The HAARBOR Sanctuary is a place for special-needs animals to live out their lives in comfort and security. They are endlessly loved and prioritized for whatever time they have left. Animals come here both directly from cruelty/neglect situations, through shelters and through rescue partners. We evaluate their medical needs and provide whatever veterinary care they require. We offer comforting palliative care when they are hospice.

HAARBOR Sanctuary Residents

Meet Dawn. She is brand new to the Sancturary and beat her time stamp at ACCT on 3/9/26. We are just getting to know her but I can already tell that in spite of being in a tremendous amount of pain, she is the sweetest creature on the planet.

She sees the orthopedic surgeon this week to figure out exactly what we're dealing with and what we can do for her. More details to come!

This gorgeous foxy lady is Joy. Joy was timestamped at ACCT and we pulled her on Dec, 25, 2026. Yep, you read that right - Joy is a Christmas save!

Joy was found on the streets of Philly and was brought in because they thought she had been hit by a car. Her intake notes said, "Keeps tipping over". Poor Joy - she's totally blind (and has had that bulgy eye removed since this photo), she has neurological deficits, a 5/6 heart murmur and a gnarly echocardiogram, and severe dental disease. She is also the sweetest, gentlest, kindest little girl you've ever met.

Amazingly, we did an Embark test on Joy to find out what makes a fox (she's mostly Chihuahua/Pomeranian with a little Pekingese in there too!) but we found out she has a son in the Philly area who is 13! That makes Joy at least 14 years old. Her hobbies are sleeping, sleeping next to Dr. Liz, sleeping on heating pads, and sleeping on all other beds. We hope Joy gets to spend a lot of time here at the HAARBOR Sanctuary!!

This teeny, tiny beetle is Sylvie! She came from the same hoarding situation as Walter. We went down there the night we were called to get Walter and insisted that they not show us any other dogs...so of course we came home with 3!

Sylvie is 3 lbs and looks more like a mouse than a dog! She was terrified when we took her (and would imitate a flying squirrel the minute you handled her) but with lots of patience and time, she is now a wonderful little citizen who always wants to be snuggled under Dr. Liz's chin.

Sylvie is a bit medically complicated as she has a protein losing enteropathy and significant heart disease but she is under the care of an internist and doing great!

This elder statesman is Jerry. Jerry came to us from our incredible partners in Indiana, Far Fetched Dog Rescue where they pulled him from a cruelty situation.

Jerry arrived more naked than the day he was born but he wore a sunshirt until the others stopped making fun of him. We call Jerry the actuary of the house - his best skills are risk management and judging others (dogs and humans). Jerry is incredibly well behaved, because it's beneath him not to be, but he believes he shouldn't have to follow the same rules as the other dogs because he's essentially a tiny human.

Jerry is really fragile these days. He has serious GI/gall bladder disease and surgery is not an option as he wouldn't survive it. He has skin issues and some musculoskeletal pain but he is currently happy as a clam. He sees his internist every 4 months and he pretends to hate when all the techs kiss him all over his face, but secretly he loves it.

Jerry is a legend and we treat him that way!!

Sometimes, you meet a dog and you're sure you've met them before. Dr. Liz is pretty sure that Maude sent her Florence and Florence sent her Edith.

Edith came to me from the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter. She sounded pretty bad off but it turns out that Edith is in really good shape! She only has half a jaw and some other aches and pains of a mature lady, but she is in remarkably fabulous shape, post dental surgery.

Edith is basically perfect and needs no further descriptors. She understands English in the same way that people do - you don't tell her commands, you have a conversation! Edith is the heart and soul of the HAARBOR Sanctuary.

This perfect specimen is Vera! Vera came to us from a rescue partner in Oklahoma. She has a host of medical issues that we manage, from heart disease to blindness to hernias but she is incredibly happy and thriving! She is so excited that Joy is here now, so she has a little blind friend!

Vera is a snuggle bug and so very loving. At one point, we had two puppies here and Vera became Grandma Vera, taking it upon herself to bathe them daily and play with them. Watching her hold the Chihuahua puppies down with her paws so she could lick them all over was so, so sweet! And they loved it!

Vera loves being outside and feeling the sun on her face. She is as sweet as they come.

The dogs below have crossed the Rainbow Bridge

These dogs were all deeply loved and valued, whether they had 2 weeks or 3 years here. We learned incredibly important lessons from all of them. All of these dogs blossomed in the Sanctuary, proving that no dog is beyond help. With love and care, they can have a wonderful end-of-life. Quality is more important than quantity and there aren't enough words to state how important each of these little beetles was to us.

This incredible creature is Pikachu, known here as Peek. The PSPCA called me about her and said, we have this incredibly sad cruelty case. We don't know how long she has to live but we want her to be loved and see how she does. They had put her in a medical coma due to non-stop seizures. At 2 lbs, she was just barely a scrap of fur. Peek also had two broken front legs that she was walking on which is horrible.

As she was weaned off her sedation, I fully expected her to decompensate but this little beetle THRIVED!! She just woke up and said, "I'm home!!" Her appetite was terrific, we were able to figure out the meds combo to keep her seizures under control, and she was fitted for front leg braces by the incredible company, My Pets Brace. I recommend them for anyone who needs braces for their animals - they are brilliant engineers and also so caring and empathetic! It's hard to describe how tiny her legs are - narrower than my pinky finger!

Peek approaches each day with a zest and enthusiasm that takes everyone's breath away that meets her. You've never, ever met a happier, more cheerful little sprite.

The little dog that wasn't supposed to live a week is thriving and all the other dogs in the Sanctuary love her too!! They don't know what she is, bouncing around, but the love her!! Peek has my heart.

This is Marty! Marty was an elderly, blind poodle with severe epilepsy. Marty had no idea that he had any physical impairments and from the minute he stepped into the nursing home here, he designated himself the resident Casanova, which the ladies did not appreciate. Marty has never met a person or dog he didn't love but most other dogs don't love Marty because his enthusiasm knows no bounds. Marty also has no idea that he's blind (and he's not new-blind, he's old-blind) and needs to be more careful with his noggin. I've told Marty I'm going to get him a helmet because he makes bad decisions daily. Nothing gets him down, though. You've never met a more cheerful little man!!

Luckily for him, Marty is the cutest little dude and he loves to snuggle. We are working with a neurologist to stabilize his little brain and hopefully he will be able to enjoy lots of years here!

This is Vivi. Vivi is a young girl who came from the same hoarding situation as Walter and Sylvie! She is extremely small and scared but really coming around! Vivi has neurological issues as well as some organ function issues that we are working to get to the bottom of, but she has turned into an incredibly loving and sweet little girl. Watching her gain confidence and find her sense of humor has been absolutely amazing. She and Sylvie are BFFs and she loves to play and snuggle!

How is this for a glow up? This perfect princess is Mia. There aren't many big dogs that I can trust to live with the most frail, elderly tiny dogs but she is one of them. She even is trustworthy with the blind ones who bump into her!

Mia is at least 14 yrs old and came from South Carolina where she lived outside her whole life. She was originally loved by someone who didn't have a lot of resources and who passed away. Mia then was a throwaway item for the woman's kids, occasionally being fed and receiving no care. A very dedicated rescue group saved her life (thank you, Rescue Tails SC!). We saw her face and knew she needed to come here.

Mia is heartworm positive, has IBD, and has end-stage hindlimb arthritis. Radiographs show that she had a fractured femur at some point that was never treated. She is truly a precious gem and all we want is for her to know how loved she is every single day until it is her time.

This gorgeous queen is Alice! Alice came to us from our friends at MLAR where she was rescued with her brother in terrible condition. The veterinarian at MLAR called me because that's what you do when you have a hot mess Chihuahua situation on your hands!

The amazing thing about Alice is that she is in terrible condition but she has moxie in spades and is living her best life. It's a good thing she has no jaw and no teeth because if she was armed, the other dogs would be in trouble!

Alice had some kind of trauma earlier in life and had fractures to her pelvis/back/hind legs that were never properly treated, so she lives with a lot of pain. She also has heart disease. Given her age and other issues, Alice is not a good candidate for surgery and is considered hospice. She lives on a lot of pain meds and is making the most of every day! Alice keeps us laughing because there isn't anyone she doesn't try to boss around.

Things can get pretty sad in hospice care sometimes, but we can't hang out with Alice without cracking up. She is the best and a true force of nature!

This is Kenny! Kenny was found as a stray in pretty bad shape. Nobody came forward to claim him and he came to HAARBOR to see if we could help him.

Kenny is a senior citizen with severe neck arthritis. He is a really funny guy, he has a lot of opinions but is a very peaceable sort. He has really taken to nursing home life and enjoys thinking he's the boss. All of the boys think they are the boss but the truth is that Alice is the boss.

Kenny is doing well on significant pain meds and living his best life!

This is Walter. The PSPCA called us when they took in 21 Chihuahuas, 30+ cats, and a snapping turtle from a hoarding house - they took one look at Walter and knew he belonged in the HAARBOR house. These photos show how it started and how it's going!

They called Walter one of the most shut down dogs they had ever seen. He was so terrified that he couldn't even stand up; they never saw him standing because he would just crumple anytime someone came in the room.

Walter's right eye was ruptured which was causing him a tremendous amount of pain. He was emaciated, had GI disease, rotten teeth, terrible arthritis, and also skin disease. He has absolutely blossomed here and, thanks to surgery with the incredible ophthalmologists at the University of Pennsylvania Vet School, surgery saved his eye!!

Walter is a fragile boy but he is now very outgoing and loves pretending he's in charge (even though everyone knows it's Alice). He lives on a lot of meds but is happy as a clam and under the care of a wonderful internist.

Meet Maya! This girl flew to us all the way from California to start her new life. Maya is an elderly Chihuahua who has end stage hind leg arthritis and struggles to walk. She also has severe GI disease and sees an internist to ensure she can stay comfortable! She is mostly blind, but that doesn't stand in her way at all. Maya is a delicately balanced little girl but she is living her best life and is the sweetest, happiest little dog around.

Meet Florence! She is a senior beagle-type mix. Florence is a wonderful, gentle girl who is glued to Dr. Liz's side. She only ever wants to be the best girl and is basically perfect in every way. She is gentle with the other residents and tends to keep an eye on things for Dr. Liz when she can't have eyes on everyone. Florence is currently hospice as she has bladder cancer but she is doing great! The amazing vets at the University of Pennsylvania put an emergency stent in her urethra and she is beating all the odds by doing so well. Florence's favorite activity is snuggling with Dr. Liz. We can't imagine life without her!!

This gorgeous 14 yr old girl is Pixie! Pixie came to us when her owners had to go into a care facility and couldn't take her. Her owner's children have stayed very involved in Pixie's life and everyone adores her. Pixie is known for her sweet and gentle nature. She would never harm a fly and is a cheerful, peaceful presence in the Sanctuary. Pixie suffers from a GI disorder that slows the motility in her intestines. In spite of a lot of diagnostic imaging, we are unsure whether it is cancer or inflammatory in origin but the treatment is the same and all we care about is that she stays as comfortable and happy as possible! She scared us with an ICU stay this winter but is currently doing great. Pixie is very fragile and has end-stage arthritis as well as a seriously collapsing trachea but she is doing great. She also has a massive crush on one of our other residents, Mr. Wilson, and we enjoy watching their soap opera play out every day! Pixie is an absolute love and her favorite food is an Italian Meatball.

This adorable, tiny senior is Mr. Wilson! Don't tell him we said he's adorable, he'd be embarassed. Mr. Wilson came to us from California, very defensive, shut down, and bitey. He has absolutely blossomed in the Sanctuary! He is still bitey but he doesn't mean it and he doesn't have any teeth or a jaw so it doesn't hurt. He always feels bad that his first instinct is to bite and apologizes immediately. Mr. Wilson has a heart condition but his recent echocardiogram shows us that he is stable! He also has pretty bad arthritis, he used to scream when you even touched his back or pelvis but medications have him comfortable and happy! He also has allergies but they are nicely under control with medication. Mr. Wilson's favorite thing to do is patrol the fencelines in the yards. He even likes to go out when it's cold and tolerates Dr. Liz forcing him to wear a red plaid coat.

This goofball senior chihuahua is Potato! See the mischief in his eyes? That's his personality!! Potato came to us from a cruelty situation and was sent for euthanasia due to his medical issues. We got the call and went and got him immediately. Potato is truly a gift, he's one of those dogs with a massive personality. He's hilarious and adorable and a great ambassador for the Chihuahua breed!! He loves every person that he meets and, at only 3.6 lbs, makes everyone laugh when they meet him. Potato has a mass in his skull that blocks his nasal air flow. With medication, it stays at a low-boil and he is living a great life!! He just needs to remember to mouth-breathe. He is also quite neurological but isn't in any pain, he just looks a bit like a drunken sailor. Potato is the heart and soul of the Sanctuary and he makes us laugh every day. Potato is one of a kind and we cherish every day with him. He quacks like a duck when he wants attention and loves to pretend to (gently) wrestle. He only has two little fangs and loves showing them off but he would never bite! Potato's favorite activity is making sure that he is the center of attention no matter what is going on!

These two goofballs are Cinnamon (tan) and Gizmo (black)! They are 14 yr old bonded brothers who came to us from North Carolina. They were in rough shape when they were rescued but they are doing great! Gizmo is the weirdest dog we've ever met and he keeps us laughing constantly with his unique personality and funny conversations. He loves to chat with anyone and everyone and sometimes his chirping sounds like words!

Along with Potato, Gizmo is the comic relief in the Sanctuary. He has allergies that are currently nicely under control with multiple medications.

His brother Cinnamon is more serious although he also has a silly streak. Cinny is also a wonderful Chihuahua ambassador as he's very friendly and loves other dogs! Cinny has very severe neck and hindlimb arthritis but is doing very well on his medication regimen. He also has allergies that are under control. Poor guy was almost bald when he was rescued! These two are constantly cuddling and Gizmo likes to give Cinny baths. Cinny also loves snuggling with Dr. Liz and whenever Potato and Florence leave a hole next to her, he fills it. These two are wonderful residents, they are totally friendly to all other dogs which is unusual!! They are easy-going and polite. We adore them! Cinny's favorite activity is napping (preferably next to Dr. Liz) and Gizzy's favorite activity is having delightful conversations and begging for treats. He firmly believes that if he plants himself next to the treat container and stares at it long enough, some will fall into his mouth and he is usually right!!

This is sweet Lester. You can't describe Lester without the word sweet!! He is an extremely elderly tiny dog - maybe a Chihuahua/Pom mix? Lester was in terrible shape when we got him. He was skin and bones and was missing a ton of fur. His little legs were raw. Not anymore!! Lester is now a little meatball and, with his allergies under control, his fur is growing in beautiful! Lester is blind and has significant back/pelvic arthritis but stays comfortable with medication. We wish we knew how old he was but he is probably the oldest resident in the Sanctuary! He sleeps about 23.5 hours a day but when he's awake he's so happy and cheerful!! He loves to be patted and when the weather is nice, he loves going for strolls in the yard. Lester is as quiet as a mouse, it's easy to forget he's around! He is incredibly kind and doesn't want to be in anyone's way. The opthalmologist says that his eyes don't cause him any pain so we don't mind that he looks a little bit like a zombie. His favorite things are roast beef and heated beds! We keep a bunch of heated beds around so he can pick and choose where he spends his days and nights!

This sweet girl was Lena. Lena came from the PSPCA where they knew she might not have a ton of time but really wanted her in a loving home.

Lena was very frail - neurological and just an elderly girl. You could knock her over with a stiff breeze. She was so sweet and loving. She had a bit of a prey drive which isn't ideal with all of my tinies but she was so wobbly and frail that she wasn't at risk of actually catching any of them (and was always on a leash around them!).

Lena only had a few weeks at the Sanctuary, which broke my heart. They were a great few weeks for her - her favorite thing was being out in the big yard, which is an acre fenced in, and just meandering around, enjoying nature. Being from Philly, I don't know how much nature she got to experience on her own terms!

Lena's neurological condition deteriorated very rapidly and she had to be euthanized just weeks after joining us. She was the first Pibble that I welcomed into the Sanctuary and she gave me hope that there were more out there that could come live with the littles! She is missed.