The Heart

I've never been to New Hampshire — it's actually one of only three states I've yet to visit — but when I do, the first person I want to meet is Helen St. Pierre.

Helen’s belief that “no dog deserves to pass without feeling like it was the most loved dog in the world” inspired her to start a home-based hospice sanctuary for senior and sick dogs. 

Her love for these “unadoptable” pups has made her a local celebrity, fostering a community where compassion for everyone — whether they walk on four legs or two — is running wild.

The Journey

Helen began her dog-caring career at a small, overcrowded shelter that often had to euthanize healthy dogs simply because there wasn’t enough space. The effect of those tough decisions had a profound impact on her.

“For the rest of my career,” she said, “I decided I would always volunteer or work at shelters and help shelter dogs free of charge.”

After losing her own senior dog years later, Helen’s grief became a calling. In a nod to the classic film All Dogs Go to Heaven, she launched Old Dogs Go to Helen, telling the local shelter, “The next time you have a senior dog with big medical issues, give them to me.”

The Turning Point

Soon, one dog came home. Then another. Before Helen knew it, her living room — which has now expanded to a 20-acre property — became a haven for 15 to 20 dogs at a time, a group she lovingly calls “the bald, the toothless, the dying.”

The greatest example of that care was Kringle, a Labrador/Golden Retriever mix with a five-pound tumor hanging between his front legs. Helen knew he deserved better, so she took him to the vet and insisted the tumor be removed — a surgery that she was able to pay for by crowdsourcing funds. It was risky surgery for an old dog, but it was a success… and Kringle got four more amazing months of life.

You can see a fantastic video about Kringle below and more stories of good dogs that have “crossed the bridge” here.

Moved by Helen’s work, the surrounding community now helps however they can. When the sanctuary needed a new roof, neighbors showed up. When Helen needed a van to drive her old dogs to the vet, strangers donated one within days. And when one of her hospice dogs takes their final walk, thousands online grieve with her.

And Helen’s home has also changed the lives of the humans who have come through her front door. A woman named Amy Regan told us: “My brother Matt is 34 and has Down Syndrome. He has wanted to volunteer with dogs for many years and has been rejected from numerous organizations solely because of his disability. Helen and the team at Old Dogs Go to Helen gave Matt belonging, but also gave him something that no one else would — a chance. […] She’s reaching the far corners of our community that have been underrepresented and shut out of opportunities.”

Talk about impact.

The Takeaway

Old Dogs Go to Helen has become a family business, with Helen’s husband and daughters sharing in the work... and the heartbreak. 

That’s because to love is to be willing to sign up for grief. It’s an act of bravery. Considering Helen’s calling, she’s one of the bravest people I’ve ever heard of.

Here’s a reaction from one of our stories last week — “Love, Loss, & The Power Of Saying Yes”

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✈️ A 93-year-old man traveled 40 hours from East Africa to Arizona to surprise his grandson on his wedding day.

🌷 A flower deliveryman's hug brings a widow to tears and moves millions online.

🐶 Fifteen massive puppies meet Santa… and their reactions are priceless.

When the Berlin Wall was constructed under cover of night in August 1961, a young boy and his father, visiting the Western part of the city, were separated from the rest of their family in the East. Believing the boy should be with his mother, the father told his son to walk up to the barbed-wire fence… hoping someone would show compassion to sneak him through.

And that’s exactly what happened. An East German soldier saw the boy and lifted him over the fence. Although the soldier ultimately faced the wrath of his superior officers, the photograph of his act is a reminder that compassion can cross any boundary.

Reflecting on the time I spent with Ramesses and Jamie for our Beg-Knows America segment, I can’t help but think about how this story of courage and generosity happened smack dab in the middle of a weekend filled with one tragic headline after another. For so many, it’s been a heartbreaking week… which is all the more reason this space — a celebration of good across the country — is so important.

I continually need to be reminded of reasons to smile, which means everyone reading this, and likely everyone in America, probably needs it as well. Thank you, Ramesses, Jamie, and everyone at Smedley Elementary for giving us a reason!