Founded By Cheryl Salvati in October 2025 after 12 years of Running another rescue dedicated to moms, puppies and death row dogs, Senior Dogs and Friends Rescue developed out of two needs;
One is to address the growing number of senior dogs ending up in high-kill shelters and;
Two is the fact that the founder is herself becoming older and would like to leave the puppy rearing to younger folk.

Senior Dogs and Friends Rescue is a loving, licensed nonprofit. We are a No-Kill companion animal rescue devoted to helping older dogs (and some younger ones) in need. We are working to end suffering caused by abandonment, neglect, abuse, death or disablement of their owners or dogs facing being surrender to a shelter for reasons beyond their control. We serve Western Washington State, located one hour north of Seattle. We cherish the chance to save each animal, providing gentle vetting, spaying/neutering, nourishing meals, positive training, senior rehabilitation due to starvation or lack of nutrition, and, most of all, love and compassion. Every animal is special to us. Our volunteers and fosters receive primary care education, nutrition, and emergency medical training, empowering them to help each animal blossom and find a forever family where they are truly loved. Adopters become part of our family, too, and we're always here to support and answer your questions, so you’ll never feel alone on your journey with your new friend. We have local fosters from Seattle to Bellingham and seek to expand our foster base to save more lives. If you would like to become a foster please fill out our foster application.

Our screening process ensures each dog finds a loving family. We start with an application, then arrange a friendly meet-and-greet, perform reference checks, and conduct a home visit to ensure a perfect match. We find homes for rescued dogs and provide education on nutrition, fear-free training, veterinary care, and vaccination protocols.

I have seen the number of animals killed in U.S shelters drop over 44 years from 20 million adoptable pets per year to six million per year. We still have far to go, and Senior Dogs & Friends Rescue is another step on that road to a NO-KILL Nation.