Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary (OFSDS) provides lifetime homes and high-quality veterinary care to over 500 senior dogs, ensuring they receive compassion, comfort, and a loving environment for the remainder of their lives. Located in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, this 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focuses on rescuing senior dogs who face higher euthanasia risks in traditional shelters due to their age, medical conditions, or disabilities.
Why Senior Dogs Need Special Sanctuary Care
Senior dogs, particularly those with medical problems or disabilities, face a significantly greater chance of euthanasia at shelters compared to younger dogs. The primary challenge lies in finding adopters for these wonderful companions because of their shorter additional life expectancy and unknown veterinary costs. However, most senior dogs can live happily with a good quality of life if given the chance.
These mature dogs make wonderful companions because they are calm, loving, and emotionally settled. While settling in can be more difficult for them initially, once they do, moving again becomes challenging. For this reason, OFSDS strives to find them forever foster homes where they can live out their retirement years as beloved family members. Even after finding their forever homes, the organization commits to providing high-quality vet care for life.
The Scale of OFSDS Operations
The sanctuary’s impact is substantial and growing. Over 1,500 senior dogs have been helped since 2012, demonstrating the organization’s long-term commitment to senior dog welfare. Currently, approximately 120 dogs live at the Sanctuary itself, while around 400 seniors reside in Forever Foster Homes across the community.
The operational scale requires significant resources. The sanctuary performs approximately 350 dentals per year, ensuring senior dogs maintain proper oral health despite age-related issues. Weekly physical therapies amount to roughly 105 hours, helping dogs with disabilities maintain mobility and comfort throughout their golden years.
Our Mission and Core Values
Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary operates according to four clear mission statements that guide every decision and action:
- To provide a loving home, good food, high quality vet care, compassion, and comfort to senior dogs for the remainder of their lives
- To build a Forever Foster Home network to enable placement of more senior dogs in loving home settings for the duration of their lives
- To provide education on the joys and challenges of caring for aging dogs
- To work with other dog rescue groups to promote the adoption of senior dogs
The organization operates as a Forever Foster Home based Sanctuary in beautiful Mount Juliet, Tennessee. While providing lifetime homes for senior dogs, OFSDS strives to raise awareness of the joys and challenges of living with older dogs.
The Quality of Life Philosophy
What makes OFSDS truly unique is their philosophy regarding time versus quality. The organization does not concern themselves with the quantity of time that senior dogs have left, rather focusing on the quality of the life they can provide for that time. This approach ensures every dog receives dignity, comfort, and love regardless of their remaining lifespan.
This philosophy directly addresses the main reason senior dogs are overlooked in traditional shelters. By removing the pressure of adoption timelines and focusing on lifetime care, OFSDS creates an environment where senior dogs can thrive without the stress of constant transitions or the risk of euthanasia due to age.
How You Can Support OFSDS
The sanctuary’s ability to care for over 500 senior dogs depends entirely on community support. Donors enable the organization to provide lifetime homes, high-quality veterinary care, and the extensive resources required for senior dog welfare. Several ways to help include making donations, joining the Forever Foster Home network, purchasing items from wishlists, or signing up for the monthly PUPdate newsletter to stay informed about sanctuary activities.
The organization’s GuideStar profile demonstrates their transparency and accountability as a non-profit organization, ensuring donors that their contributions directly benefit senior dogs in need.
Supporting Old Friends means ensuring that love never grows old for the hundreds of senior dogs who depend on this sanctuary for their final years. Every donation, foster home placement, and act of awareness helps create a world where senior dogs receive the dignity and care they deserve.