Dog Star Animal Sanctuary

Dog Star Animal Sanctuary Dog Star exists to provide a refuge for old dogs and ones
with special needs.
(1)

They came scared, enduring new things like car rides, strange people, grass. Then there’s the hurdle of 14 dogs trying t...
08/08/2026

They came scared, enduring new things like car rides, strange people, grass. Then there’s the hurdle of 14 dogs trying to get a sniff of you. These are good dogs here; no one will hurt them, and it doesn't take them long to figure that out. There’s no cowering in the corner.

The first night there was the mournful howling of a homesick little boy. They left friends behind, and no matter what, home is home and familiar.

Jo, the lil girl, has been bred many times; the last caused a pr*****ed uterus, so she is no longer useful. Speck, the lil boy, isn’t interested in doing his one job anymore, so he had to go too. You wonder what would make a mammal male not want to breed. My theory is there is something wrong with that long back, but just a theory; no symptoms walking around.

They said Jo was a good momma. I believe it; they took away her babies, and she lost big chunks of her hair. Said she always does that. Must love her babies very much.

This is the third day. I’m in the shade of the apple tree watching those two explore. They can’t sit still, too much to see and smell for someone who has always lived on concrete. They stopped once and turned toward each other for a few play bows and butt wiggles, then continued side by side, gathering courage as they went. The two seem to be having an excellent morning.

Their kind of wandering is the best; they aren’t looking for any one thing, just simply curious and wide-eyed at anything they find. I can't wait to take them on the morning walk in the woods. They will be amazed, but it's too soon. I don’t want them to know there’s any place but this big front yard for a while. Little things shouldn’t go into big woods alone.

Takes about a week to settle in. They learn the routines, know what’s coming next, and start acting like their name is on the water bill.

Watching them explore this beautiful world that has so long been denied them makes me hope the rest of their lives are filled with new smells, harmless surprises, and freedom-filled days.

As for the rest of us, due to all the dogs around here, life is still pleasantly peculiar.

People are good.I know this is true because I have seen it over and over. People like Tasha in the picture who help with...
06/26/2026

People are good.

I know this is true because I have seen it over and over. People like Tasha in the picture who help with no expectation of anything in return. I have lost count of the truckloads of food she has given us. And not just us, she helps Heartland too. She has a giving, generous soul

I am in the strange position of seeing some of the worst in people and their cruelty to animals then some of the best, the helpers. The good far outweighs the bad.

It’s a vulnerable and humbling place to be— standing with your hand out asking for money and help and not for cute puppies but for dogs most would consider throw aways. Asking for dogs with no eyes, broken ones needing expensive surgery, dying dogs, the frightened ones that bite, fractured spines that can’t be fixed, lost causes and the ancient scraggly ones with cloudy eyes and bad skin.

I have been brought to tears so many times by people’s easy generosity. How willingly they jump in to help. Again, with no expectation of anything in return, no fanfare. It’s just open hearted kindness.

The bad people make more noise, cause fear, get all the attention. They experiment on little beagles, burn rain forests, bomb children. They are a scary bunch, but there are more of us than them. I know it sounds Pollyanna, but good wins in the end; just not on our timeline, not when we want–but eventually. Then evil pops up somewhere else and the struggle begins again. That’s life on our unpleasant, wildly beautiful planet.

It’s discouraging times, I know, but I’m a witness, take heart, the good people are here.

We’ve got someone new. A sweet little elderly gentleman named Cash (we changed it to Dash). He doesn’t bark, he’s friend...
06/05/2026

We’ve got someone new. A sweet little elderly gentleman named Cash (we changed it to Dash). He doesn’t bark, he’s friendly with everyone, religiously housebroken, and has decided I’m his new person.

His lifelong person died. The family didn’t want Dash. They mentioned he didn’t bark but he whined. I have learned after many years you don’t get the full story. The people are desperate, they are between finding a home, no easy task for an elderly dog, and euthanasia.The relatives can’t have the animal but certainly don’t want to kill it so they are saying what they think you want to hear and leaving out the tricky parts.

What wasn’t mentioned in the conversation was the little fella has severe separation anxiety. He panics when left alone and most people have to work, go grocery shopping or just get out of the house for a while. There are several training protocols to help. Leaving for short intervals and coming back; low key departures and returns. All taking huge amounts of time, patience and repetition. Training away dread, panic and heartbreak is no easy task.

The best dog trainer I know; I have read all her books, have her videos, followed her posts for years. She took on a dog with severe SA. She now takes the dog with her everywhere or is only gone for brief periods, or has someone come stay with the dog. Even she couldn’t solve the problem.

Luckily, here, separation anxiety isn't much of a headache. Since it is a terror of being alone and you are never alone around here. I go to town as little as possible and when I do he is surrounded by dogs who take my leaving calmly.

His range of motion is limited, he doesn’t bounce around like most terriers. He has the stiff body movement of an arthritic senior. Altho a rabbit popped up in front of him the other day and the chase was on, limits forgotten. He probably paid for that later.

So what is a big problem for others is a non-started for us and we can enjoy this sweet guy. He’s smart, curious, affectionate and is enjoying the walks in the woods and exploring. No more locked in a house by himself.

He's one of those good boys you hear about; we’re lucky to have him.

Mollie is so sweet she could almost be fattening. She has a soft and gentle way about her and being a German Shepherd mi...
04/26/2026

Mollie is so sweet she could almost be fattening. She has a soft and gentle way about her and being a German Shepherd mix she is a workaholic; making rounds day and night guarding the perimeter and checking in with her humans and the other dogs often. Mollie loves and protects us all.

To lose her would be a mean and dreadful sorrow so when she went a week without eating,when the flesh melted off her I was frantic.

The vet did blood work and all was within normal limits!? So he thought the next logical thing would be she had a bad tooth,which makes sense. He’s a big muscular guy but when he tried to pry open her mouth and examine her teeth Mollie was having none of it.

She will cooperate with you on almost everything but you cross a line when trying to get her to take pills. She will calmly and with dignity clamp her mouth shut. No opening her mouth to push pills down her throat, no hiding them in hot dogs or peanut butter, no examining her. She doesn't growl or snap; she just will calmly not allow it and Mollie is a big girl.

We came home with injectable antibiotics and pain shots. I gave her something for pain,waited an hour and she ate! Hallelujah. We made an appointment in several weeks for a dental and she kept eating and getting pain shots. Mollie didn’t eat enough to gain much weight back but enough to hang on til that bad tooth could be pulled

The dental was a surprise—there was nothing wrong with her teeth! But we did happen to do a test for tick borne diseases before anesthesia. Mollie was positive for Lyme and Erlichiosis. Damn. I Nexgard these dogs all spring,summer and fall. I find live ticks on me but not on them. The ones on them are dead. Nexgard is supposed to kill the ticks in the first 24 hours before they can transmit the disease. Like everything in this world–not infallible.

Quick tip: there’s an Australian website called Petbucket where you can get Nexgard without a prescription. You have to plan ahead. It takes forever for them to get here.

The next mountain to climb: the treatment for tick diseases is Doxycycline which only comes in pills or IV. I tried every trick I know, and I know a few, but Mollie was on to me. There is however, I found, a magical canned food that is for kidney disease but is loved by all dogs. Prescription, of course,and costs many times what regular food costs but irresistible! What I wouldn’t give to know what’s in that can. All the kids here light up when I open one.

I slivered the doxy, out of sight, of course,buried it in the feast and she took it! I could have danced around the room. After just a few days of that she was feeling better, starting to get her appetite back and could mix regular food in with the high dollar stuff.

All this was a couple of weeks ago. We still have a long way to go, she’ll be on meds for a month, but she is slowly gaining weight, she’s bouncy and runs on the morning walk,and she’s back on the job of keeping us safe. Plus her being on the mend is something wonderful to add to my list of the many things I have to be grateful for.

Address

10223 Copperhead Road
Bloomfield, IA
52537

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm

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