old Dogs Go to Helen

By Nancy Dewar

Originally, I thought this was going to be an article about rescue. But the more I learned about Helen St. Pierre and her non-profit Old Dogs Go to Helen, I realized it really is a story about a true animal lover…and a different definition of rescue than most of us think of. Helen doesn’t rescue dogs to help find them new homes. She provides a home for older dogs still living in shelters that need a warm and loving place to spend their final days. Instead of living in a noisy shelter, the dogs that come to Helen for what she calls “hospice care,” are smothered in love and kindness with all their needs taken care of. In addition to shelters, sometime her resident pups come from owner surrenders when their parents are no longer able to care for them.

To love animals fiercely enough to help them with their end of life, requires a very special human being. Helen grew up outside of London and moved to Boston at the age of 14 with her Mother and brother. Though she didn’t really grow up with dogs, they did get what Helen called “a divorce” dog when her parents separated; a Beagle named Cookie. Helen laughed when she told me, “That was the only time I would ever hear my Mother swear…when Cookie ran away!” Ahh…a typical Beagle!

Helen has been training dogs for 21 years and owns No Monkey Business Dog Training located in Concord, New Hampshire. She has always been involved with animals in a myriad of ways since she was a young adult. Pet sitting, dog daycare, volunteering at shelters; you name it and Helen has probably done it! She believes her love of animals is innate and is simply in her genes. “I discovered that my great grandmother had bred collies, and when I was little, I played with stuffed animals; no dolls for me!”

The St. Pierre family – which includes her amazing husband Jake and two young daughters plus their own menagerie, which we’ll get to later – live on several acres in Epsom, New Hampshire. They moved from their home in Bow as they needed more living space for all the dogs. The pups used to share the living room in their Bow home, which was a bit difficult with little ones walking barefoot throughout the house. Their new home has a large second living room where the dogs are close to the family, have snuggly living space and yet is separate from the family living area. They also have a direct door to an enclosed outside area.

After Helen had lost her 15-year-old senior dog Merlin, she got a call from Pope Memorial SPCA of Concord about an old dog that needed a home. That kind of was the beginning of her mission of helping the seniors. “When I spoke to rescues, I’d always say…give me the dog that is the oldest, grossest; a dog that no one else is going to want. So, now we take in senior, hospice or special needs homeless dogs all the time. It’s something that Jake and I are extremely passionate about.”

The average number of love-bugs at Helen and Jake’s home at one time is around 12, with the maximum of one large dog, as they want the little ones to be comfortable and calm…and enjoy their quality of life without the fear of large dogs. “We’ve received owner surrenders and shelter dogs covered in tumors. Some weeks we get no requests; others we might have ten dogs that need a home. We’re always getting requests,” Helen explained. “Since we are like a hospice for dogs, we take those that need a home whether they have a week or a few years to live. One dog, Lucille, was only with us for a week, and we had Gus for just four months before losing him to cancer.”

I asked her how she and her family handle all of the loss. “I think I’m still figuring that out,” Helen reflected. “The more that you take on, the more loss you have. Last month we had one to two deaths each week. Death isn’t discussed much in our society. We put it off and try to avoid it. Many people keep their animals alive longer than they should; for themselves, not for the animal’s quality of life. I’m really trying to educate the general public about what death is and isn’t. It’s not about giving your dog more time on this earth. It’s about giving these animals an amazing life while they are here.” All of the special dogs that live out their lives at Helen’s are cremated and buried on their property; honoring their dignity to the very end.

Helen explained that the care is primarily a family thing. She and Jake do the feeding, cleaning and loving; and they have a small group of volunteers that sometimes help them out. On top of their special residents, the family also has two family Collies, a Cattle dog, a Scottish Deerhound, seven cats, two parrots and will soon be welcoming some new goats and ducks!

Old Dogs Go to Helen became a 501c nonprofit in 2022, and one of their greatest needs is funding and supplies. Chewy gift cards are like gold!!! They work with veterinarians all over the state and some vets will help with special pricing or offer pro bono services. Their average weekly cost is about $2,500 per week for the revolving care of the dogs, and this doesn’t include emergencies or surgeries. Basic ongoing care includes blood work, urine analysis, meds, follow-up appointments, etc. And, most dogs are on special diets which are more expensive.

There is no doubt that Helen St. Pierre is an animal lover with an enormous heart. “My animals, not just the dogs, don’t just enrich my life, they GIVE me life.” I think one of the posts Helen wrote on her Facebook says it all, as well as a follower’s reply:

“My whole heart is in this work. They may not have long, but they have me, and I have them.” To which a follower responded, “Can you image all of the pups that are up there and all of the conversations they must have about you and all you do for them? All the love they have for you? The welcoming committee you will have… you’ll need a stadium to fill it. You are doing God’s work.”

No one could say that better! Kudos and enormous thanks to Helen and her family.

(OldDogsGoToHelen.com)