News and Events

We've were pretty busy here with the sold out spring event but made time to have Mark Luinenburg out for a winter visit last week. Home for Life® has had so much snow this winter that even with the temperatures reaching nearly 50 degrees this past week, we still have plenty of the stuff. But no one is complaining and it's wonderful to have more light, warmer temperatures and sunshine after a tough winter. These photos were taken to include in the gala slideshow of Mark's photos, a much loved highlight e at every Home for Life® event. Mark has helped Home for Life® since 1996!

We have had perhaps the toughest winter ever at Home for Life®: in addition to the heavy snows - that continue now into mid April! - our boiler, (only two years old!) in the main dog building went out during the coldest of the January weather. This malfunction caused an avalanche of problems culminating in burst pipes and a heavily damaged building. Added to all this and along with the usual busy days at the sanctuary, the repairs to the building and boiler and installation of a forced air heating system, was the preparation for the gala on March 24 ( we had just six months to get ready from the time we had confirmation that Dr. Goodall could attend to the event date March 24!), we are late with our report on the end of the year Match Drive - but the results are in and thanks are due!

Above: Raha

Home for Life's® Peace Creature® Pet Therapy programs in the news! Our newest initiative at the Washington County Jail is featured in Sunday's Minneapolis Star and Tribune. The goal of Peace Creatures®, which we offer at no charge to the community, is to provide pet therapy to those kids and adults who don't commonly receive this service and all the healing benefits it can provide ... Home for Life's® therapy dogs visit over 100 prisoners at each session, men, women and juveniles. Pictured in the article are two of Home for Life's® therapy dogs, Program, a paraplegic from the Soi Dog Foundation of Thailand and Dodi, a harlequin Great Dane. Thank you to the Minneapolis Star and Tribune for their coverage of this important program. We love our visits and the inmates are so good to the dogs!

Reprinted from Star Tribune: Therapy dogs are regular visitors to the Washington County jail—A partnership with an animal rescue sanctuary is helping reduce stress at Washington County jail. Twice a month, the Washington County jail in Stillwater opens its doors to visitors who know what it’s like to live through trauma, who can commiserate about being left on the fringes of society and can empathize with inmates’ desire for human contact and kindness. And they do it all without saying a word.

Their wagging tails, on the other hand, speak volumes.

This fall, Home for Life® welcomed Minneapolis pet photographer Jessica Nelson for two days of photographing the dogs, cats, birds and tortoise for the latest sponsor photos.