We were lucky to catch up with Elaine Rosen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Elaine, thanks for joining us today. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

Maximilian came to us in January of 2020. At the time, he weighed in at 104 lbs – large soulful eyes framed by huge ears and standing on long, long legs. From the day he arrived, there was no doubt that he was going to be a medical challenge. There were just so many things that he was dealing with including heart failure. Our goal was to get him to the point where he could have a good quality of life, where he could be happy and enjoy some of the simple pleasures of a dog’s life like rolling in the grass and going for walks in the pastures and getting excited when the deer passed by the yard. And he got there!! He ate very special food and had to take a lot of medication. He got up to a healthier 117 lbs and settled in to live life on his terms. It took a dedicated effort on the part of our staff who loved him and attended to all of his daily needs and our wonderful veterinarians whose medical care kept him comfortable. But truly, the rest came from him… Maximilian was an inspiration to us all. He just never gave up!! It was as though, despite everything that he had to deal with, he was going to enjoy every minute that he had. Perhaps that was a large part of why he beat all of the odds and, despite the prognosis of 6 to 8 weeks that he was given in 2020, he was with us for 2 ½ years.
And now he is gone. We will mourn his loss each in our own way. And as time passes, we will be able to remember his goofy antics, how he loved his walks, how he enjoyed his baths, how his idea of a fun time was to bump his 117 lbs of bulk into you and perhaps most of all the spirit and love of life he showed us every day. We were blessed to have Maximilian in our care. We are richer for having had him in our lives…

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

It is no casual claim that of all God’s creatures, one is universally “man’s best friend”. From guiding the blind to keeping our soldiers out of harm’s way; from working beside first responders in search and rescue to helping bring in the herd; from serving as our protectors to providing silent comfort; dogs constantly forgive us our faults and love us without reservation. Were there ever eyes into which you could gaze and see the pure joy experienced by the dog who is simply thrilled to see you and be by your side?

So why is it that so many dogs, through no fault of their own, end up in an animal welfare system that is so overcrowded, underfunded, and unable to cope with the sheer volume of animals whose very lives depend upon it? Irrespective of the reasons, and they are numerous, too many dogs do end up in that system and die in that system.

There are many hundreds of people throughout the country who have stepped up to try to make a difference for the thousands of dogs that need help. It is my passion for dogs that made me want to be one of those people; it is my passion for dogs that was the motivation to begin my journey. The focus of that journey is saving senior and senior special needs dogs, providing a permanent home that affords them everything that they need for the best quality of life – the best food, the best medications, the best vet care and all of the love and attention that they deserve. We are, in fact, a retirement home and hospice care facility.

Dog Lodge Sanctuary opened its doors almost four years ago and I am proud to say that we have been true to our mission every step of the way. The dogs that have joined us at Dog Lodge have come from local and non-local shelters, rescues and in some special cases from private homes. The dogs that have come from shelters and rescues were deemed to be, for all intents and purposes, unadoptable. In many cases, the dogs that have come from private homes might have ended up in a shelter had we not been able to take them in. We do not put dogs up for adoption. They stay with us for whatever time they have left. They are cared for by a wonderful staff, each one of which is dedicated to making sure that the dogs, no matter what their lives were like before they came to us, will know only peace, contentment and love for the rest of their time.

We have expanded our mission to include an education element. Our effort is to break the chain of animal abuse and neglect which is why so many animals end up in the welfare system. To that end, we have aligned ourselves with other like-minded groups that are working to initiate humane education programs in the school systems. Additionally, we have started our monthly podcast called “Dog Lodge Radio – Animal Issues that Matter”, a program in which we deal with issues concerning all kinds of animals, both from a caretaking and advocacy perspective.

Dog Lodge Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. That means that we rely on money obtained by fundraising to carry on our mission. Our Board of Directors, our staff and I are dedicated to saving as many dogs as we can with the understanding that no one group can save them all. We choose to embrace the philosophy epitomized by the words of Christopher Reeve: “Once you choose hope, anything is possible.” So we do what we do one day at a time, never giving up our efforts to allow each one of our residents to live with dignity and pass with grace.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Unless you are as passionate about animals in general and dogs specifically as I am, it may be difficult to understand how I feel about what I do. Dog Lodge Sanctuary is a labor of love. Every day I look into the eyes of a dog that knows he’s “home”, that knows that he doesn’t have to be afraid any longer or hurt any longer; that knows he is loved. Trust me… they understand. I have the distinct pleasure and honor of working with people who care about these animals as much as I and who are equally committed to making changes that are so desperately needed in this country regarding the plight of the homeless, the unwanted and the abused. Do I do this to make money? Good heavens, no! Has there been frustration because we can’t do more? Yes, definitely! Is there a significant emotional investment every single day? You bet! Is there anything else that I would rather do with my life? No! If I had to go back and start again, would I choose to do the same thing? Yes, I would. There is huge satisfaction in saving a life. Every day I believe that all of us connected with Dog Lodge Sanctuary are making a difference.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Our “market” is comprised of other nonprofit organizations and, as such, perhaps there is a slight difference between the animal welfare community and one comprised of for-profit businesses. Yes, there is emphasis on income but only insofar as it allows the organization to continue furthering its mission. In a perfect world, all of the organizations would experience the same degree of success in raising money because that would make it that much easier to accomplish their goals. The animal welfare community is huge, comprised of individuals and organizations throughout the country and the world. In a general sense, the objective of all the members of this community is to make the world a better place for animals. We must work together towards that common goal – to do otherwise would be counterproductive and a waste of time. Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” This is one part of the guiding principle adopted by those of us at Dog Lodge Sanctuary. The other part of that principle is always being positive about and respectful of other organizations. We have always been and will continue to be a team player, interested in the greater good.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.doglodge.org
• Instagram: doglodgetx
• Facebook: @doglodgetx
• Twitter: @doglodgetx
• Youtube: Dog Lodge Radio

Image Credits
HOUSTON EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY – Scott Wilson