House with a Heart Senior Pet Sanctuary

House with a Heart Senior Pet Sanctuary We provide a loving home for unwanted senior pets and give medical grants to assist in pulling/adopting seniors out of shelters ❤️
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In 2006, Sher Polvinale and her late husband, Joe, created a senior pet sanctuary in their home in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Sanctuary residents are senior and special needs dogs and cats who have lost their families and homes through no fault of their own. Because of their advanced age and various medical conditions, they have little chance of being adopted. The Sanctuary’s mission is to provide a

helping hand for senior pets, so they can live their best lives. In addition to top-notch “room and board,” all our residents receive abundant, unconditional love and affection. Those who arrive at the Sanctuary with health problems immediately get the care they need, such as diagnostic screenings, dental work, medication, and surgery. The Sanctuary offers residents* a life well worth living. They have a safe, roomy, comfortable, bright, and spotless home environment. On our two-acre property, they play in secure outdoor yards and spend supervised time in fenced, grassy fields. We provide ongoing health care and wellness screening, consulting veterinary specialists as needed. Residents are fed high-quality foods/treats and receive special diets as required.

*Our current residents are all members of the “pup pack.” But over the years, we have welcomed countless dogs AND cats, and we continue a variety of efforts to support all pets who need a helping hand. For example:

Our K-9 & Kitty Medical Miracles Grants program supports our Rescue Partners who pull senior and special needs dogs and cats either from a shelter or owner give up. We provide a grant to help pay for medical care they need to make them adoptable and help them find their new forever home. Feed Fido & Fluffy is our HWAH Pet Pantry. With donations from our supporters, we purchase food and supplies for pets in need. HWAH relies on volunteers, donations, grants, and wish-list gifts to accomplish our primary mission of providing a helping hand for senior dogs and cats in need. We are always looking for ways to “pay it forward” on their behalf. We reserve the right to delete comments, posts or photographs that are:

- Profane, vulgar or offensive
- Misinformation or disinformation
- Bullying or attacks against HWAH, its staff or other supporters of this page
- Spam or commercial sales
- Off-topic or irrelevant
- In support of illegal activities, violence, animal cruelty or abuse
- In violation of Facebook’s Community Standards

While we encourage open discussion, including differences of opinion, we will remove and/or block you from this page if you repeatedly violate this policy. Further, HWAH does not endorse or approve the comments, posts or photographs by others that are on this page. HWAH does not warrant and shall not be held liable the accuracy, truthfulness or reliability of the information or opinions posted on this site.

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from the House with a Heart family!!

Congratulations to the cutest little painter who stole everyone’s hearts this Halloween! 🎨💛A HUGE thank you to everyone ...
10/31/2025

Congratulations to the cutest little painter who stole everyone’s hearts this Halloween! 🎨💛

A HUGE thank you to everyone who participated and donated!! Every single dollar goes directly toward caring for our beloved senior residents. Because of YOU, we’re able to provide them with all the love, comfort, and support they deserve!

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from all of us at HWAH 🎃!!! If you’re dressing your dog up in a costume, please post a picture in the comments 😁. We wanna see those cuties!

10/31/2025
Voting Ends TONIGHT!Hello friends! It’s your LAST chance to vote for your favorite Halloween pet costume!Who will take t...
10/30/2025

Voting Ends TONIGHT!

Hello friends! It’s your LAST chance to vote for your favorite Halloween pet costume!

Who will take the crown?
🎨 Honey — the cutest little painter (currently in the lead!) 🥇
🥊 Caesar — the toughest boxer in town!
🦁 Frack — the frightfully ferocious lion!

Votes are just $5 each (or more if you’d like to support our seniors even more ❤️).
Every dollar goes directly to helping the residents at House with a Heart Senior Pet Sanctuary!

👉 Click the link below to get your votes in!
Thank you for supporting our seniors with spooky style!

To vote: https://forms.gle/ynPdiotUsJ6HJm2CA

Prefer to just support? Donate: https://housewithaheart.com/support-hwah-2/

Finding homes for senior cats can be a challenge. But there are so many wonderful reasons to open your heart to an older...
10/30/2025

Finding homes for senior cats can be a challenge. But there are so many wonderful reasons to open your heart to an older feline friend!

WHY ADOPT A SENIOR CAT?

🌟They ask for less and give so much more — grateful, affectionate, and full of love.

🌟They’re usually calmer, gentler, and far less likely to scratch the furniture or climb the curtains.

🌟Their needs are often simpler than you’d expect — think of it as a cozy feline retirement!

🌟Their personalities are well-established, making it easier to know what kind of companion they’ll be — and to help them fit in with your other pets.

MEET PATTY!

Patty is a lovely 15-year-old cat currently being fostered through Frederick Friends of Our County Animal Shelter in Frederick, MD.

She’s a sweet, gentle soul who dreams of spending her golden years in a quiet home, curled up on a warm lap, and surrounded by love. And don’t let her age fool you — Patty still enjoys playful moments and affectionate time with her foster mom.

If you’ve ever wanted a calm, loving companion who truly appreciates the simple joys of home and heart, Patty might just be your perfect match.

Patty has early-stage chronic kidney disease, a common and treatable condition in older cats, that is well managed with prescription food, medication, and subcutaneous fluids, all of which she tolerates very well. She is spayed, vaccinated, microchipped, and FeLV/FIV negative.

Interested in adopting this sweet senior? Visit ffocas.org for more information.



10/30/2025

A tender moment with Pat and the residents 🥰

When the entry bell rings at D2O Dental in Sacramento, Ruby, a 5-year-old goldendoodle, gets up from her corner and gent...
10/30/2025

When the entry bell rings at D2O Dental in Sacramento, Ruby, a 5-year-old goldendoodle, gets up from her corner and gently lopes over to greet the incoming patient, often with a plush toy in her mouth. We love this heartwarming story!

Ruby the goldendoodle is in the dental office three or four days a week. Her main job is to make patients feel less anxious, but she often brings them joy.

10/30/2025

🎃👻 It’s Voting Time! 👻🎃
Hello friends! It’s time to vote for your favorite Halloween pet costume! 🐾✨

Who’s stealing the show this year?
🎨 Honey — the cutest little painter!
🥊 Caesar — the toughest boxer in town!
🦁 Frack — the super scary lion!

🗳️ Votes are just $5 each (or more if you’d like to support our seniors even more ❤️).
Every dollar helps the residents at House with a Heart Senior Pet Sanctuary!

👉 Click the link below to cast your votes and help crown our 2025 winner!
🐶🐱 Thank you for supporting our seniors with style! 🎉

To vote: https://forms.gle/ynPdiotUsJ6HJm2CA

Prefer to just support? Donate: https://housewithaheart.com/support-hwah-2/

Caption this! 🥰
10/30/2025

Caption this! 🥰

Address

6409 Stream Valley Way
Gaithersburg, MD
20882

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Our Story

In 2006, Sher Polvinale and her late husband, Joe, created a senior pet sanctuary in their home. Sanctuary residents are dogs and cats who have lost their families and homes through no fault of their own. Because of their advanced age and various medical conditions, they have little chance of being adopted.

Once a dog became a resident, it would have a loving home for life. Our Director Sher devotes herself full-time to caring for the pets and maintaining and improving the Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary’s Mission is to provide a “Helping Hand” for senior pets. For our residents, we are able to provide love, affection, and shelter. Many of these dogs receive medical care, such as diagnostic screenings, dental care, surgery, and medications, as needed.

For other senior and special needs dogs, we provide a “Helping Hand” by getting the word out about their special needs, and encourage others to give them a forever home.