Home > Out of the Cage! > May 2005 > Alliance Affiliated Organization: Angel's Gate: Where Animals Find New Ways to Live

Alliance Affiliated Organization

Angel's Gate: Where Animals Find New Ways to Live

Susan Marino does what many people wish they could do, but don't. She cares for special needs and terminally ill animals, and ushers them through the final stages of their lives.

Since 1993, Susan has cared for hundreds of animals at Angel's Gate, the animal hospice she created on Long Island. With her partner, Victor LaBruna, she has taken in animals of all kinds who were relinquished by their human companions or animal shelters because of medical reasons. Many of these animals would have fallen through the cracks, she says, and likely would have been euthanized before their time.

Animals like Humphrey, a six-year-old Shi Tzu, who became Angel's Gate's first resident. When two cracked cervical disks (the result of being accidentally stepped on by a person) rendered Humphrey paralyzed in his hind legs, there appeared to be little hope that he would ever walk again or have a normal life. But after six months at Angel's Gate, Humphrey began to show signs of recovery, and before long he began to walk. Today he can even run for short distances around the hospice.

Josie, a spunky little Chihuahua with cancer, doted on Susan. Six months ago, about a week after arriving at Angel's Gate from NYC AC&C, Josie became seriously ill. She spent a week in an animal hospital, then returned to Angel's Gate, where she enjoyed the last five months of her life.

Then there's Mystery, rescued by two Chicago women, then diagnosed with kidney failure. Twice-weekly trips to the vet to receive hydration terrified her. When Mystery's caregivers contacted Susan, she flew to Chicago and brought Mystery to Angel's Gate, where she is living out her years comfortably, and hydrating herself from the faucet!

Despite the emotional stresses of the work and the physical demands it places upon her, Susan feels compelled to care for these animals through their final days. When asked why she does it, she responded calmly, "Not doing it would be a lot more difficult."

Perhaps that's why Susan forsook a picture-perfect life and founded the hospice and rehabilitation center for animals. A registered nurse with more than thirty years experience in critical care and the care of terminally ill children, she also is a specialist in holistic therapies, including TTouch, animal communication, hydrotherapy, and essential oils. She is currently completing the courses necessary to acquire a vet tech license.

Susan says she learns something from every animal who comes to Angel's Gate. "They teach us – they give us so much more that we can ever give them," she says. "That's what enables us to do this over and over again." As Susan sees it, every life ends on time. "There's a greater power working here…my job is to celebrate life until the last breath," she explains.

And celebrate life she does, for the 200-plus animals who currently reside at Angel's Gate. Dogs, cats, birds, horses, goats, chickens, geese, and bunnies all live peacefully in the loving and supportive environment Susan and Vic have created.

Every square inch of Angel's Gate — a four-bedroom ranch situated on more than an acre of property in Fort Salonga — is used to promote the care and comfort of the animals. A tennis court serves as the dog run. The swimming pool is used for hydrotherapy. A pool house has been transformed into "Hope House" for cats with feline leukemia, and a second pool house is being converted into a residence for FIV-positive cats.

A handful of volunteers, including students from neighboring towns, assist in the care of the animals and maintenance of the facility. A five-year-old boy washes windows with his mom. Another child brushes a dog. A group of high school students rake leaves and tend to the grounds. "The kids are a tremendous resource," says Susan. "They are really committed to contributing in ways that will have a positive effect on the animals."

Surprisingly, Angel's Gate does not charge for its services; it relies upon private donations to carry on its mission. Consequently, Susan has to decline many requests to take in animals. But she spends hours on the phone and visiting homes to help solve problems and make accommodations for special needs pets.

Susan says she wishes that people were more responsible for their animals, and that her services weren't necessary. "When I take in an animal, it's for the life of the animal," she says. "I make that commitment to them."

By example, Susan is raising people's awareness of the importance of providing animals with love and dignity throughout their entire lives. Angel's Gate serves as a testament that animals can approach the final stages of life in a caring and loving environment.

If you'd like to learn more about Angel's Gate, visit their web site at www.angelsgate.org. Or pick up a copy of Getting Lucky: How One Special Dog Found Love and a Second Chance at Angel's Gate, the recently published book by Susan Marino, with Denise Flaim. Click here or on the image below to order the book from Amazon.com.