To offer 19 canines a second chance at life, a couple that adores dogs so much decided to buy them all at once. Even if the dogs are eventually rehomed, the couple will pay for their medical care.
Over 600 geriatric and special needs dogs have been rescued by Chris and Mariesa Hughes as part of their purported mission to provide all animals with the best possible lives.
They particularly work to improve the circumstances of dogs that have been abandoned, given no hope of survival, and are now living in their home with more than a dozen other dogs.
A comfortable existence is set up in the residence for them. In contrast, the Mr. Mo Project, a non-profit organization formed by Chris and Mariesa, assists dogs in finding loving homes and raises money to cover their ongoing medical expenses.
Chris, 34, moved to the US at the age of three despite having been born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, initially.
Chris and Mariesa already had a large family of eight dogs when they first met, and Mariesa had two. However, they didn't stop there. Chris had six dogs and Mariesa had two.
The 40-year-old Mariesa stated to TeamDogs: "Ever since I was a child, I have wanted to rescue dogs. When I was nine years old, I got my very first street dog. The same thing has applied to Chris.
"Now we accept specialized dogs with the intention of rehoming them."
They continue to find homes for pets and cover their medical expenses despite having full-time jobs each.
Chris' deceased dog Moses served as the inspiration for the Mr. Mo project.
"Moses was an old Pittie who was turned in to the shelter because he was too old," he recalled. He lived with us for the final 22 months of his life before succumbing to a spinal cord tumor.
After he passed away, we made the decision to take on the task of finding homes for senior dogs by paying for all of their veterinary care and opening up wonderful homes for people who had all the love but no extra money. "Over the course of the last few months with him, we realized how expensive it was to care for a senior and ailing dog," the statement reads.
Due to the fact that Chris and Mariesa take a particularly particular dog, several shelters get in touch with them. The couple takes in dogs that other people are unwilling to take because of medical costs, as well as sick and medically challenged canines.
In order to care for the dogs, the couple's project entails extensive fundraising. In the previous year, they spent $70,000 (£508,536) on veterinary treatment.
The dogs are taken in by us after being referred to us by shelters, Chris added. We then find them the best foster home where they may spend the rest of their lives. Although we are responsible for their ongoing medical treatment.
The dogs may live happily at the couple's home because everything is set up for them. In addition to having their own kennels with their names on, they have a sizable walled rear garden where the dogs can go about without restriction. To treat joints and wounds, they provide a treadmill for hydrotherapy and a laser therapy unit.
"It's much cheaper having it all at our house," Chris said. "All of our pets have particular requirements.
The amount of time required for feeding is absurd—about 30 minutes. Due to toothlessness or lack of bottom jaws, some of our dogs must be fed by hand. We have dogs of all different diets, and some of them can be a little food hostile.
The dogs here are likewise incredibly old. There is a Chihuahua who is 22 years old and a Pug who is 20 years old.
The care for the 19 dogs is quite difficult, according to Mariesa, because they are all different breeds, ages, and suffer from various ailments.
As she put it, "It's bittersweet because it's not always such a dream, it can be really chaotic, but it's fantastic to see all of the work you've done and seeing all of these lovely dogs adored, who are all deserving of a second shot.
The lows, though, are extremely low when there are pets you can't save; it really affects you. On top of that, it is constantly quite messy.
"I would want to say 'no we won't get any more dogs,' but I also didn't anticipate that we would get two more fairly shortly.
The pain and work are so worth it when you see how they have changed. This is undoubtedly our life's passion, despite the tremendous challenges.