Approximately 2.6 million cats and dogs were euthanized by animal shelters across the U.S in 2011, reports the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This number has been decreased recently to about 1.5 million, but we could do better.
Fortunately, there are still people who can’t stand such cruelty, and one of these is 46-year-old Nicola Coyle, who decided to set up a hospice in her home and cater for sick and abandoned dogs.
The retired nurse goes to shelters, pounds, and other charities, and rescues dogs that are too old or too sick and are given only six months to live or less.
The Grey Muzzle Canine Hospice Project has been running out of her home for some years now, and in 2018 she made it an official project. With the help of her kids, she takes in two dogs at a time and loves them and cares for them like no one before.
According to Healthy Food House, the dogs get attention, cuddles, and ruffles roll all day long as well as treats, ice-cream muzzles, pub outings, steak dinners, and birthday parties.
Nicola says she enjoys every single moment, even though it is an utterly heartbreaking job. She makes sure that the dogs spend their final days, weeks, or months with the love they deserve.
Every dog has a different story, but Nicole believes that most of the dying dogs are abandoned by owners who aren’t willing to pay for expensive vets bills or are ‘working dogs’ no longer considered useful.
One charity she regularly helps claims they’re incredibly grateful to her as she loves and cares for the most desperate dogs.
She spends about £500 on every dog, from her savings and funds raised from donations to her project, that cover the medical bills, bucket lists, and transportation of the dogs to her home, as well as the parties, outings, treats, and accessories.
When the dogs die, she buries them in her backyard garden or has them cremated. She says twenty dogs are buries in her garden, as well as her parents’ garden, while some of them are cremated.
If the dogs stay much longer than anticipated, Nicola always keeps them for as long as they hold on.
Since she doesn’t know their birthdays, she makes sure each dog has a birthday party in her house, and she takes them for a day at the seaside, they get fish and chips on the beach and ice cream. Also, she takes the dogs to the local pub, and they get a steak dinner too.
Nicola claims that her kids, Harry and Olivia, aged 14 and 15, along with her friend, Lisa Emmans, are her greatest support, as she gets emotional each time a dog leaves her.
Joanne Snaith, from Helping Yorkshire Poundies, says Nicola does a fantastic job by rescuing dogs that’ve been kicked out by their owners at the very end of their lives.
She admires the work of The Grey Muzzle Project, as rescuing is hard work. Furthermore, Nicola has to put herself through the emotional wringer with each dog.
Her project has saved numerous British dogs from miserable endings, so if you want to find out more about it and donate, visit them on Facebook.
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