Meet Our
Hospice Dogs
Meet Our Hospice Foster Dogs
Here are Brighter Days we love our hospice program. We try to take in as many hospice dogs as we have funds and fosters for. So many people dump their older dogs at shelters when the vet bills get too high, or the medical care gets to be too much. We truly feel no dog should die alone in a shelter. We have the ability to make these senior dogs feel loved and at peace for however long they have left.
Milo
Meet our newest little hospice boy, Milo (FKA Mike).
Milo was found, most likely dumped, in rural New Mexico. He was covered in bugs, mats, dirt, you name it. We were hoping Milo would come to CO, get completely vetted, and hopefully find a new family.
Unfortunately, when Milo got here and had his full exam, we found out that Milo is in heart failure. On top of that he has multiple broken and rotting teeth and is in severe pain to the point where he will barely eat. It was hard to come up with a game plan since putting Milo under anesthesia is a very big risk due to his heart, but not doing a dental would just cause a life of pain for the little guy. We decided we are going to do a couple weeks of heart meds to try to get his heart as strong as possible, and then we are going to try a dental in hopes he can live out the remainder of his life pain-free and enjoying food.
Since Milo has so many health issues and seems to be a lot older than we originally thought, he is going to stay in the Brighter Days hospice program and will spend the remainder of his life with our wonderful hospice foster Chaucee.
He will get SO much love, snuggles good food, and all the medical care needed. His last days, no matter how many left (and we are hoping for a lot) will be his best day!
Leia
Pictures and words cannot describe the condition this poor girl is in. In all the years we have been doing rescue we have never seen a dog as skinny as Leia, that is still alive. She is weak, nervous, not feeling great, and constantly cold. We have given her a little nest with heated blankets and tons of different kinds of food while we figure out what she likes.
It’s clearly been so long since she has eaten it’s been really hard to get her little body adjusted to eating again so it’s a tough process all day long, just one bite at a time.
Despite what Leia has been through she is SO sweet and so loving. Her adorable eyes just constantly ask for love and gentle touches.
Daisy
Daisy was welcomed into Brighter Days because her human Momma passed away and she had no where to go. She was heading to a shelter, but we knew as a senior with health issues, the shelter was no place for her, and she would probably not make it out.
We took Daisy in, in January of 2022. She has been doing great, although she is starting to suffer from dementia and arthritis. She is on medicine to help with both, and is still enjoying her day to day life with her loving foster family.
She loves sunbathing in the morning and snuggling up in the bed by the fireplace in the evening. We are working hard to make sure every day she has is her best day.
Missy
Missy is our 14-15 year old Chihuahua who is unfortunately suffers from pulmonary hypertension.
Missy spent her whole life absolutely loved and cherished by her wonderful Momma. Her Momma passed away in early 2022. Missy had to spend almost a week in the home alone until we were notified about her. We quickly got her out of that home and into a foster home. Missy was so stressed and depressed after losing her Mom, that she didn’t eat or come out of her crate for over 5 days. Finally she started to come out of her shell and settle down. Due to her age, health issues, and stress level, we decided she would stay with her foster Momma and in our hospice program. The last thing we wanted was to move her again, and cause her more confusion and stress.
Missy has really settled in now and absolutely loves her daily walks, and snuggles. She sleeps on her foster Moms chest all night long and is the biggest love bug. She is on medications for her heart, but as long as it is well managed we are hoping we have a while longer with her.
Rainbow bridge hospice dogs
Rosie
Rosie was a tiny toy poodle who was deaf and blind with mobility issues. She was found as a stray in New Mexico, roaming the streets with a bum leg.
Once Rosie arrived in Colorado she was scooped up into the arms of her forever foster momma to live out her best days in the Colorado mountains with her fellow dog and cat siblings.
She was a woman full of opinions, attached to her foster mom 24/7, and never met a bite of food she didn’t like.
Unfortunately. Rosie passed away from bone cancer on June 30, 2020 after 2.5 years spent living her best life in foster care. Her mom misses her dearly and thanks everyone who donated to her care.
Mr Rodgers
Mr. Rodgers was a tiny blind poodle found in the worst possible shape, roaming the streets of TX. How he was still alive was beyond us. He was picked up by animal control and nobody ever came for him…clearly someone didn’t want him and dumped him on the side of the road.
Mr. Rodgers landed in the loving arms of his hospice foster Chaucee, where he lived out his remaining days in a loving home. He passed away March 13, 2021.
Gracie
Sweet Gracie was left at a shelter in Denver City, Texas because her owners were unable to care for her in her old age. We knew that a shelter was no place for a dog as sick as Gracie so we got her to Colorado as soon as we could. Unfortunately Gracie’s conditioned continued to worsen. She enjoyed one last full week of life in the Colorado mountains before she passed away peacefully in her foster mom’s arms.
Ruthie
Ruthie came to Brighter Days because her owners knew she was older and did not want to be burdened with the medical expenses of an older dog.
When Ruthie got to Brighter Days she had a big lump on her chest. We took her to the vet to find out that she had aggressive cancer that had spread.
Ruthie was loved on by her foster family for a couple of weeks until her little body couldn’t do it anymore. She was so loved and surrounded by her foster family when it was time for her to cross the rainbow bridge.
Emma
Emma was 17 when she was dumped in a shelter. She was dumped because her owner passed away and the family didn’t want to care for an elderly dog.
We felt the shelter was no place for a sweet little dog to take her last breath. One of our wonderful fosters here stepped up. She spent the week curled up in her fosters mom’s lap literally 24-7 and crossed the rainbow bridge at home in her sleep. She was so sweet and so loved and comfortable when her time came.
Josie
Josie came to us at age 16 because her owner had 9 dogs and was too sick to care for them anymore. Josie made her way to CO and was with Brighter Days for about 7 months before she stopped eating and just really made it clear to her foster Momma that is was her time.
Her favorite thing was to wander around the back yard and smell all the flowers. She couldn’t really see or hear and just loved the fresh air. Saying goodbye to Ms. Josie was so hard, but she was so loved and so happy her 7 months here, we couldn’t have asked for anything more.
Cora
We are heartbroken to say that our sweet girl, Cora, has crossed the rainbow bridge.
Cora came to us a little over a year ago after being thrown away like someone’s trash. This sweet, loving, trusting senior girl deserved so much more than her last memories on this earth to be filled with fear and neglect. She has been with Brighter Days ever since.
We never adopted her out because we knew her time was limited. So she joined our Brighter Days hospice program. She got all the love, blankets, snuggles, and food she could imagine. Last week her little body decided it was time for her to say goodbye. While we are devistated, we are so happy we were able to give her so much love. Thank you to her wonderful foster Momma who loved her until her last day. We know how emotionally tolling hospice fostering can be, and are forever grateful for her dedication on to this sweet soul.
In honor of Cora, please consider donating to Brighter days to help us continue our senior/hospice mission.
You can also schedule a monthly donation on our website to help support our monthly costs for our little seniors. Just $10 a month can make all the difference for these little ones!
We love you Ms. Cora and you will be forever in our hearts💕
Pops
Pops came to us in 2021 with his sister Betty after they were dumped at a high kill shelter in New Mexico. Both Pops and Betty were in terrible shape, and were clearly seniors. Pops was completely blind and relied on Betty for comfort and support. Pops and Betty made their way to CO together into a loving hospice foster home filled with love, warm blankets, a cozy fireplace, and all the vet care possible to make them comfortable. Pops was with us for a little over a year before losing his battle to heart failure. He passed away knowing how loved and special he was, wrapped in the comfort of his fosters arms.
Molly
Molly came to us in the summer of 2021 after being dumped at a high kill shelter in New Mexico. The shelter was was going to euthanize her because she was a senior and seemed to be in bad shape. We asked them transfer her to us, so we could give her a chance, and so her last days were not alone in a terrifying shelter. When she got here we found out she was in the end stages of Kidney failure, so we vowed to make her last days the best days. She was with us only a few months, but during those few months she got daily cooked meals from her foster Momma, slow, easy walks in the park, and all the love and snuggles possible. She was able to cross the rainbow bridge knowing just how loved she truly was.
Grandma
Grandma came to us in late 2017 after she was found wandering the streets, with no hair, and so emaciated she could barely walk. She was found in a common dumping area in Texas. We were asked to take her to give her a chance before the vet put her down. Grandma lived in our hospice program for just under two years. At first she didn’t want any human affection and was terrified of everything. As time went on she loves to sleep in bed, burrow under the covers, and would even do a little happy dance for food. Her little body eventually gave out, as we suspect she was 16-17, but she was so loved and cared for, for the almost two years she was with us. Watching her personality blossom and the happiness in her eyes was one of her fosters greatest joys and accomplishments.