A Ceresco couple is dedicating their lives to providing love and comfort to elderly dogs in need. No matter the age or health condition, each dog is guaranteed a forever home with Shawna Clement and her husband, Joshua Bomberger.
It all started five years ago when Clement and Bomberger moved onto a 10-acre property about 20 miles north of Lincoln and founded The Farm: Senior Dog Sanctuary. The couple, who have had dogs for most of their lives, had a soft spot for the older dogs who they say are often overlooked.
“There was an obvious need for it,” Bomberger said. “These dogs, they needed somewhere to go for the last little bits of their life and we wanted to provide them with something that was quiet and peaceful and very loved on instead of a shelter.”
But as pet owners know, it’s not a cheap endeavor. Last year, The Farm’s total expenses surpassed $30,000, with the majority going toward veterinary care. Over $23,000 came from donations, with the rest coming from Clement and Bomberger’s pockets.
From 2-5 p.m. Saturday, one of The Farm’s supporters is hosting a fundraiser at Lincoln’s Off Leash Dog Bar to help rally in more donations. The fundraiser will include a raffle, food and furry visitors from The Farm.
Most of the dogs come from the Capital Humane Society and have been deemed unadoptable or are unlikely to be adopted because of their advanced age or health concerns. They also get dogs who outlive their owners and have nowhere else to go.
“Something I like to tell people is when you get a new dog or something, if something were to happen to you, who’s your ‘dogfather,’ so to speak,” Bomberger said.
“Old dogs have their own difficulties,” Bomberger said. “We have 13 dogs, and we currently have six different foods.”
Clement, a vet tech, has several Excel sheets to keep track of the different illnesses, vaccine dates and bloodwork. Another sheet contains dog care information including the food and pills for each dog for the rare occasions when they leave their dogs with another caretaker.
“It is hard, it’s always hard losing them, but it’s absolutely worth it,” Clement said.
In the five years, they’ve had 35 dogs call The Farm home, 22 of which have since passed. They are far from forgotten as each dog gets a photo and sometimes a memento hung on the “Stairway to Heaven” along their staircase.
“I so hope that dog heaven is a real thing,” Clement said. “I want to go there; there’s going to be a horde of dogs waiting.”
Reach the writer at 402-473-7241 or ajohnson2@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ajohnson6170
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