March 16, 2016

Seniors receive the best care, highest standards maintained

Urgent need to take advantage of expansion opportunity

Imagine the following:
You are a senior who is experiencing the pain of being severely neglected.

Your lifelong companion has just passed away, leaving you confused and afraid with no one to care.

You are alone for weeks with no food or water and too weak to cry for help.

You are battling a terminal illness with no home or family.

You finally find shelter in a cold dark place where hundreds of cries for help go unanswered.

Just when you think there is an ounce of hope you hear you're too old, too sick. All hope is lost. Could this horrible place really be the end?

Just then you are gently lifted from the cold floor, wrapped in kind arms and taken to a place where your painful body is healed and your spirit restored.

Now imagine you are a dog.

This isn't just another rescue story. It's the story of hundreds of senior and special needs animals who find themselves awaiting their bleak fate at county shelters everyday.

Animal Guardian Network, located in Cave Creek sets the highest standards in sanctuaries today, making healing miracles happen for so many animals. We provide lifelong, around-the-clock care for animals who are accepted as either temporary or permanent sanctuary residents. Animals like Kona, a 10-year-old American Eskimo dog, who was found in the home alongside his deceased guardian; or Cisco, a 15-year-old Chihuahua, taken to a high kill shelter after his guardian went into hospice care and no one in the family wanted to take responsibility for him; or Storm, an 8-year-old paint horse, who was headed to slaughter because he was unbroken and afraid.

Animal Guardian Network has made a well-respected impact in the humane community for the work we do and high standards we maintain. Currently 45 animals including dogs, horses, chickens and a steer call the sanctuary home, putting us at capacity.

A unique opportunity for our expansion has become available. The property that abuts our sanctuary is for sale. The opportunity may be lost if another buyer makes an offer, so a real sense of urgency exists. This would provide us with an additional 1.25 acres plus a 2,500 square foot building that would perfectly suit a senior facility including:
- A main living area for the majority of the senior dogs
- Two separate suites for bonded pairs of dogs that have lost their human and do not care for the company of other dogs
- A large kitchen area for daily meal prep and dispensing of medications
- A large laundry area to manage and maintain daily clean bedding
- A medical and rehab treatment/care room with an ICU for dogs that are fragile
- A private visiting room where time can be spent with a particular dog or two
- Onsite caretaker lodging.

The additional acreage will provide for an expansion of the horse and livestock area. It will allow us to erect a barn that has already been donated for our horses. Now imagine the many senior citizens living out the rest of their lives in a skilled nursing home or assisted living facility. How many of those lives could be enriched by a weekly visit to our senior canine facility? Imagine the joy both human and dog would feel if they could spend time together, comforting each other. It would give every being involved a purpose and something to truly look forward to. Our plan is to do just that by instituting a Seniors for Seniors program where senior citizens would be transported to our facility for an afternoon of enrichment with our canine residents.

A grant for $100,000 is already in place for a new senior facility from Lulu’s Fund through the Timothy T. Day Foundation. An additional $220,000 is needed to acquire the property. If you can, please make a generous donation to help Animal Guardian Network at this critical time of opportunity.

Donations cam be made easily at http://animalguardiannetwork.org/. Just click on the purple donate button! Checks made out to Animal Guardian Network – Sanctuary & Healing Center can be mailed to 4815 E. Carefree Hwy., Ste. 108-504, Cave Creek, AZ 85331. For more information please contact Carrie Singer, President. Animal Guardian Network – Sanctuary & Healing Center by email [email protected], by phone at the sanctuary 602.568.5636 cell or on her mobile 623.780.1604.