GREENWOOD, Ind. — Nikki Sanders started Taffy's Touch Senior Dog Rescue after caring for a dog named Taffy who was dumped at a shelter simply because she was old.
She knew then it was her mission to make sure senior dogs could live out their golden years in a loving home.
"These old dogs don't belong in shelters they need to pass away with love and dignity at the end," Sanders said. "That's how we got started, been going ever since."
In the nearly two years the rescue has been operating, Taffy's Touch has helped save more than 80 dogs.
Chelle Allen is one of the rescue's 20 foster moms. Ten-year-old Tango is the sixth for her family. She said they each have unique personalities.
"They've not lived their life in a shelter. They've lived their life somewhere else," Allen said. "To be put into a crate in a shelter with dogs barking and circumstances that they're not used to, most the time they're absolutely terrified. It breaks my heart."
Taffy's Touch is 100% donation-based. They take all breeds that are 8 years old or older.
"It takes a special kind of foster to be able to do an older dog or one with medical problems. Because you know, they're not going to be around that long," Sanders said. "But it's not about us. It's about the dog and what they need. So that's why it's so important."
Because many of these senior dogs have medical issues, Taffy's Touch pays for all the medical expenses for the rest of the dog's life. And the rescue makes sure that time is a magical one spent loved and cared for.
"There's nothing that gives me the joy like saving these old dogs," Sanders said.
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