Hotdoghill Sanctuary is not a foster home or rescue group. Located in Virginia, it is a forever home for senior dogs, special needs dogs, and hospice dogs. Read this excellent article in “Dogster” on Hotdoghill Sancutary.
Sanctuary residents are dogs who have lost their families and homes through no fault of their own. Due to their advanced age and various medical conditions, they have little chance of being adopted. Because of the wonderful work Hotdoghill Sanctuary does senior and special needs pets are given a loving and caring home where they will be allowed to live out their lives in a secure, nurturing environment.
When you donate those donations go directly to caring for the residents, for food, medical care, and items that directly benefit the Hotdoghill Sanctuary residents and NOT for administrative or operational expenses.
The full-time residents of the sanctuary are provided with a comfortable, bright, and clean home environment and the medical care they need. We mainly specialize in very old Dachshunds pulled from shelters, puppy mill Dachshunds, and severely disabled Dachshunds that require ongoing medical care,They can be blind and deaf, includes multiple dogs with IVDD (back issues), and countless that have come to Hotdoghill Sanctuary for hospice care.
The sanctuary is run out of the human’s home which the dogs have free run of. The sanctuary has adopted out 41 some dogs and helped another 70 to the “Rainbow Bridge” in the last 10 years. They’ve tried to provide the best last chapter for these dogs so that when it is time to go, they have known love …. they have been owned …. they had a name …. they have known the feel of a warm bed (mostly Kim’s bed).
Each of the departed dogs were held in Kim’s arms as they passed and as she says,
“…. each one broke our hearts but we saw them through all the way to the end. This is the hardest part of rescue or any pet ownership and we are proud of all of our work.
The dogs that we bring into our program are those who are nearly un-adoptable due to disability and/or age but who are still able to enjoy the remainder of their years with a good quality of life. This amount of time may range from weeks to months to years, and we aim to provide the best quality of life possible for the dogs in our care during that time through a loving home, high quality vetting, and medication and good food.”
Supported through sponsorship, donations, and grants Hotdoghill Sanctuary is not a “shelter” where animals are caged/penned. Our place is cage-free and our dogs live together in a large group.
As Founder Kim Hunter says:
We have a very strict routine and the dogs thrive with it and are happy.We are small, we barely make a dent in fulfilling needs of the animals in need of rescue. We do our best to provide the best care for the pups dogs that make it to us for care. All of our dogs are special to us, they needed a place to go to commit to their care for the rest of their lives.
These are not high profile dogs with lots of publicity or dogs that have made national news from abuse cases but they are just as significant and worthy of the same love and care. They matter to us and they matter to those that support us in our cause.
Founder Kim works full time and considers herself so fortunate to have her mom living with her so that the dogs can be out in the home while she’s at work and never have to be crated except for feeding time. This allows for someone to be here 24/7 to care for the dogs.
As the sanctuary is also their home, Kim asks that if you would need to come by to verify their work, please email Hotdoghill Sanctuary to schedule an appointment. As many will recognize: “Coming by just to hangout is a huge disruption. Just ask the UPS man.”