Sher Polvinale wears her heart on her sleeve. The self-described caregiver says she has empathy for those who arguably need it most: pets, children and elderly people.
That’s why she started House with a Heart more than 10 years ago. Polvinale and her husband, who died in 2008, opened the sanctuary for senior dogs to live out their final years in a loving and stable environment.
The Polvinales operated a cat and dog rescue for 30 years. They spent their time interviewing potential pet owners and ensuring they would commit to keeping the pet until it passed away.
Polvinale said they began receiving calls around 2004 from owners who could no longer keep their pets for a variety of reasons. Whatever the case, Polvinale said she had heard it all and decided to take matters into her own hands.
“I was agonizing over these senior dogs and cats who no longer had a place to call home,” she told Care.com. “We decided to focus only on senior pets so that they have a place to live out their lives until the pass away. Now I no longer had to worry about these pets because they are safe.”
Polvinale, 70, and about 60 volunteers work around the clock to help elderly pets — mainly dogs — live out their lives in a comfortable manner. From helping the pets go to the bathroom to changing diapers to providing medication, she and her team make sure the animals have everything they need.
“We just get to love them all of the time and take care of them,” she said. “They are resting easy with us.”
Polvinale operates the three-story senior pet sanctuary out of her Maryland home and hardly ever takes a break from the ins and outs of caring for the 20 dogs and two cats that currently reside there.
“I only leave if I have a doctor or dental appointment, and even then I have to coordinate with a volunteer who is familiar with the process,” she said. “I never go to movies or rest or vacation. You just can’t leave, and that’s more than OK with me. I’m happy with it.”
The organization, which operates solely on donations, has helped more than 80 cats and dogs ease into their golden years and over the rainbow bridge.
“I feel like these animals need me and I want to help them,” Polvinale said. “I believe very strongly that if we try to find something in life that we can be passionate about — that’s outside of ourselves — we can make a true difference in the world to someone or something. It matters to me that this dog or cat is taken care of, has a great life.”
That sentiment is what keeps Polvinale pushing forward.
“Senior dogs need more care, time and attention,” she said. “You are attached to them just like you would be with any dog. When one of our dogs passes, some people think we might be relieved that we don’t have to do all of that work anymore, but really it leaves a huge hole in your life because they needed you so much and you’ve been there for them.”
This year, Polvinale has made it her mission to partner with rescues that might be inclined to snap up younger, healthier dogs and encourage them to take a second look at senior dogs. She said she wants to make sure she’s touching the lives of as many elderly pups as possible and hopes to work with rescues to help promote the adoption of senior dogs, as well as help cover any medical costs that might prevent potential adoptees from considering an older pet.
“I look at each and every one of the dogs that are here, and I am just blown away by why anyone would give them up, because each one has a very unique personality. They are so special,” Polvinale said. “I love them so much that I can’t imagine why someone would give this dog away.”
