orange tabby cat

Speedy, a Manx cat who is permanently incontinent, thrives at Home for Life®. Our cat facility features tiled floors and walls designed to handle problems like his. Speedy's daily routine involves regular cleaning to keep him healthy and fluffy.

Peace of Mind

While many of the residents at Home for Life® were at one time abandoned, many others are surrendered by loving owners who recognize that their pet's special needs require full-time care.

One such owner is Anne Gale, who drove all the way from New Jersey to surrender her dog Chako, pictured below, to Home for Life®. Anne had this to say about her experience:

"I was so impressed with Home for Life. From all I had read and heard, I expected your facility to be good. But it's a million times better than good!

You and your staff made me feel at ease; the animals are all happy, clean, well cared for, and loved; and the grounds and buildings are lovely.

I am sooooooo glad this worked out for Chako. I know he's in exactly the right place."

Chako, a paraplegic Husky

Home For Life logo; a dog and cat walking towards a house with open doorOur Vision

Home For Life® is an expression of a new kind of animal shelter—the long-term animal sanctuary. We provide animals with loving care, a nurturing environment that is safe and stable, a place to belong… a home for life.

We provide lifetime care for cats and dogs with special needs who cannot find a home, but who can still lead a quality life.

Charities Review Council Meets Standards sealHome for Life® has been approved by the Minnesota Charities Review Council since January 2005

A Third Door

Most shelters offer two options for animals: adoption or euthanasia. A typical family home is not appropriate for every animal. Those who are old, or who have disabilities, health or temperament problems may do better in another setting. Home For Life® believes that these special animals deserve an alternative that will meet their needs. Hence, we created a "Third Door." The Home for Life® animals enjoy a quality life, where they can be themselves, run and play, and be loved and cherished for as long as they live.

Ashley and Katie sitting in the grass
Ashley with HFL animal care specialist Jessie Magnine. Ashley is one of HFL's paraplegic dogs. Each paraplegic dog has a custom-made cart that allows him or her to run and play. See Ashley and Katie on our 2005 holiday card.

Long-Term Vision

Home for Life® has created a prototype sanctuary facility in Star Prairie, Wisconsin, that will serve as a model for the establishment of future Home for Life® Sanctuaries around the country.

We believe that animals should live in a setting that is appropriately scaled to allow for individual attention and specialized care. This is why Home For Life® is able to give its residents a quality life and not just a warehoused existence.

The Example of Empathy

At Home for Life®, our animals are not offered for adoption. Once an animal comes to us, it truly has a home for life. Through our example, we hope to discourage an acceptance of euthanasia for animals who can still live a quality life. Just as apathy can become a way of life, so can empathy.

The example of empathy is furthered by our community outreach programs, such as Pet Peace Corps. Sanctuary residents that have been rehabilitated after past rejection and neglect are then able to give back. Through Pet Peace Corps, these animals work with volunteers and staff to help people who themselves may have been overlooked: children affected by domestic violence, at-risk teens, and the elderly.

These community outreach programs complete a circle of empathy for our animals—they become willing ambassadors of compassion, taking the empathy shown to them and passing it to other vulnerable members of society.

At Home For Life®, we believe that, through empathy, our lives become richer, and our appreciation for the value of other living things grows.