A dog rescue program specialized to help the dogs of the elderly has allowed hundreds of dogs to stay with their owners who could no longer physically take care of them.

The program also takes in and finds homes for dogs who have to be put up for adoption in the case that an elderly person has to enter a care home or hospice.

This often heart-breaking, more often heart-fortifying work is done by Peace of Mind Dog Rescue, and has so far helped find new permanent homes and families for 3,000 dogs, each with their own little stories of life alongside a senior citizen.

The heart-brain-child of dog rescue worker Carie Broecker, Peace of Mind was started when a woman with impaired movements had needed Broecker to walk her dog Savannah, but eventually was forced to part with the canine entirely.

"I said I promise I will make sure that Savannah finds a good home," Broecker said. "She was so relieved that I could make that promise to her."

That was in 2009, and now Broecker runs a senior citizen dog walking service, a foster program to help return the idea of a family change into dogs' minds, and a rescue shelter for elderly dogs and dogs from the elderly.

"It blows us away over and over again how somebody will fall in love with a silly-looking blind chihuahua with a tongue hanging out and all kinds of medical issues," Broecker said.

Often the elderly dogs need vet care, paid for by donations, which you can make here.

Broecker says that elderly dogs, like elderly people, often get overlooked in society. She's working to change that, and provide a safety net for owners who want to make sure their best friends find a home after they're gone.

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