.

Check out some photos of the adorable residents below, and visit the sanctuary’s website to find out how to volunteer.