It’s time to bring back the dog energy!

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Meet Rosie and Ziggy! They recently joined our Hospice/Specialized care unit! BrightHaven President and Founder Gail Pope shares their stories: “During the last several years as we realized the sanctuary property may be in jeopardy, we made the decision that the BrightHaven sanctuary should stop accepting new lifetime residents—clearly a good one as things have … Read more

In Memory of a BrightHaven Gem

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A heartfelt memorial to our beautiful Gem from BrightHaven President and Founder Gail Pope:   “Gem died at 5am on the 11th of April 2018.   To see one who fought the odds for all her life, and succeeded by reaching double figures in age, is a testament to all the wonderful people who helped … Read more

What a Perfect Way to Help & Honor Animals!

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***THESE SHIRTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE AT OUR BRIGHTHAVEN STORE***: https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-brighthaven-store/ At BrightHaven, we are committed to helping animals and we honor them for the many ways they help us humans. For example, how many times has a special animal shown up in our lives just when we needed them most, essentially rescuing us? And how … Read more

In Memory of an Angel Named Ellie

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BrightHaven’s President & Co-Founder Gail Pope recently wrote a very moving tribute to this very special being. “On June 17th 2016 the BrightHaven family was joined by an angel named Goldie who we renamed Ellie, and on February 9th 2018 Ellie returned to join the angels. Back in 2016 we were told that Ellie would … Read more

The New Year Brings a New Chapter for BrightHaven!

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It’s a brand-new year, and BrightHaven is starting a brand-new chapter! The Santa Rosa (Northern California) sanctuary property has been sold, and our sanctuary is officially closed. However, BrightHaven as an organization is NOT going away! We’ve been caring for abandoned animals since 1990 and we will continue our critically important work of serving senior … Read more

Bidding Farewell to Lily & Sophie

BrightHaven’s President & Co-Founder Gail Pope recently honored Lily and Sophie with moving memorials. In Memory of “Big Dog” Lily (Written December 30, 2018) “At 324am on Friday 29th December 2017 BrightHaven bade fare-thee-well to our dearest Lily dog, AKA “Big Dog” (she was affectionately called Big Dog by Blanca as she was small in … Read more

Loss of Beloved Animal or Human, Grief is Grief is Grief

As BrightHaven’s Gail Pope wrote in “The Art of Dying—What Animals Teach Us” article that recently appeared in the Natural Transitions online magazine: “The death of a beloved animal companion is one of the most difficult things we as animal lovers ever face. In my experience, sometimes this loss is more difficult than that of … Read more

What About Quality of Dying?

BrightHaven President and Co-Founder Gail Pope and I recently returned from the 7th annual International Association of Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) Conference where we introduced the Quality of Dying Checklist. We met many wonderful and like-minded people who wish to provide peace, comfort and the best possible care to animals as they approach … Read more

In Memory of a Dear & Joyful Old Lady

Here is a heartfelt memorial to lovely Lali, written by BrightHaven’s President & Co-Founder Gail Pope: “Dear friends, On January 30th 2014 BrightHaven life changed as a dear and joyful old lady skipped into ourlives. Lali was rescued in the nick of time from The New Hope Animal Shelter by our friends Barbara and Sue, … Read more

Saying Goodbye to Two Beloved BrightHaven Beauties

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BrightHaven’s President & Co-Founder Gail Pope recently wrote loving tributes to these two magnificent souls, Chelsea and Talya. Farewell to Chelsea the Beautiful: A New Butterfly Soars   “I am writing to you all today to share the news of our dear Chelsea’s passing on Friday 28th July shortly before 5am – a time you … Read more