Susie's Hope

01/29/2025

To my family, friends and supporters:

Our journey together has meant so much to me. I am so grateful for all the love and support you have shown me, our beloved Susie and Susie's Hope Nonprofit over the past 16 years. It has been one of my life’s greatest joys and such a blessing. I can’t begin to thank you enough for all the encouragement, prayers and financial support you have given to Susie’s Hope. Your generous donations enabled us to find loving homes for thousands of homeless and abandoned animals and to provide financial assistance to countless families who couldn’t afford emergency veterinary care for their pets.
As most of you know, Susie passed away in 2022 after being my constant companion and best friend for 13 years. I miss her so much! She was such a big part of my life and I will never forget her. We had a very special bond and I feel her presence with me every day. I carry her in my heart. I know that I will see her again. Her amazing spirit and legacy will live on in the hearts of each and every one of you as well.
I have felt for some time now that God is calling me in a different direction. After much thought, consideration and prayer, I feel it’s time for me to move into another season of my life and to dissolve Susie’s Hope. This has not been an easy decision for me, but I know it's God's timing.
I believe God is calling the next generation to pick up the torch and continue to help the animals. I know He has someone He wants to appoint who will take our place. Who knows, it might be you.
I want to sincerely thank
Eve Roser, Robin Hudson, Deborah Hodges and Robin Munden for all of their help and support with Susie’s Hope over the years. I want to extend my deepest thanks to numerous others who have volunteered their time with our many public appearances and fundraising events since 2009.
Eve Roser and Robin Hudson have been my greatest strengths in operating Susie’s Hope and I couldn’t have done it without them.
Eve taught me everything I know about rescue. She has helped to save thousands of animals over the years and I deeply admire her dedication to animals and their welfare. Her passion for animal rescue is contagious and I’m grateful for all she has done for Susie’s Hope and animals in our community as our Vice President. She is one of the strongest women I know and I’m grateful to call her my friend and mentor.
I also want to say how deeply Susie loved Robin Hudson, our Secretary. I know how much Robin loved her too. I thank Robin for being her loyal and loving Godmother. Robin has been a dear friend for years and she has always had my back. I am forever grateful for her help with fundraising events and administrative assistance.
In closing, I want to say there are so many good nonprofit rescues in our community. I hope you will continue to support them. Please continue to be a voice for animals. Don’t ever look away from abuse or neglect of any animal. Always report it! Please consider adopting an animal, as there are so many out there waiting for their forever, loving home. Most importantly, please spay and neuter your pets. So many animals die each year simply because they are born. We can all do our part and make a difference! May God bless you all. I love you!

With deepest gratitude,

Donna

Here are a just a few accomplishments that I wanted to share with you on the incredible journey we all shared with Susie, our forever hero!

-Susie and I traveled the country for years sharing our story of love, hope, and forgiveness.
-We worked with others in our community to change the animal cruelty laws in NC. Susie’s Law was passed in 2010 making it a felony to abuse animals with jail time for those who do.
-Susie and I were featured in the movie, “Susie’s Hope”, in 2013. It was based on our journey together and to share how Susie overcame her horrific abuse.
-Susie became the voice for all abused and neglected animals without a voice.
-I wrote three children’s books that tell of Susie’s horrific story and how she overcame her fears.
-She won the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards and was crowned Hero Dog of the Nation in 2014!
-Susie was featured on The Today Show in NYC.
-There are so many wonderful memories and accomplishments we shared together that I can’t begin to list them all.
-Let’s just say that our journey together was a gift from God! It was a once in a lifetime experience and absolutely amazing! Thank you my dear friends for being a part of it!
Please share any special memories or picture’s that you may have of Susie!

01/01/2025

Happy new Year everyone! We appreciate all your support in 2024! God Bless you all in the up coming year!

12/25/2024

11/22/2024

URGENT: Max, is a 3 year old Austrian Shepherd, Who was ran over or hit by a fedex driver late this afternoon. Susie’s Hope was contacted for help. We are going to get him in to our vet first thing in the morning. We arent sure how serious his injuries are, but he has damage to his back left leg, his stomach and p***s area. He’s calm and sleeping for now. The couple didn’t have funds for the emergency vet, so we are trying to help them. Please donate if you can. We appreciate all your support in helping these poor innocent animals who desperately need us.
Thank you, and God Bless you all for caring!

11/05/2024

Another successful adoption! Miss sweet Dixie loves her forever home! She came to Susie’s Hope about a month ago! She is so Happy with her new sister, Bailey! We are so thankful to Mathew and Kendall for adopting her! Our prayers is for her to live a long and happy life! Thanks for loving her and bringing her into your home as part of your family!

10/21/2024

UPDATE ON RIGBY:
He has a hairline pelvis fracture and a punctured liver. Thankfully, he is expected to fully recover with cage rest, antibiotics and pain medication. His mom is extremely grateful for your prayers and generous donations! She applied for Care credit at her local veterinary hospital but was denied. Your compassion and support enabled us to provide emergency care for puppy Rigby and we are so thankful!

10/20/2024

PLEASE HELP PUPPY RIGBY!
He is 9 months old and only weighs 4 pounds. His mom was visiting her daughter’s home today. Rigby was taken outside to potty and unexpectedly ran into the neighbor’s yard where he was attacked by the neighbor’s 3 dogs. It was a horrible accident. Rigby needs emergency veterinary treatment if he has any chance of survival. Please pray for this tiny puppy and donate if you can. We have approved treatment for Rigby at Pet Emergency & Trauma Services in Kannapolis, NC.

10/19/2024

Update: so we freed this handsome boy today. It was his last day at the shelter. We saved his life! I took my friend Megan Blake who is a professional dog trainer to help me Assess him! He was just a scared baby being boarded for 10 days with no interaction. We got him out and he was so sweet. So happy to be out and around people! He is a great dog. Megan is taking him home for the weekend to allow him to decompress and we will figure out where he needs to go next. He is a happy dog to be out of the shelter. We named him Gabriel! He is an Angel! We are asking for donations to get his vet care, and neutered, doggie bed, food ( as he is super skinny and things he will need.
Thanks for your support!

09/28/2024

There's something I need to talk about, and I'm going to try to address it as sensitively as I can.
Our sanctuary was established as a safe haven for senior dogs who have found themselves in unavoidable situations, facing health crisis or homelessness in their twilight years. We have taken in dogs from shelters, strays, owners who are unable to care for them due to their own health, or sadly at the time of their own death.
Owners who would absolutely do anything to change the circumstances so they could keep their dog, but are in unavoidable turmoil and situations outside of their control and the choice has been taken from them.
We have provided sanctuary to dogs who need us, because they have nowhere else to go.

Recently, there has been an uptick in owner requests from people who are missing the point of what we do. We have had requests to surrender nine dogs in the last forty-eight hours. If you have a dog, that you have loved and cared for their entire life, and now just can't bring yourself to handle the inconveniences that come with your dog being a senior...we are not the answer. I don't know how people can forget the faithfulness their dog has provided its entire life, and as their body starts to fail and they need their people the most, they would choose to simply surrender their dog instead of supporting them to the end.

As dogs age, as with any living being, their body starts to deteriorate. Organ function, potty function, vision, hearing, mobility...every life has an expiration date, and as they draw nearer to the end, things just don't work like they used to. At absolutely no fault of their own, you have to consider how the dog is feeling after years of "doing the right thing", that first time they don't make it to the door to potty. Will your dog's "accident" be met with kindness and understanding at that time? Or will you be so tremendously inconvenienced that you decide your dog can't live with you anymore?

I don't think people realize what a dog goes through when they are rehomed after years and years with their family. I can tell you that I have cried, many times, for a dog who sits at the window watching for their family and wondering what they've done wrong to make them lose their home. They do not understand. In their deepest time of need, they just want the same support that they've given their humans all these years.

Another misconception that people have, is that we can do anything differently than they are already doing in their power, to provide anything other than a dignified end when it's time. We get messages, "I have a 15 year old dog who is blind and deaf, he has trouble walking and isn't eating well, and can't control his bowels." There comes a time where people think there's something we can do, and time isn't anything I can battle and win. The kindest and most merciful thing anyone can do for their dog is consider their quality of life and be right by their side when you offer that final gift of mercy. It's very difficult to manage these situations where I feel confident a dog might need to meet Jesus instead of me.

More people need to stay committed to their senior pets, I really don't know how else to say it. Offloading the inconvenience of an old dog is not the answer. People just need to do better. Love your old dogs until the end. They need you.

08/27/2024

MEET BEAUTIFUL DAMA!
She was found abandoned in Guilford County, NC.
She was microchipped and we contacted her owner who surrendered her to us.
Dama is 5 years old and weighs 50 pounds. She is now spayed, current on vaccines and heart worm negative. Dama is housebroken. She is great with other dogs absolutely adores children! She is not interested in cats. If you are interested in meeting this amazing dog, fill out an adoption application at susieshope.com. Her adoption fee is $195.

08/08/2024

Update: these two have been adopted together! So excited for them!
These two sweet babies are looking for their forever home. They came to Susies Hope together after their elderly owner couldn’t take care of them any longer. I would love for them to go together in their new home. If you are interested in giving them a new life of comfort and love, please let me know. Twinkle the white toy poodle is 8 years old. Dusty the apricot poodle is 4 years old.
You can fill out and adoption application at www.susieshope.com
Their adoption fee is 175.00 each!

08/06/2024

SURGERY FUNDS NEEDED!
Please help little Annabelle!
Annabelle suffers from painful luxated patellas on both of her back legs. This condition causes her kneecaps to continually dislocate. Without surgery, her condition can lead to lameness and her eventual inability to walk. She is in pain now with every step she takes. Annabelle is only 2 years old. Her owners brought her to a local veterinary hospital and were planning to euthanize her because they couldn’t afford her surgery and didn’t want her to suffer. After talking with their veterinarian, they opted to surrender her to rescue and we were contacted. Annabelle will require two surgeries, one on each knee. The total cost for both surgeries is $2200. The practice manager of Annabelle’s veterinary hospital has donated $300. We now need $1900 to cover Annabelle’s surgeries. Once she has fully recovered, Annabelle will be available for adoption. Please pray for her healing and recovery. Her first patella surgery is scheduled today.

08/06/2024

URGENT: Asking all.. I need to find a temporary foster home for this little dog that we just rescued this weekend. He and his 2 siblings were dumped off in the rain on a Sunday afternoon about 4 weeks ago at the Level Cross/ Hwy 74 exit. The former owner just pulled over and tossed them out in the highway. They were spotted by locals who started feeding them. Thanks to the community they were all caught! We have committed to taking care of their vet bills and finding them a loving home. We are currently full and desperately need a foster home for the last one that was caught. The poor little ones were so scared, and hid from everyone for 3 weeks. Miraculously, 1 by 1 with the help of so very many people, the last little boy was caught Saturday night. I was so amazed at how everyone pulled together to help these little guys. Susies hope has been vetting and grooming them, but we DESPERATELY need a place for the last one to go until his forever home is found. He’s about 1.5 years old, not sure on breed.. maybe 15-18 pounds. He will have all vaccines, grooming, flea and tick meds. We can provide Food if you need.
Please, if you can help or know of anyone, contact me ASAP!
A friend is fostering the little girl and she’s a jewel. Absolutely adorable and sweet. They all three are great dogs. We would appreciate any donations to help with their vet care and grooming.
If you are interested in adopting one of them you can fill out an application at www.susieshope.com