Barkee LaRoux provides love and care for unwanted senior dogs

"I've loved animals ever since I was a child," says Carlynne McDonnell. "I grew up in Houston, where there was this amazing vet. I would find animals that had been hit by a car, or whatever, that were still alive. I would put them in my car and take them to the vet."

Fast forward to the present, and McDonnell is still rescuing animals via the 501(c)(3) nonprofit she founded, Barkee LaRoux’s House of Love. Over the years, McDonnell and her husband, Alex, have rescued more than 120 abandoned, neglected and hospice senior dogs from Southern California animal shelters. These dogs are provided with a forever home and given a loving and gentle place to rest their heads for however long they have left on earth.

"When Barkee was first created, we dreamed about being able to do what we are doing today," McConnell says. "Providing care and end-of-life options for abandoned seniors — and, in some cases, very injured seniors — has always been our goal. When we started, we worked to find a physical location to provide a home environment, minus cages, with enough space to wander outside protected from predators."

It took three and a half years for the McDonnells to find the right place to house their sanctuary. Eventually they came across a five-acre property in Sky Valley. Most of it was unusable because of rocks and washes, but it had the perfect house to comfortably house their Barkees and it met the regulatory permitting process for the county.

McConnell says there's a major difference between a shelter and a sanctuary.

"A sanctuary is a place where you take animals in, and they stay with you forever. A shelter is a place where animals get adopted out or fostered out. And while we have several fosters, dogs that come into Barkee are usually not well. They've been surrendered to Southern California shelters for a variety of reasons, usually old age. Either the family doesn't have the funds to pay for [treatment] or they're disinclined to do so. We call the Barkees that we get 'left behind,' because a lot of times other rescues don't want them either."

According to McDonnell, a Barkee dog is generally one that's 15, 16 or older. It might have a large heart murmur or a tumor. She and Alex will make arrangements to pick them up and then vet them through a veterinarian.

"It's really important that we have excellent veterinary care because misdiagnosis can shorten a life," she says.

And an animal's end-of-life is not something the McDonnells take lightly.

"As long as a dog still has his personality, he's still showing signs of life," McConnell says. "We're very much a quality over quantity. But we don't believe in suffering for an animal of any kind. We don't wait until a dog is dragging, falling, obviously not eating. We watch them like a hawk, and when we think it's their time, we give them what we call 'the ultimate gift of love.' But first we have multiple discussions about it with people, including a retired veterinary nurse."

"The folks at Barkee have an unwavering passion for the well-being of senior and unwell dogs that, sadly, often get discarded," says long-time friend Tim O'Bayley. "Barkee gives them love and excellent care when they are often at their lowest point."

According to its website, Barkee LaRoux's House of Love has made a commitment to always placing the needs of its animals first, providing tender and loving care and secure, safe, non-threatening environments for its residents, being there 24 hours every day and never leaving the dogs unattended, never adopting out the animals who come to the sanctuary and respecting the laws and regulations of the community.

"If there's anything I want people and dogs to know before they leave this earth is that they are extraordinarily loved," McDonnell says. "That's why we do what we do."

To learn more, to volunteer or to make a donation, visit barkeelaroux.org.

As philanthropy editor at The Desert Sun, Winston Gieseke writes about nonprofits, fundraising and locals who give back, like his beloved dog Ernie Banks, who volunteers at the local cancer center. Reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Barkee LaRoux provides love and care for unwanted senior dogs