Selfless animal lovers: “We spent £24k to turn our house into an old dogs’ home”
Mareisa and Chris Hughes have ploughed their life savings into caring for elderly and disabled pets
❛ WE RARELY GO ON HOLIDAY OR TREAT OURSELVES TO MEALS OUT – THE DOGS COME FIRST ❜
When their elderly pitbull died, Mareisa and Chris Hughes decided they wanted to honour his memory by helping other dogs like him.
So, the pair set about transforming their house into an old dogs’ home for OAP and disabled dogs that would otherwise be put down.
The renovations – which included a specially-made 20ft wide bed for the couple and their animals to sleep in – racked up a staggering £42,000 bill, but Mareisa and Chris have no regrets.
Now, they share their home with 21 senior and special needs dogs, and they insist their door is always open to a canine in need.
TWILIGHT YEARS
Mareisa, 32, says, “Over the past six years, we’ve saved hundreds of dogs.
“We’ve got a big house, and it used to be spotless. I had a beautiful furniture set that cost thousands – but now, the dogs take priority.
“We have foam flooring so their paws don’t slide around, and they have kennels in the basement – each with their own door mat, bed and personalised paintings.
“They’ve got everything they need here to make the most of their twilight years.”
Mareisa and Chris, who live in New York, set up the Mr Mo Project in memory of their dog Moses.
Mareisa explains, “We adopted Moses in 2012.
His owners no longer wanted him because he was so old, and he was due to be put down.
“We had two wonderful years with him before he passed away, aged 12. We were completely devastated and knew immediately that we wanted to do something to remember him by.
“And that’s how the idea of our special retirement house was born.”
Using their savings, and salaries from their day jobs – Chris works in marketing, while Mareisa is an occupational therapist – the couple set up their charity, and began approaching shelters, adopting dogs who were due to be euthanised for being “too old”.
LOTS OF FUN
Mareisa explains, “Living with so many dogs was chaotic – but a lot of fun. And, as we took in more, we started renovating our home to make it perfect for them.”
Chris adds, “We swapped our handmade bed frame for two £5,000 king-size double beds, which are 20ft wide together, so there’s enough room for the dogs to sleep with us, and we built steps so small dogs could climb up, too.
“Then we built kennels in the basement, in case we’re ever both out at the same time, so the dogs can relax there safely until we’re home.
“We also set up an in-house pharmacy to store medicines and apparatus like wheelchairs, and we spent £23,000 on a
hydro-therapy bath, which is like an underwater treadmill to help reduce pain in disabled and elderly dogs and get their limbs moving.”
Mareisa and Chris also pay for all the medical expenses for the dogs in their care – which can amount to over £35,000 a month.
Mareisa says, “We receive public donations, and we do a lot of fundraising events, but a lot of our own money and most of our wages go into the Mr Mo Project.
“We’ve sold our furniture, and even raffled off a sapphire ring – which was my wedding gift from Chris – to cover costs. And we rarely go on holiday or treat ourselves to meals out.
The dogs come first.”
The pair even started a nationwide fostering programme, where animal lovers across the country also take in dogs.
Currently, Chris and Mareisa have 21 dogs in their doggy home, and the most they’ve had is 22. Mareisa says, “Life is hectic, to say the least.
“Chris works from home, so he gets up at 6.30am to do breakfast, and he gives the dogs that need it their medication – usually every two hours.
“When it’s nice weather, we have a playground for them, which keeps them busy.
“Then, when I get home from work, I clean up any mess and I sort out their dinner.
“Bedtime is a long process, as getting everyone settled takes a long time – Chris and I can barely squeeze in among all our four-legged friends. Then, they start snoring and wriggling about, which is a bit of a nightmare when you’re trying to sleep!”
SPECIAL SEND-OFF
But Chris and Mareisa insist they wouldn’t change a thing. Chris says, “When our dogs pass away, it’s tragic, but we take comfort in knowing they were happy. We have a memorial room with each dog’s ashes kept in an urn, with their portrait and paw print in front. We think it’s important to give every dog a send-off as special as they are.
“We want to share the message that no one should give up on older dogs – they bring so much joy to our lives.”