Older shelter dogs are often the hardest to get adopted. So, our KNX Hero of the Week in Sylmar is taking many of them home, giving them the best "final days" of their lives!
"We have a horse stable up here, and we've been here for twenty-two years," explains Susan Friend LeTourneur, of Gold Spirit Farm. "People were always dumping dogs here, and we always had a lot of dogs we had to re-home. When that stopped happening, we started to go seek out dogs at the shelters. I always wanted the ones that nobody else would take - the ugly, the sick, the old."
KNX Hero of the Week Susan Friend LeTourneur.KNX 1070 News Handout
When she turned 50 years old, Susan embarked on a special mission. "I decided that I really wanted to help the LA County shelters be a better shelter system, so I started volunteering. I wanted to foster senior dogs, [but] they didn't have a program for that. So, I just went through all of the steps to get the permits." Susan started the nonprofit, Golden Years Dog Sanctuary, in 2018.
"We can have eighteen dogs on our site," explains Susan. "There are so many dogs out there, especially with COVID, with people losing their homes, and the county and the city changing their policies on the animals they will take in. So, we started a foster program, so that we could save more dogs."
"We saved twenty-nine dogs last year. My goal is to save fifty dogs this year, and we've saved eleven dogs so far!"
Susan and her husband also care for a few cats and kittens as well. Sadly, some of the animals are very sick.
"I have a great vet system; I have three wonderful vets that I use. One is also a chiropractor, so we give them the best care that we can," remarks Susan. "It's always sad when we lose one. But, we love them and we know we've given them the best life."
Michele deLorimier has fostered one of Susan's dogs. She says Susan is one of the hardest-working people she knows, handling the duties at the Golden Years Dog Sanctuary mostly by herself, along with managing the horse stable.
"She does it day, after day, after day!" says Michele. "She'll help anyone with a feral, or with rescue dogs. She's just 100% in it, no matter what it takes. I mean, what a hero!"
Susan Friend LeTourneur with the Golden Years Dog Sanctuary is our KNX Hero of the Week!
"Well, I love doing my part. Sometimes, I wish I could do more," says Susan. "But, I can do what I can do, and hopefully inspire others to help us do the same."
KNX Heroes brought to you by California Resources Corporation, saluting our military veterans, and all of our heroes!
If you'd like to know more about the sanctuary, or to donate, go to http:/www.goldenyearsdogsanctuary.com
For more information about the horse stable, visit
https://www.goldspiritfarm.com
If you know someone who is inspirational, motivational, life-changing or life-saving… nominate them as a future KNX Hero at https://knxnews.radio.com/nominate
You can also send an email directly to the host of KNX Hero of the Week - Heather Jordan - to heroes@KNX1070.com
