Karen Thomas with Payton’s Promise in Marathon joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about the organization.
Payton’s Promise is a non profit sanctuary for senior dogs in Marathon.
Thomas explained, “I have been a nurse for humans for 30 years, but my passion was always taking care of animals, specifically senior dogs. I’ve always been attracted to them. So when I officially retired from human nursing, I took my medical background and I now utilize it, and I take senior dogs with special medical needs out of the big shelters where they’re likely on the euthanasia list and likely not going to make it out alive, and I bring them here to live the rest of their lives, and they can either stay with me forever, or if they’re able to be restored to a state of optimum health, then they can be put up for adoption. We have had quite a few dogs really make a big turnaround and become adoptable. So anything is possible.”
How many dogs are in the care of the organization?
Thomas said, “I have to recount. Unfortunately, Tanner, our amazing, amazing boy that we had for two year, just crossed the Rainbow Bridge yesterday. It’s pretty solemn here this morning. Everybody’s kind of quiet. So without Tanner, I guess I’m down to seven total, and with two in foster. I just got a new one, and she will become adoptable, likely because she is pretty healthy. So I’m back to two adoptables.”
With Tanner, it was a miracle that he lived two years.
Thomas said, “He was hours away from euthanasia when we went to pick him up, and he just touched my heart. He touched our hearts. And I said, yeah, let’s take him. He had to be carried to the van. He was so overweight and had COPD breathing problems, we thought, well, let’s just hospice him out and give him a really, really great however long he has left with us, and within a few months, he started losing weight. His lungs got clear. We got his liver disease under control, he just continued to get better and better and better to the point that he can take long walks with the pack. He went to the elementary school twice over the past two years to help us teach about compassion. He did so many amazing things. We would do swim therapy. He would swim in the pool. It was just profound. He truly lived a full two years of purpose and love and joy. It was a whole new life for him and he was about to be euthanized. So through the sadness, I look at that, and I look at what we gave him. We gave him such an incredible family of love and hope, and he had so many medical issues and was on so many medications. But through it all, he was so joyful and just kind and tolerated everything and never complained, ever, even in the last weeks of his life, when he was in so much pain, so is just an incredible story, and through the sadness, it makes my heart so happy, and that’s what I wish for all of these dogs.”
Payton was the inspiration for Payton’s Promise.
Thomas said, “Payton Rose was a beautiful German shepherd that was at our local shelter here in Marathon in 2020 and I have to say, I volunteered with our local shelter here for about 20 years, so I have a great relationship with them. They are amazing. Their dogs are amazing. And if they had a senior that fits the standards that I take, absolutely I will take their dogs as well. But Peyton Rose, she is on the logo, and she really encouraged me. I made the promise to her. I said, I promise you, at the end of your journey, I will start the sanctuary. That was my promise to her, and that’s how the name came about. And I know she’s still around helping us.”
It is a very expensive endeavor.
Thomas said, “It is. It’s interesting, because my first quarter report is due, and I was just thinking, wow, I might be through this grant money by the second quarter. I don’t think it’s going to last a year, but I am extremely grateful for it, but yes, senior dogs with special medical needs equates to vet bills, and that’s just the way it is.”
Who are the two adoptable dogs?
Thomas said, “Tommy has been with us for over two years, and at this age, there are always special needs adoptions, just because the seniors usually have things going on. So currently, Tommy is about to 11-ish, maybe closer to 12 by now. He is currently dealing with some eye ulcers, we’ve been at that for over a month. But he is super resilient and tolerant and sweet and knows that we have his best interest, so he’s been rolling with the punches here, and Tommy would need to be an only dog, just because he wants to have all the attention and to be spoiled. Not that he can’t get along. I mean, he’s so used to the pack. He’s great with everyone here, and it took two years. So that’s why we advertise in that way. Lily is our brand new girl. She is about 12 and a half, Siberian Husky, one blue eye, one brown eye. I haven’t even gotten her on the website yet, but she’s on social media. She found herself at the Miami Dade shelter after losing her humans, so by no fault of her own, and she was there about a month prior to coming to us, so she’s still decompressing and just settling in, and she has proved to be so sweet. She’s very petite. She’s like, 50 pounds. She had a thorough vet exam yesterday. She had a dental to clean up her teeth, a few teeth extractions, but otherwise, her blood work looked great. She just has a few lipoma bumps on her body, which are benign. So I’m pretty sure, after we get her decompressed, settled, and I get to know her personality better, I’m pretty sure she’s going to go up for adoption. That’s very exciting, because her age, she looks amazing. Nobody can believe she’s 12 and a half. So for those Husky lovers out there, she’s a great senior option.”
Did Jasper find a home?
Thomas said, “Jasper is in foster. He is in foster to adopt. So we are so very excited about that. In fact, I haven’t even had got the chance to announce that. So this is our first announcement. That is going on two weeks. He’s up the line on the mainland. So he is living his best life on the beach. My secret hope is, I just pray that, the longer he is with her, the more she falls in love with him, and she will definitely keep him. So that is my intention. He is really a sweetheart. He does not know how big he is, and he will get in your lap, and he’s just been such a good boy, and we’re working on basic obedience with him, because he just doesn’t know the rules of being a polite dog.”
For more information, click here: https://paytonspromisesanctuary.org/