The woman in this video, Sher Polvinale, runs the Heart Senior Pet Sanctuary out of her home in Gaithersburg, Maryland. I’d say that this National Geographic video is the saddest thing you’ll see today, which, to an extent, is true. However, that shouldn’t cloud the fact that the service Polvinale is providing is very kind. She and a team of volunteers care for senior dogs who have found themselves at shelters for one reason or another (often surrendered by people who don’t want to take care of aging pets), or whose owners are no longer able to take care of them.
The sanctuary takes dogs with special needs, whether it’s incontinence, cardiac problems, respiratory ailments, and even a couple of limited-mobility dogs who get around by use of a wheel-cart. Make no mistake, this isn’t a foster or rescue service. The dogs that the Heart Senior Pet Sanctuary takes in are there to live out their final days, as Polvinale talks about the “Stairway to Heaven,” which contains all of the photos of dogs that the sanctuary has cared for and have since passed away.
Polvinale is so dedicated to the cause that she only leaves the home four times per year out of fear that something might happen to the dogs if she’s not around. It’s inspirational to see someone devote their life to improving the golden years of these sweet animals.
