News and Articles

The Story of the Year at Home for Life is featured

Our latest mailing to our supporters features what has had to be the story of the year at Home for Life. It is the rescue of Rory, a beautiful hound, who was left tied to our gate by an anonymous person. Abandoned in the cold at Home for Life last November 30, 2014; Rory, was starving, cold, scared and very pregnant. The very next day, she gave birth to TEN adorable puppies, all of whom survived, and the adventure began!

It has been one of the most beautiful summers ever at Home for Life with mostly perfect weather all season long. From the start of summer to the week of Labor Day, the animals at the sanctuary have made the most of our favorite season with frequent exercise time in our meadows to swimming in the Apple River to basking in the sun.  When it's icy and cold, we'll look back at these photos and remember how green and filled with sunshine this summer was. Below are some of our favorites from Mark's shoots at Home for Life during  the summer of 2015.

Meet up with Home for Life and some of our lovable animals this August! 

Home for Life will be attending Paws on Grand, a yearly event in St. Paul! Home for Life will have a booth outside of Kowalski's: 1261 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105.

Volunteers will be there to answer questions and provide information on the mission of Home for Life as well as the community outreach programs we are involved in. Home for Life superstars Nino and Momo will be there too!

Home for Life has been invited by the Walker Art Center to attend this year's Cat Video Fest! 

Home for Life will have a booth run by volunteers handing out pamphlets and answering questions. Information on Home for Life's mission, outreach programs and future plans are available!

Come visit us August 12th and watch some hilarious and adorable cat videos! This year's event will be held at CHS Field in St. Paul's Lowertown. Tickets are available for online purchase and printing at home. 

The Native American Spiritual Adviser told her that she would know when her husband Jim was close because she would see eagles near. Eagles were Jim's symbol. So we knew it would be a special day when Hannah said the eagles seemed to be accompanying her on her drive to Home for Life, especially as she approached the sanctuary, circling above as she drove up our driveway, as if to herald her arrival. Eagles have special meaning for her, and it almost seemed as if the eagles had led her to Home for Life that chilly but sunny and clear day this mid November.

Home for Life does not have a better friend than photographer Mark Luinenburg, who, since 2000, has donated his time and talent to document our cats and dogs at the sanctuary. He brings our mission to life with his beautiful photos.

Home for Life's incredible animals were featured in an article on Buzzfeed! Sami Main, a writer for Buzzfeed, saw some wonderful photos taken by Mark Luinenburg that showed the animals enjoying life to the fullest, and decided to write an article on them titled "Fourteen pets who don't let anything get them down." The animals at Home for Life are an inspiration, and we were happy to see that their courage and determination was noticed. 

Who wouldn't notice how cute they are! Please check out the Buzzfeed article here!

In mid-October, Home for Life welcomed photographer Eva Noth to the sanctuary for a warm fall afternoon and our latest sponsor  photo session. Eva, who donated her time and talent to support Home for Life's sponsorship program, is a Twin Cities  photographer who focuses on pet portraits. Her unique approach strives to tell the story of each animal whose pictures she captures. So many of our supporters have told us that what they love are the stories of our animals, what they have been through and overcome and how they are now flourishing at Home for Life.

Our latest mailing to supporters tells the story of Taffy, an elderly and blind poodle mix who was tied to our front gate this summer- with shoelaces- and left for us to find on a hot July day. We were so happy to have found him before he broke free of the laces and wandered into the road or before he died or exposure and dehydration.

On the morning of November 30, on a cold and blustery winter morning (air temperature -3, windchill  - 25!) one of our staff members received an unexpected call at the gate. Home for Life's front gate has a callbox so people can contact us up at the facility. A man's voice came over the intercom and said "Hey! did you  know there was a dog tied to your gate?!" He then hung up.