Our Mission: Giving Senior Pets a Second Chance

Since 2015, Grey Face Rescue & Retirement has been dedicated to saving the lives of senior animals — pets often overlooked, unwanted, or considered unadoptable. Whether due to medical needs, behavioral traits triggered in a shelter environment, or simply their age, these animals deserve compassion, not abandonment.

We proudly serve as Minnesota’s first and only senior-only animal rescue, focusing exclusively on dogs aged 7 and older. It's our mission — and our passion — to give these animals the love, care, and dignity they deserve.

Why We Exist

Every single day, in shelters across our communities, healthy, loving pets are euthanized. Not because they’re dangerous. Not because they’re ill. But simply because they’re old.

Open-door shelters face overwhelming intake numbers. When there are too many pets and not enough homes, seniors are often the first to be euthanized — unfairly labeled as “unadoptable.”

We exist to change that.

What We Do

At Grey Face Rescue & Retirement, we:

  • Rescue senior dogs from traditional shelters and owner surrenders

  • Place adoptable seniors in loving foster and forever homes

  • Provide hospice care to those too frail or ill for adoption

  • Educate the public on the value and joy of senior pet adoption

  • Advocate for change in how older animals are viewed and treated

Often, the senior pets we save aren’t just anonymous strays — they were once cherished companions. They end up in shelters due to no fault of their own: the death or illness of a guardian, financial hardship, housing issues, or life transitions.

We believe every senior pet deserves to live out their golden years surrounded by comfort and love — and we’re here to make that happen.

Why It Matters

Adopting a senior pet is life-changing — for both the animal and their adopter. These pets offer calm companionship, deep gratitude, and unconditional love. And with your support, we can continue to change the fate of these animals who still have so much life to give.

Join Us in This Mission

We invite you to stand with us — as a donor, foster, adopter, volunteer, or advocate — and help us give senior animals the second chance they deserve.

Together, we can ensure that no pet is discarded because of their age.

With heartfelt thanks,
Bethann Gondeck
Executive Director & Founder
Grey Face Rescue & Retirement