“When they come in, they’re very broken-hearted, emotionally or broken physically,” she told KY3.

But Valerie says that her goal is to give them a feeling of normalcy and trust, giving them a safe forever home to spend their final days in.

“Once they come, they stay. They don’t have to leave. This is their forever home, so they don’t go through another trauma, another loss.”

“When they come, they know that they’re safe.”

The rescue has grown and grown over the years: according to SWNS, the hospice has 17 full-time staff members who look after the dogs, and they now house 80 dogs at a time.

“The sanctuary truly evolved and became bigger and bigger than I had even thought. I love having so many little hearts that love us back.”

Valerie says they have cared for 790 dogs over the years. Due to the age of the dogs, deaths are common: about five pass away each week, and just as many are taken in.

While it can be sad work, Valerie takes pride in giving these dogs a loving place to spend the end of their lives.

“Our vision is to help people prepare for end of life, none of us are guaranteed tomorrow,” she told SWNS. “We get to send our seniors off in comfort and love. Yes, it hurts but it is an honour to love and care for them.”