HAVEN Home Sanctuary
A lifelong sanctuary home for dogs with extraordinary medical needs.
HAVEN Home rescues, rehabilitates, and provides lifelong sanctuary for medically fragile dogs who cannot be supported in traditional shelters. We offer a permanent, loving environment tailored to their unique health requirements.
Resident Stories
This section highlights the incredible individual resonance of the dogs who call HAVEN home. Discover how specialized sanctuary care has transformed their lives and allowed them to thrive despite their medical challenges.
HAVEN Home was founded to address a critical gap in animal welfare: the lack of long-term care options for dogs with complex medical conditions.
Many shelters must make difficult decisions when animals require:
• extensive veterinary treatment • lifelong medication • neurological care and seizure management • cancer treatment • rehabilitation and mobility support • advanced specialty veterinary services • hospice and compassionate end-of-life care
HAVEN Home exists to ensure these animals are not left behind. By providing a permanent sanctuary home rather than temporary shelter housing, HAVEN Home allows medically fragile animals to live with dignity, safety, comfort, and companionship for the remainder of their lives.
HAVEN Home specializes in caring for dogs with complex medical conditions including:
• blindness and deafness • neurological disorders and epilepsy • chronic disease management • heartworm treatment and recovery • cancer care and oncology treatment • post-trauma rehabilitation • parvovirus survival and recovery • geriatric and hospice care
Each dog receives individualized veterinary oversight and treatment planning tailored to their specific needs.
Home-Based Sanctuary Environment HAVEN Home operates using a home-based sanctuary model, where dogs live as permanent members of the household rather than in kennel environments.
We have found that prioritizing this model provides:
• reduced stress for medically fragile animals • constant health monitoring • individualized attention and emotional enrichment • improved recovery outcomes for complex medical cases
Meet Pax
Pax’s story began in heartbreaking circumstances. At only a couple of months old, he was abandoned overnight in a box during the brutal Florida August heat, already battling a severe hookworm infection. When HAVEN Home rescued him, Pax was lethargic and critically ill, requiring an immediate rush to the emergency vet. There, he was diagnosed with parvovirus — a devastating and often deadly illness in puppies. The prognosis was grim, and the veterinary team warned not to get too attached, as they weren’t sure he would survive.
But Pax had other plans.
A true fighter from the very beginning, Pax defied the odds. After spending time in the ICU receiving around-the-clock care, he slowly began to recover and eventually made a full comeback. His journey didn’t end there — he later underwent hernia surgery and continued to show the same resilience and strength that carried him through his toughest days.
Today, Pax is thriving. He’s incredibly smart, endlessly curious, and just a little bit precocious — always keeping everyone on their toes with his big personality and clever antics. From abandoned and critically ill to healthy, happy, and full of life, Pax is a powerful reminder of the resilience of rescue dogs and the life-changing impact of compassion and care.
Meet Callie
Callie’s journey has been one of resilience, patience, and unwavering love. At just 1.5 years old, she was already battling devastating grand mal seizures — the kind that are heartbreaking and terrifying to witness. When HAVEN Home received a call from SAFE Animal Shelter asking if a special adopter could step in for this young girl, the answer was immediate: we were not giving up on her.
From the moment Callie arrived, her condition was severe. She experienced between 5–8 cluster seizures a day, often occurring 4–6 days each week. Despite the exhausting and emotional challenges, HAVEN Home remained committed to giving Callie every opportunity to thrive. Countless veterinary appointments, extensive testing, and consultations with a neurologist followed as her care team worked tirelessly to find the right treatment plan for her complex condition.
Slowly but surely, Callie began to improve.
Today, Callie often goes 2–3 weeks without experiencing a single seizure — an incredible milestone for a dog who once struggled daily. She is thriving, embracing life with joy, comfort, and the carefree spirit every young dog deserves. Her story is a testament to the power of dedication, specialized care, and refusing to give up on animals who need a little extra support. Callie is now living her very best life, surrounded by the love and stability she always deserved.
Meet Bodhi
Bodhi’s story began under heartbreaking circumstances. Alongside his brother Pax, he was discovered abandoned in a box at a small rural shelter after being left overnight in the brutal 100+ degree Florida summer heat. Both puppies were suffering from severe hookworm infections, dehydrated, vulnerable, and fighting to survive at only a few months old.
After HAVEN Home stepped in and rushed the brothers to the veterinarian, the situation became even more critical — Bodhi tested positive for parvovirus, a highly contagious and often fatal illness in young puppies. Like his brother, Bodhi spent time in the ICU receiving intensive, around-the-clock medical care as he battled for his life. Despite the odds stacked against him, Bodhi proved to be a fighter, slowly regaining strength until he was finally healthy enough to leave the hospital behind.
As Bodhi grew, so did his personality. Much bigger than his brother, he blossomed into a loud, proud, and wonderfully vocal coonhound — not the quiet little “laptop dog” beagle mix everyone initially expected him to be. His booming hound voice and working-dog instincts made it clear that in many rural environments, Bodhi would likely be viewed and used as a hunting dog.
For HAVEN Home, that reality came with heartbreaking concerns. In many cases, hunting dogs who age out of usefulness or no longer meet expectations are too often discarded or abandoned. After everything Bodhi had already survived, HAVEN Home knew they could not risk him ending up in that cycle again.
Because of that, adopting Bodhi out was never truly an option. Today, he remains safe, loved, and protected — living the life every dog deserves after overcoming so much. His story is one of survival, resilience, and the promise that he will never again be treated as disposable.
Meet Missy
Missy has been part of HAVEN Home since the very beginning — one of the sanctuary’s original dogs and a true symbol of resilience and unconditional love. Now 17 years old, she has faced more than her share of medical challenges throughout her life, always meeting them with quiet strength and determination.
Several years ago, Missy developed extensive tumors, including one growing in her eye that required immediate surgery. During the procedure, veterinarians discovered the devastating diagnosis: cancer. Despite her age and the difficult road ahead, HAVEN Home was committed to giving Missy every chance possible. After months of treatment, endless care, and two major surgeries, Missy accomplished something remarkable — she made a full recovery at the incredible age of 14.
Today, Missy is enjoying the peaceful golden years she fought so hard to reach, although she's gone deaf. She spends most of her days doing exactly what senior dogs deserve to do: resting comfortably, soaking up love, and enjoying the safety and security of her forever sanctuary home. Her story is a beautiful reminder that age should never determine worth, and that every animal deserves the opportunity to live out their life surrounded by compassion, dignity, and care.
Meet Tako
Tako’s story is one of heartbreak, loss, and finally, safety. Just one month shy of his 15th birthday, he was surrendered to a shelter simply because he was old and blind. After spending nearly his entire life with a family, Tako suddenly found himself alone, confused, and unwanted in the final chapter of his life.
When HAVEN Home stepped in, it was because no one else would. Without intervention, Tako would likely have spent his remaining days alone in a shelter cage — scared, disoriented, and without the comfort every senior dog deserves. By the time he arrived at the sanctuary, Tako was severely underweight, terrified, and struggling to understand why everything familiar to him had disappeared.
The adjustment was not easy.
For months, Tako moved through life cautiously and fearfully, trying to navigate an entirely new world without sight and without the family he had known for more than 14 years. While he eventually learned that HAVEN Home was a place of safety, stability, and compassion, the emotional weight of that loss was impossible to ignore. Dogs remember love, routine, and belonging — and Tako knew his family was gone.
Today, Tako has found peace in his sanctuary life. He is most comfortable resting quietly on his own, surrounded by familiar scents, soft beds, and the calm environment he has slowly learned to trust. He no longer has to fear abandonment, uncertainty, or spending his final years alone. At HAVEN Home, Tako is safe, loved, and given the dignity every senior dog deserves, no matter their age or condition.
Meet Bo & Layla
Bo and Layla’s story is one of loss, loyalty, and finding comfort in each other when their entire world changed. The pair came from a heartbreaking situation involving seven Chihuahuas whose owner was diagnosed with cancer and could no longer care for them. All seven dogs were surrendered to the shelter together, though tragically, two reportedly escaped during the surrender process and were never found.
Layla first caught the attention of HAVEN Home during a visit to rescue another sanctuary resident, Ellie, who had a heartbreaking story of her own. There was something about Layla — petrified, overlooked, and uncertain — that stayed with the team long after they left. HAVEN Home decided that if she was still at the shelter a week later, she would be brought home to the sanctuary. Sadly, she was still there.
Layla’s medical condition made her difficult to place in a traditional home. Her left eye does not produce tears, requiring lifelong daily eye drops and ongoing care. For a small Chihuahua already struggling with attachment and trust issues, that level of handling can be overwhelming, and she was repeatedly overlooked by adopters.
But when HAVEN Home returned to bring Layla home, they discovered she wasn’t alone. Her bonded brother, Bo, had also ended up back at the shelter after being returned by adopters because of his fear of men. Separating them was never an option. That day, Bo and Layla left the shelter together and officially became part of the HAVEN Home family.
The adjustment was not easy for either of them. Both arrived carrying fear, uncertainty, and emotional scars from repeated upheaval and abandonment. Layla remains especially skittish and guarded, taking comfort in routine and familiar surroundings, while Bo continues to navigate his anxieties with the steady reassurance of sanctuary life beside his sister. Bo also lives with chronic pain from a previously broken leg that never healed properly, adding another layer of care to his daily life. Now around 7–8 years old, both dogs receive ongoing support and medical management to keep them as comfortable as possible. Today, Bo and Layla are finally where they belong — together, safe, and deeply loved. Their lives may look quieter than most, but after everything they have endured, peace, stability, and compassion are exactly what they deserve.
Meet Evie
Evie’s story is one of survival against impossible odds. While a hurricane approached Central Florida and families were evacuating the Osceola area, HAVEN Home learned about an elderly dog sitting in a rural kill shelter with almost no chance of making it out alive. Despite the dangerous conditions and the six-hour round trip ahead, the HAVEN Home team knew they could not leave her behind.
When Evie was found wandering the streets, she was severely emaciated, exhausted, and clearly had been surviving on her own for a very long time. Everything about her suggested a painful reality too common in rural areas — she was likely once used as a hunting dog and discarded when she became too old to be useful. Even after arriving safely at HAVEN Home, Evie showed signs of a lifetime spent outdoors and without comfort. She didn’t understand life inside a home. To this day, she still refuses to sleep in a bed or climb onto the sofa because furniture was clearly something she had been taught was off-limits.
At the shelter, Evie had also been diagnosed with pancreatitis, a painful and potentially life-threatening condition requiring daily medication and consistent medical care. Tragically, the shelter ran out of the medication she needed to manage her illness and made the heartbreaking decision to euthanize her because they no longer had the resources to continue treatment.
That is when HAVEN Home stepped in.
Evie was brought to safety, given the medical attention she desperately needed, and finally shown the compassion and stability she had likely never experienced before. Now estimated to be around 16–17 years old, Evie spends her days living the quiet, peaceful life every senior dog deserves. She may still prefer the floor to a soft couch, but she no longer has to worry about hunger, pain, abandonment, or being forgotten. At HAVEN Home, Evie is safe, loved, and able to live out her final years with dignity and comfort.
Meet Foxy
Foxy’s story began with heartbreak and uncertainty. He and his brother Andy arrived at a rural shelter as a bonded pair, both suffering from significant medical issues that made them nearly impossible to place for adoption. Sick, overlooked, and in need of extensive care, the two dogs faced an uncertain future until HAVEN Home stepped in and gave them the chance no one else would.
Andy would go on to become a beloved sanctuary resident for three wonderful years before eventually crossing the rainbow bridge, surrounded by love and safety. Foxy, the younger of the two brothers, was estimated to be around three years old when he joined HAVEN Home. Despite his young age, he had already endured more hardship than most dogs ever should, as his human mom passed away and there was no one to take in him & his brother.
One of Foxy’s most noticeable challenges was an issue with one of his back legs that made walking painful and difficult. Combined with his bright eyes and distinctive pointed ears, he quickly earned the nickname “the 3-Legged Fox.” Over time, that evolved into “The Fox,” and eventually simply “Foxy” — a name that perfectly matched his spirited personality and resilient nature.
For nearly a year, Foxy struggled with his injured leg before slowly beginning to put weight on it again. With patience, medical care, and time, he made an incredible recovery and eventually regained full use of the leg that once caused him so much pain.
Today, Foxy has transformed into one of the sanctuary’s most confident and dependable residents. In many ways, he has taken on the role of welcoming committee for new arrivals at HAVEN Home, helping nervous rescues settle in and adjust to sanctuary life. From an overlooked shelter dog with an uncertain future to a thriving leader within the sanctuary, Foxy’s story is a beautiful reminder of what healing, love, and stability can do.
Meet Ellie
Ellie’s story is one of the most heartbreaking journeys to ever lead to HAVEN Home. She was found wandering the streets alone, desperately ill and clearly neglected for far too long. When rescuers discovered her, Ellie was heartworm positive, suffering from severe mange, and covered in large mammary tumors across her underbelly — conditions so extensive that they made her chances of adoption incredibly unlikely.
But the moment HAVEN Home saw her, everything changed.
It was love at first sight.
Just before Christmas, the decision was made to bring Ellie home to the sanctuary, giving her the greatest gift she had likely ever known: safety, warmth, and unconditional love. She officially arrived the day before Christmas Eve, leaving behind a life of pain and uncertainty for one filled with compassion and hope.
Ellie’s road to recovery has been long and difficult. Because she was so medically fragile when she was rescued, immediate surgery was not an option. Her body first needed to heal from the effects of severe neglect, malnutrition, mange, and the dangerous progression of Stage 3 heartworm disease. Since coming to HAVEN Home, Ellie has undergone extensive heartworm treatment and has slowly regained her strength, confidence, and joy.
Now, as she continues getting healthier each day, Ellie is preparing for the next major step in her journey: surgery to remove the tumors that once threatened her future.
Despite everything she has endured, Ellie’s spirit has remained incredibly loving and devoted. She has formed an unbreakable bond with her dad at HAVEN Home and follows him everywhere, never wanting to leave his side. Loyal, affectionate, and endlessly trusting despite her painful past, Ellie has truly become a ride-or-die companion. Today, Ellie’s life is no longer defined by abandonment, illness, or suffering. She is finally surrounded by the love, stability, and care she always deserved — and she will never have to face hardship alone again.
Specialized, Lifelong Care
HAVEN Home provides intensive medical treatment, daily care, and comfort for medically fragile dogs. Our sanctuary ensures that residents with extraordinary needs receive lifelong support in a loving, permanent home environments.
Advanced Diagnostics
Daily Nursing Care
Lifelong Medications
Emotional Support
Help Us Sustain Lifelong Sanctuary Care
Your generous donations directly fund the extensive medical treatment, specialized daily care, and safe, loving housing required for our dogs with extraordinary needs. Together, we can ensure every resident lives their life with dignity and comfort.
Mission
Our mission is to offer a soft landing for dogs with severe medical challenges. We provide specialized veterinary intervention and a permanent, loving home for those who would otherwise face euthanasia in typical shelter environments.
Vision
We envision a world where medical fragility is not a death sentence for companion animals. HAVEN Home stands as a beacon of hope, proving that with dedicated care, every dog can live a life of dignity and comfort.
Purpose
Our purpose is to bridge the gap in animal welfare by securing funding for advanced diagnostics and lifelong medications. We ensure our residents receive the highest standard of specialized care throughout their journey.