We were lucky to catch up with Karen Cole recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Karen, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

When I decided to start Lizzy’s 13 years ago, there were breed specific rescues that did not bring in older dogs. There were other mainstream rescues that brought in puppies and dogs up to 5 years because after that, they were considered “unadoptable,” and shelters only kept senior pups for the required amount of time and then walked them back to be euthanized, without giving them a chance because the public view is that people didn’t want them, they wanted puppies and younger dogs. Even the mainstream rescue I was on the board of said no seniors, they are expensive and unadoptable. So, I eventually resigned and started my own rescue. My focus is on pups 10 years and up. We have gotten a few 18 to 20 year olds and it was fabulous because we could help ensure they had a great life for however long that would be. Many people ask why our focus is on such old dogs and my response is “they deserve a good quality of life or end of life, also.” Even at 18 and 20 years, most were still moving and engaged for a while, and it was great to see. Some we only have for a few days after we find out their health is declining rapidly or they are in pain. We consider it an honor to be able to help them with a peaceful transition or to make an end of life decision on their behalf. These things are meaningful to us because it seems society is not as in tuned to seniors, whether it be human or dog, and we believe they all deserve to be cared for and to know they are loved… not abandoned. I also now bring in mobility challenged pups of any age because society as a whole is not interested in them. I am no longer able to bring in larger dogs that are mobility challenged because I can no longer lift them into wheels or assist them getting outside, etc. I do bring in smaller ones. One 9 year old Chihuahua with mobility issues I had his back legs amputated and he is so much happier and healthier. An 8 year old Chihuahua mix with mobility issues I brought in, it turns out she has a bullet in her spine (that cannot be removed) and surprise – she was 30 days pregnant. It is always an adventure…. I guess you can say our mission is to help those dogs that other rescues are not interested in helping because they are thought to be “expensive and unadoptable.” That could also be said about dogs that are not senior, however, we have been successful at finding fabulous homes for them, but either way, they deserve a chance to get out of the shelter or bypass the shelter. It isn’t their fault they are old or they got shot or hit by a car…. I consider Lizzy’s a last resort rescue. When a shelter reaches out to Lizzy’s, I typically ask them to try other rescues and if the pup is in danger of being euthanized, I will bring them in, if I have room or a foster. Our focus is also on kill shelters, which not a pleasant place, but society and articles have made people hate them and only adopt from no kill shelters. The kill shelters are typically more rural with less funding, less resources and volunteers, and who needs the help the most and they still try to get as many pups out as possible.

Karen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got into rescue the same way most do….. I found a dog and reached out to so many rescues to see if they would take her and only two responded. I must have emailed 20+ rescues and nothing. The two that responded said they could not bring her in because they didn’t have any room, but they offered assistance with resources. Of course, she wasn’t a small dog. It was a gorgeous pit bull who was very very thin. I was not going to take her to the shelter as I knew she would be euthanized simply because she was a pit bull. After six months of working with the rescue in attempting to find a home for her – I had boarded her this whole time because we already had dogs at our house – one of our dogs passed away and we did end up keeping her as our own family member – she was the best dog. I offered to the rescue if they needed help with anything, including board member, to please let me know. I had thought even if as a board member, we would maybe talk every few months, email if needed, etc… Then there was an opening on the board and I jumped at the chance to help them since they helped me. The rescue reality was a rude awakening, both the world of rescue and the amount of time one dedicates when in rescue – including giving your heart and soul to the mission. After being on the board for four years, things in my personal life were changing and I also got up the nerve to suggest to the board that we bring older dogs into our rescue. That is when I received the response that older dogs are expensive and not adoptable, so not an option. After I resigned from the board, the idea of a senior rescue never left my mind and, after I learned of a dog named Lizzy that needed help, I decided to start my own senior dog rescue and began the daunting task of becoming a 501(c)(3). It was the best decision I ever made. My rescue is 13 years old this year. Lizzy’s Hospice House is the official name, but so many people thought I was a hospice for people, that we do business as Lizzy’s Animal Hospice – an eldercare / hospice for dogs. My original idea was to be a true sanctuary – not placing dogs, just have them stay with me and staying with Lizzy’s. Then I was at an event with an older Rottweiler named Paisley Mae, getting the word out about who/what Lizzy’s is, etc. At the end of the day a person came up and asked me if Paisley Mae was for adoption and I responded yes. I went home and had to think did I want to get back “in the trenches” again and I thought if I could help more senior pups that way, then yes. I will eventually only do sanctuary, but it’s not time yet. I am proud of Lizzy’s because I still believe to this day that I offer different and meaningful help to senior pups (and people who come to me for advice about their older pup) than other rescues. Interestingly, I respond to each and every email I receive, even if it is to say sorry, we cannot help, to calling references when processing an application for someone who wants to adopt a Lizzy’s dog. The responses I receive are “thank you for responding, nobody else bothered” or “thank you for checking references, I appreciate your efforts, we can tell you really care” confirm I may still be old school, but the extra step is worthwhile and people see my passion and compassion. I also feel that what I do at Lizzy’s, including making quality of life decisions for pups, is something that is needed. So many people say, “oh, I couldn’t do that – it would be too sad,” or “I want my dog to pass on their own,” are disheartening because even when the pup is sick and in pain, the family “cannot do that” or “wants their pup to pass on their own.” I am about what is best for the pup, not my feelings or what is best for me. It is difficult every time I have to make that decision or even when a pup passes on his/her own, but I am there for whatever they need. That is my purpose.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Lizzy’s is what I call a boutique rescue. We are very small, we specialize in older and mobility challenged dogs. These are not things people who are looking to present a grant to are looking for. They are looking for a large organization that has a large presence in the community who the grantor feels will make a large impact. Although this is not necessarily true, it is the thought process of most. No matter how we tried, it was difficult to get a social media following. We did/do not have the resources to hire a social media firm who can keep us on the top search engines, etc., nor do we need to now. Our best social media person was a high school student. She loved dogs, was tech savvy on all social media platforms, and loved to be on the computer. That was a great combo and she reached out to us asking if she could volunteer. She handled our FB and IG accounts for 4 years, until she went off to college. I know things are done differently with large companies with a lot of funds, however, a shoestring budget and pull yourself up by the bootstraps attitude encourages creativity until you can afford to hire the social media and PR firms. We are an all-volunteer organization and depend on the generosity of those who have knowledge that will help us get fosters, adopters, and funding. We now have some that foundations approach us and ask us to apply for their grants, instead of us searching for appropriate grants. And they all found us thanks to social media.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for me is word of mouth. Even in the rescue world, word of mouth is the best way to get new adopters/fosters/donors. Unfortunately, word of mouth is also the best way to find new people who want to know if we will take their dog. Unfortunately, it is mostly that, but those people are also a source for new fosters/adopters/donors. Granted, word of mouth includes social media, the end result is they heard about us from a friend, acquaintance, etc. who had something complimentary to say.

Contact Info:

• Website: lizzyshospice@gmail.com

Image Credits

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