Because these dogs are awesome! They are some of the happiest, most loving animals you will ever meet. But unfortunately, that’s not something many people realize. More and more, people are giving up their older dogs to shelters, where senior and disabled animals are likely to face euthanasia.
It’s a shame because most of these older dogs used to be family dogs. They are generally trained, well-behaved, and eager to bond with humans. The same is true for disabled pups: give them a little extra care, and you’ve made a lifelong friend. It makes them ideal pets! So, this is where Unconditional comes in. We pull senior and disabled dogs from shelters where they would likely otherwise be euthanized and bring them to our rescue where they have a safe and comfortable place to live until we can match them with a family that will love them.
Unconditional is designed to look much more like a home than a rescue facility — and that is intentional. Our mostly-open floor plan concept allows dogs to interact and live much as if they were in a home, which is great for their mental well-being. And volunteers and staff benefit from all the positivity that a pleasing environment brings.
If you’re interested in volunteering, we’d love to have you!
We won’t pull on your heartstrings by sharing sad stories — instead, we highlight the joy these dogs bring and look to match them with homes that realize that each of these lives is an incredible gift. They aren’t sad, and you shouldn’t be either! We also believe that teamwork and collaboration are essential in the rescue community and we lead by example.
Medical care is the largest expense for most rescues and is even more of a burden for senior and special dogs. We are building a sister entity to Unconditional to relieve that burden — now and for years to come. Rise Pet Care is a specialty vet clinic that will be located within a short drive of Unconditional. It will provide low/no cost care to the dogs in the care of Unconditional, ensuring the financial sustainability of the rescue.
We couldn’t be more excited about this innovation. The cost savings from securing free high quality medical care for our dog population is tremendous – and this means that we can really maximize the value of every dollar we receive from our generous donors!
We have been active in animal welfare for 20 years. The journey to the idea of Unconditional began when we adopted Carlo, a stray pug with a missing rear leg. Carlo taught us that disabled means different — not sad or limited. In fact, he was the most exuberant and wildly personable dog we had ever had! Carlo inspired us to dig more deeply into the plight of senior and disabled dogs, and sadly we found out that our misconceptions were common. In SoCal, senior dogs are the only population being left behind in shelters, and disabled dogs are routinely euthanized.
We adopted more ’special’ dogs: StanLee (senior, in a wheelchair); Levi (in a wheelchair); Tomas (senior, blind, impaired mobility); Asher (senior, impaired mobility) and Oona (in a wheelchair). They are all fantastic and loving companions, full of spirit and fiercely loyal (and strong!). We decided we had to do something. In speaking with other rescues, we concluded that we needed a new model — a place purpose-built to help these special dogs recover and shine. Designed in collaboration with leading shelter medicine researchers and rescue entrepreneurs, we believe Unconditional will be a model that can be replicated in other cities.
No adoptable dog should be denied a chance to bring their hearts to a home simply because they are older or different!
