Remember Charlie and Lacey? The senior labs we saved from being euthanized at the animal shelter almost 2 years ago? They had such a great time at The Gentle Barn healing their arthritis and incontinence, being a part of our family, receiving love, and living in a real home for the first time in their lives. Loving them, and, seeing them smile was so rewarding that when we got an e-mail about two other senior labs who had lived outdoors their whole life, had been left at the shelter when their person moved, and were scheduled to be put to sleep, we didn’t hesitate to go get them. We brought Sid and Sam home last week, into a wonderful foster home. They will get to stay together, will go for walks, get lots of attention, will get to be part of the family indoors, and will get to live out the rest of their lives with the dignity and respect they deserve. Because Sid is overweight, he is now on a diet and gets to swim every day which he enjoys and is great exercise with no harmful impact on his 15 year old joints. Sam has extreme pain and inflammation from arthritis and even cries when we try to help her into the car. Both Sid and Sam will get acupuncture, massage therapy, laser, and anti inflammatory medication to make them comfortable and keep them mobile. They are 15 years old and get to spend their golden years being adored and taken care of the right way! We will keep you posted on their progress.

At The Gentle Barn, because we love animals, want to stay healthy, and want to protect the environment, we have adopted a plant-based diet. We have discovered that dogs can thrive on a plant-based diet as well! Dogs are omnivores and therefore can get protein, iron, and calcium from plants just like us. There are vegan dog foods in the pet stores, like Natures Recipe Vegetarian Stew canned food, and V Dog vegetarian kibble. Also, you can cook quinoa (high in protein) and steamed veggies for your pup. For The Gentle Barn dogs, we always add digestive enzymes from New Earth, to help them digest the food easily, and Sun Chlorella Super Food to boost their immune system. Our dogs have been eating a plant-based diet for years now and their eyes are clear, their coat’s shine, their energy is amazing, and they always live for a long time! A plant-based diet is so easy!

Written by Ellie Laks

Founder, The Gentle Barn