If you have come to this website because a Dharma volunteer referred you, so you can get information to help your dog or cat, please pay it forward and make a donation to our rescue for the time a volunteer spent with to help your furry companion.


Dharma Rescue for cats and Dogs is an all- volunteer 501(c) (3) non-profit holistic rescue organization based in Torrance, Southern California. We are committed to finding homes for unwanted pets in our community. We specialize in caring for seniors and special need cats and dogs using alternative and conventional treatment. We offer alternative education and assistance to encourage pet guardians not to give up their senior, physically challenged or ill cat or dog.

We have found that conventional medical care can be very expensive for guardians and rescuers; so our goal is to have a rescue wellness center, where older animals or special needs that are difficult to place in homes have a safe and comfortable place to live out their lives with loving care. Working with holistic vets and like minded volunteers, the center would offer education and assistance to pet guardians, and other rescue groups to care for seniors or special needs.

(Click on picture to make it bigger)

Tiny - Tiny is a neutered 9 year very sweet old male large toy party poodle.

His mom was old and she died last year . Since last year October Tiny has been on a long journey looking for a forever home which ended back here with Dharma Rescue. Something we hear rescuers say so many times is “ I don't like people” . Why?! We see the ugly side of the human race, the greed, the cruelty, the selfishness, we see more then we want too. The animal kingdom should turn it's back on the human race, why should they give us companionship, protection and love.

Why are we so upset? Let us tell you Tiny's story…

A Dharma Rescue volunteer was Tiny's groomer since he was a puppy. She also groomed his predecessor Corky. When Corky died, a breeder without taking in consideration the age of Tiny's mom sold her a toy poodle. For nine years Tiny's groomer asked his mom if he will be taken care of when she dies and she said yes her niece would take care of him. Tiny's mom had a neighbor that helped her by getting her groceries and driving her around . They all knew she loved Tiny very much and he was a loyal loving ,companion to her, especially when she got to a point she could not move well or leave her house, Tiny was there by her side...

When his mom died the neighbor was willed his moms house....nice... and the niece got a substantial amount of money....lucky. Once the estate was settled the niece did not want to take Tiny because he would have to live outside like her other dogs and it was a very hot area were she lived at least that was her excuse for not taking in this little ,gentle, quiet senior dog. That was her excuse why he had to live all alone in his mom's house until the new owners of the house, the neighbor, decided to do major construction on the house, to sell it. Like most dogs belonging to older people he peed in the house because his mom was to old to do house training for Tiny but it was okay with her, she loved him. His peeing was another reason he wasn't wanted.

The neighbor brought him in for his groomings a few times after his mom died. His mom had Tiny groomed every 2 weeks. The neighbor made it clear she did not want to keep Tiny. So we had them go to another rescue that showed on weekends at a high foot traffic area and we put him on our website too . After a few weeks the rescue had a possible great home for him but good responsible rescues do homes checks before adopting dogs or cats out, we just never hand them over with out checking the home.

The neighbor had put up flyers to find Tiny a new home. A groomer saw the flyer at a vets office and called. She was invited over to see him so she went straight over there from the vets office to see Tiny. She was very sadden to see him tied up in the house while construction was being done. He sat in a corner tied up scared and confused with dust flying around , the doors wide open while people went in and out. In the groomers mind she felt she had to take him out of this place and maybe she could find him a home while he lived at her house. But Mr Impatience called and without doing a home check on this stranger ,Tiny was handed over on the spot and what ever possessions he owned went with him.

The groomer soon learned rescuing was not an easy job and can be very expensive. She noticed Tiny had very bad breath and had him checked by her vet, $700.00 later he had 9 teeth pulled. Tiny also peed in the house and she did not know how to house train a 9 year old dog. She adopted him out 3 times and he came back each time, he was nick named Boom-a-rang. She called the other rescue after 3 months and wanted them to take him back and of course they didn't because they didn't adopt him through their group. Six months went by and she called the neighbor who gave him away and they didn't want him back so ...of course it was suggested to call his groomers rescue Dharma Rescue. We got a call from the groomer who said she was going to take him to the shelter that day if we didn't take him, because she thought the next day is Memorial Day and there would be a lot of people at the shelter so he would get adopted...hmm... lets see a 9 year old poodle almost blind with cataracts and a terrible gum infection..hmm...PLEASE should we laugh or cry!

After Tiny was dropped off to us that day our volunteer drove over to the neighbor to let her know we took Tiny in and how do they plan on helping after all his mom trusted her and the niece to take care of her beloved Tiny. They both felt bad but nope couldn't take him in. Last year when the inheritance was dispersed these people should have got together opened their fattened wallets and found a sanctuary that takes in senior dogs or cats and paid them to take Tiny in so he could live the rest of his life safe and cared for, not GIVEN away to be just anyone who said I want him.

As I sit here with Tiny on the couch I promised him he was safe and he will live here until we find the forever home he deserved so he could do his job and be a companion to a deserving human like his mom . If it wasn't for Karma or what goes around comes around or angels looking over use or just being a decent human being I don't think we could do what we do rescuing animals, we have to believe there is good and surround our selves with the essence of goodness so we do not become greedy, selfish and heartless.

We are so grateful to have good vets for our rescues. Our conventional vet is very good to us and even though we have a high vet bill balance he still treats our dogs and cats. We are fortunate to be able to take our rescues in especially ones like Tiny who need medical care. We had Tiny checked and his breath is so bad because he has stomotitis and he has swollen glands. Our vet aspirated one of the lumps and sent it to the lab. He may have a bad infection or cancer, his mom was a chain smoker and for years his groomer feared he may get cancer from second hand smoke. A few years ago the neighbor took Tiny and his mom to an eye specialist for his cataracts, his mom could afford the best care for Tiny. We are not sure why surgery was not done and are waiting for the records so we can go back to the eye specialist and see if surgery can fix his eyes. He can see but mostly out of his good eye.

This is all going to be expensive and donations for Tiny will be greatly appreciated.

The niece has not called back to help with Tiny's medical care and the neighbor has paid for his check up, she said she would help if it is not too expensive.....I don't know what to say.....

“ The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way in which it's animals are treated” Mahatma Gandhi

E-mail: info@dharmarescue.org