A 10-year-old dog abandoned by her owner at the pound…a pit bull confiscated by police after his homeless owner is arrested for beating him…38 unsocialized corgi mixes removed from the home of a mentally ill man…an elderly chow mix rescued after spending over a week on the side of a Los Angeles freeway…what hope do dogs like these have? The answer: Pooch Heaven, a non-profit rescue, where there is no such thing as a lost cause.

Located on an 800-acre ranch in Southern California, Pooch Heaven is home to 50-70 adoptable dogs at any given time, as well as eleven “sponsored” pets (those who are not adoptable due to serious health or behavioral problems). One look at Pooch Heaven’s pet list will tell you all you need to know about this organization: they believe that all pets deserve a chance at a happy life, no matter their age, breed, or background. Many of Pooch Heaven’s pets have special needs due to physical disabilities or medical conditions, or are difficult to place because they are older. Once Pooch Heaven takes in an orphan, the lucky dog is set for life—literally. Pets who don’t find homes live out the remainder of their lives at Pooch Heaven, and adopters must agree to return their pet to Pooch Heaven if they ever become unable to care for him or her, no matter how many years have passed since the adoption. “Once we rescue a dog, we consider ourselves responsible for that dog for the rest of his life, and we wouldn’t have it any other way,” says Jamie Lee, Pooch Heaven’s administrator.

Pooch Heaven is always full to capacity, and adoptions are sometimes very slow. “The puppies and young small dogs we rescue are very easy to find homes for,” says Lee, “but when we take in an older dog or a maligned breed like a pit bull or a rottweiler, we know that it may take months, even years, before that dog is adopted. We never give up hope, though, no matter how long a dog has been with us. Every one of these wonderful dogs deserves to live in a real home with a person or a family who loves them. We believe there’s a family out there for each of them.”

If you live in Southern California and you’re looking for a pet to adopt, check out the pets at Pooch Heaven! You can be the home that one of these pooches has been waiting for!

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