NMDOG Home Sanctuary Program

Most of the dogs NMDOG rescues were chained for many years. The “life” of a chained dog is no life at all. With time, resources, lots of love and care, the majority of our dogs are able to overcome the cruel effects of chaining and live happy, normal dog lives. But for others, the effects of this long-term abuse are more damaging and lifelong. These are the kiddos who qualify for the NMDOG Home Sanctuary Program. Roadblocks to traditional placement range from not getting along with other dogs, complicated and expensive medical needs, to age and extreme shyness or fear. That is where the NMDOG promise of Home Sanctuary comes into play! We find these kids the most amazing forever humans who can provide the special home environment they need and we take care of the rest with our pledge of lifetime financial care! By matching special-needs NMDOGs with special caregiving humans… we are creating some of our most heartwarming Happy Tails to date. The NMDOG Home Sanctuary Program is made possible only by those that support our important, life-changing work.


HONOR was rescued the day our dear boy HUBBLE was called home to The Rainbow Bridge. She remains in the Home Sanctuary Program undergoing maintenance care for allergies & cancer. HONOR lives at NMDOG HQ with Angela & the HomeDog pack where she has her own Bull Terrier Diva Princess wardrobe armoire. In her cover pic HONOR is wearing the bandana HUBBLE wore during his time with us. HONOR wears it to court appearances, on NMDOG HUBBLE Day & whenever she goes to see her Doctor. HONOR loves to dress up, have her picture taken & make personal appearances #InHONORofHUBBLE 


POSH existed for 13 long years at the end of her chain. Enduring the long, sweltering NM Summer days, cold lonely nights, packs of loose roaming dogs & all of the many dangers that chained dogs are vulnerable to. But she got the last word in & POSH was rescued just in time to enjoy her Golden Years. Despite osteoarthritis, allergies & the occasional  weird toe issue, she has found the Puppyhood she was never given & she is making up for lost time!! POSH hasnt stopped exploring her brand new world since they day she came to us…she loves to walk, walk, walk & sniff along the way, more than anything. Her Mama says she would walk across Texas if we let her…..SIlly POSH our little old lady that could #LivingWellIsTheBestRevenge 


RAINA & BAXTER CAPE met & fell in Puppy Love during their time together at NMDOG HQ. Both in their senior years….RAINA was originally an NMDOG Outreach kiddo from way back when she was just a tiny puppy & BAXTER is a Rez Dog from our friends at Blackhat Humane Society. Both of these special babies have expensive medical roadblocks to traditional adoption & as far as other dogs go, they both only like each other! Finding them a loving home together was imperative. Thanks to everyone that supports our important work, they now have the most amazing Senior Home Sanctuary Mom that they adore with their whole hearts. #AdoptASeniorDog


FAUCI was as victim of horrific animal cruelty. He suffered 10 long years at the end of his chain in Valencia County & endured some of the most excruciating physical pain one can imagine. NMDOG & his wonderful Home Sanctuary Parents went to great lengths in our efforts to make up for his lifetime of suffering. He enjoyed all of the LoVe he was denied before, he was given the very best medical treatment & he packed a lot of living into the 6 months we had with him. FAUCI was sent home to The Rainbow Bridge in October of 2020 & his stoic spirit will always live on in the important work we do. He left a lasting impression on all of us & we loved him enough for a lifetime #SpreadKindness 


GECKO came to us from a terrible hoarding situation out of Sandoval County. He lived in a dirty makeshift pen, slept in a hole in the ground, drank green water & had never been touched by a human or brushed before. We knew he would be a long term rehab kiddo & we pledged our lifetime care to him. GECKO lived at NMDOG HQ for almost 2 years when his Mom joined the NMDOG TEAM as our kennel tech. Over the months GECKO, NMDOG EDEN & our human “JoJo” nurtured a magical bond with each other. On JoJos One Year Anniversary with us, she adopted EDEN, they took GECKO home as their Home Sanctuary kiddo & they all lived Happily Ever FoReVeR After! #HuskyLove 


ASTRO was rescued by NMDOG back in 2015 at only a year old. He came to us from Abq Animal Control suffering acute kidney failure from an unknown toxicity & neurological deficits, which made him “unadoptable”. We began diagnostics & treatments immediately, but the more we learned, the less we seemed to understand & his prognosis was questionable. After spending weeks in-patient with our friends at Petroglyph Animal Hospital (where he celebrated his first Birthday!), NMDOG Founder/Director, Angela decided to take him home with her & give him the best of whatever time he had left with us. That was 5 years ago & ASTRO is still living his best life under medical management with Angela & the #HomeDog pack!! That is why we call him The #MagicalUnicornDog  


GOLDIE was rescued by NMDOG in 2012 from the mean streets of Las Vegas, NM #GroundZero GOLDIE is a very loving, smart & silly dog….but due to her previous life of suffering, she had long term effects both physically & behaviorally. Despite our very best efforts & all of the LoVe in the world, GOLDIE remained with us in boarding for 2 years, as we all longed desperately for the right home for her. In 2014 GOLDIE met her Angel who she now calls “Mama” & lives peacefully with her little doggie brother & kitty sister. GOLDIE had both of her eyes removed in 2016 & continues with allergy, thyroid & autoimmune maintenance care. GOLDIE is our most long term Home Sanctuary Program kiddo & she will be 11 this year! She is very loving, happy & her Mom says she completes her. 


DUKEY was called into us by the Sandoval County Fire Department. He was found in distress & in need of immediate lifesaving medical intervention…these men & women were his heros!! DUKEY was a senior boy who had never received a lick of vet care in all of his 10 years & he was suffering from a variety of serious issues. Since his rescue, he has made miraculous progress with all of them! Once he was blind, now he can see…thanks to the great specialized Ophthalmology care he has received. He has had masses removed, allergies treated, orthopedic & behavioral issues addressed. He may be our smallest Home Sanctuary kiddo, but hes got some of the biggest medical bills!! His FoReVeR Home Sanctuary Mom says “Hes the naughtiest boy in the world, I dont know what I would do without him”. DUKEY will be 12 yo this year! 


STERLING was left in the middle of the night, chained up to the front gate of the Las Cruces, NM Animal Shelter. He was emaciated & critically ill in heart failure. STERLING had tumors, old scars, open wounds & burn marks all over him…the clinic staff at the shelter were hesitant to even send him because they werent sure he would survive the trip to Abq. But he did!! From that moment on, STERLING had his own plan in place, despite all of the medical odds stacked against him & believe us when we tell you, there are too many to list here. STERLING is a true NMDOG Miracle pup, thanks to Sanctuary funding & the unconditional love of his Home Sanctuary Mom! When STERLING first came, we thought he might have a couple of weeks, maybe months left for us to love him & try to make up for lost time. He is an amazing ElderBull, going on 3 years in NMDOG Home Sanctuary care. 


LANCE “Linus” SWEETS–LANCE was #UNchained in the middle of the night during the execution of an FBI homicide warrant ~ Valencia County, 2016. He was emaciated, missing 1/2 of his lower jaw, filthy, dehydrated & very sick. We soon learned that LANCE also suffered from Mast Cell cancer & during his time with us, he underwent 3 tumor removal procedures (among other things). With this treatment & supportive therapies, LANCE lived a very high quality of life with very few recurrences. He really knew how to embrace the JOY in everything & everything from LANCES perspective was perfectly awesome!! #AsItShouldBe Despite all of the neglect & who knows what else LANCE bore witness to for 5 long years at the end of his chain…he lived in the moment, found pleasure in everything he did & LANCE loved with his whole entire heart 💕 LANCEYS heart was as big as they come & so full of innocence & slobber. Ahhhh the slobber. It was just literally everywhere, all of the time, no way around it! I think it made him even more magical!! After a year or so hanging out with us, LANCE met a really cool Human in Santa Fe. This Human was committed & really wanted to make a difference in the life of Dog that really needed him. He jumped right in…both feet first & no hands!! If any Dog needed his own human is was LANCE & he wasted no time! LANCEY PANTS really started living the day he met his NMDOG Home Sanctuary Dad & every new day was better than the last. This skinny, jawless, crooked, wet little Pibble brought so much LoVe & so many joyful / challenging antics into our lives, he made such a huge impact on everyone who knew him. On January 4, 2021, we said goodbye to one of the sweetest, the goofiest & most LoVed Pibbles ever. Knowing where LANCE came from, all he overcame on his journey, the LoVe he had with his NMDOG Home Sanctuary Family & all of the adventures he was able to go on…..I know that LANCY PANTS packed a whole lot into the 5 years he had with us. Cozy movie nights under the covers with Dad & Wanda (stinky LANCE farts!), bedtime was his most fave time of all 💓 LANCE & his sister Wanda hung out alllll of the time! In the house, out the dogdoor, around the yard, back in the house & on the couch for awhile. Back out the doggie door, chase a couple of birds out of the yard, dig a hole under the bush & take a nap together. Dad is home!!! Wiggle Wiggle Slobber Slobber Zoomie Zoomie.!! LANCE had just gone on an awesome Christmas Day AND New Years Day hike with his Family where he had the absolute time of his life, We are so grateful!! LANCE got to experience some of the best things life had to offer & he was treasured & adored so much.Please wrap your arms around LANCES Dad & his sister Pibble, Wanda….his passing was not expected so soon & they are just so heartbroken. They loved our boy unconditionally. All LANCE ever wanted was his very own Family & 100% they gave that to him. We wish for all Dogs the LoVe that LANCE had & we thank them for that, with our whole hearts!! Thank you to everyone that played a part in LANCES original (& very dramatic) rescue. To everyone that supports NMDOG, you enable us to make Miracles happen for Dogs like LANCE SWEETS & provide them with the very best of care…never forget that. To LANCES very special extended Rescue Family at The Doggie Den thank you for always being there for LANCE For loving him & treating him like one of your own..he loved you very much too. LANCE was featured in the NMDOG 2016 Bernalillo County Animal Cruelty Task Force calendar, as well as our brand new 2021 Home Sanctuary calendar. He attended many events, went on TV, helped bring awareness to the dangers of chaining & LANCE made so many friends. LANCE will live on FoReVeR in the work of NMDOG & for always in the heart of his Dad.Fly free LANCE “Linus” SWEETS 🌈 Thank you for all of the LoVe you gave, for trusting in us & always making us laugh. You are so incredibly missed already…..


MICAH was found near death, merely a skeleton at the end of his chain in Las Vegas, NM during a 2013 NMDOG winter Outreach MIssion. We scooped him up & got him the immediate medical care he desperately needed. MICAH made a full physical recovery, but the scars of the chain ran much deeper….as they often times do. MICAH was with us for a few years while he learned to trust people, accept love, play, rest, walk on a leash & fetch! The physiological damage that MICAH endured created road block after road block to his successful transition into a home & we all began to lose hope. MICAHS NMDOG Home Sanctuary Dad stepped up for him in his greatest time of need & over the past 2 years, their bond has grown stronger than ever & they are the very best of friends. MICAH & his Dad…living their best lives together, as it should be! MICAH will be 10 yo this year! 


PILGRIM was part of a cruelty case out of Valencia County, NM. Chained, emaciated, attacked by other dogs over the years…on the coldest of nights & the hottest of days, there he sat just wasting away. Fortunately, a Good Samaritan filed a report with Valencia County Animal Control & Officers were dispatched immediately. PILGRIM was taken into custody & rushed to our care for emergency medical treatment. Blind in one eye from previous trauma & many other issues, 10 long years at the end of his chain had certainly taken its toll but PILGRIM was ready to put that behind him & start living! So we found PILGRIM his own senior Hoooman buddy & we made a LooooVe connection! PILGRIM & his Home Sanctuary Dad now spend their days toodling around the house & yard, while discussing the History of Civilization.


PINTO was seized in a multi-dog cruelty case in Estancia, NM during a 2015 NMDOG Winter Outreach Mission. One of 6 dogs barely surviving at the end of their chains….PINTO was the most critical. Today PINTO weighs 110#, compared to the 50# he weighed at the time of his rescue. He suffered from severe frostbite, open wounds, tumors & ulcers. PINTOS recovery was long & intensive but with the LoVe of the NMDOG Village he did it!! PINTO was with us for 3 years before he found his Hooman Soulmate! Now PINTO is an important & treasured part of his awesome Home Sanctuary Family!! PINTO lives with NMDOG Alum CHEWIE…one of our littlest at under 5# & yes, CHEWIE is the boss of him! He has a little baby Hooman sister, a Dad & a Mom that spoil him. PINTO is still undergoing treatment for allergies & is currently in Mast Cell Cancer remission. PINTO will be 11 this year!