
Mission
House with a Heart’s mission is to save more seriously senior dogs and cats from shelters and owner give-ups by offering medical grants to approved rescues. Good medical care will prepare the pets for adoption into loving homes or a more comfortable foster care experience.
Your Donation Matters
HWAH relies on donations from our generous supporters and grants and gifts from our wish list. Your gifts allow us to care for a large number of senior dogs as well as some senior kitties. With your help, we are able to provide a wonderful home for them and give them the best medical care possible.
About House with a Heart
In 2006, Sher Polvinale and her late husband, Joe, created a senior pet sanctuary in their home, which they named House with a Heart (HWAH) Senior Pet Sanctuary. Sanctuary residents are pets who have lost their families and homes. Because of their advanced age and various medical conditions, these pets have little chance of being adopted. Once a pet becomes a resident, it will have a loving home for life.
In order to save even more senior pets in the present and into the future we have set up a Legacy program through United Charitable called the House with a Heart Medical Grant for Senior Pets program.
It is our fervent wish that this program will help more needy pets find loving homes and continue to put our motto into action: Love Lives Here and Kindness COUNTS!!!
Our Grant Stories
Bella –
Bella’s Owner was unable to give her the care she needed. The 11 year old senior Westie was malnourished, matted, suffering with open sores, infected ears and mouth and loss of hair on her belly and legs. Mid-Atlantic Scottie Training and Education Rescue (MASTER) rescued Bella. House with a Heart – Medical Grants for Senior Pets was able to provide a Grant to help cover some of Bella’s Medical expenses. She is now healthy, sports a beautiful coat and is waiting for a new home.
Applesauce –
She was left in a box outside of a Maryland Shelter in the cold rain. The shelter workers were so saddened by her condition and to find out that her back legs were paralyzed. The Shelter reached out to “LovePaws” who agreed to accept her into their rescue. A House with a Heart – Medical Grant for Senior Pets made it possible for Applesauce to get all of the medical attention she needed. She has since been adopted and is living the good life with a loving family.
Molly –
An 18 year old Puggle arrived at Leashes End Senior Pet Sanctuary in Maryland with nearly two decades of veterinary records. The records showed that she was the beloved pet of one family all her life, until her owner passed away and Molly was thrust into the Miami-Dade Florida shelter. Molly was transported to the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria and then to Leashes End where she will live out her life as a beloved Sanctuary resident. House with a Heart – Medical Grants for Senior Pets gave Leashes End a Grant for Molly to have a Cardiology consultation so she could be cleared for a much needed dental surgery.
Rescue Partner and Grant Applications
The purpose of our House with a Heart – Medical Grants for Senior Pets is to save more seriously senior and special needs pets. We do this by encouraging our Rescue Partners to accept needy pets from owner give-ups or from a shelter.
Rescue Partners
To become eligible for Medical Grants, a pet rescue must fill out a Rescue Partner application. Once the application has been approved, a Rescue Partner is then eligible to apply for a Medical Grant up to $1,000 per pet.

Grant Applications
If you’re a Preapproved Rescue Partner, please use the button below to access the Medical Grants application. The application is password-protected to ensure that only approved Rescue Partners have access.
You must include details and photos about the pet and a promise that the Rescue Partner will provide follow-up photos and updates after the medical care has been provided. You must also submit a copy of a paid vet invoice and, if approved, a reimbursement Medical Grant in the amount of the invoice not to exceed $1,000 will be sent to the Rescue Partner.
