Lost Our Home Pet Foundation

Just a little south of the intersection of Broadway and Hardy in Tempe, Ariz., is a shelter that gives comfort and hope to pets that have lost their homes through no fault of their own. A visit there is happy, heartwarming experience and one that makes one realize that there is comfort not only for the animals but also for their previous owners who had run out of options for their beloved furkids.

Lost Our Home Pet Foundation (LOH) ensures that all pets have loving homes when families face major life challenges. The organization provides compassionate options when realtors and the community find an abandoned pet.

LOH is the Valley's only organization dedicated to rescuing those pets abandoned or at risk of homelessness due to foreclosure, eviction or a life crisis. The most obvious recipients of their assistance are the pets they rescue, re-home and feed; however, the mission of LOH is linked directly to the human-animal bond. As a result, their target audience extends beyond the pets to include owners suffering during a life crisis.

The Riden's Story

Judy and Chuck Riden of Tempe have found two beautiful new friends at Lost Our Home: Beemer and Bentley. The Ridens tell their story of filling a void that was created when their dog Teddy passed in October.

"We adopted Teddy from the Mesa Animal Shelter on Dec. 29, 2009. He was nine years old at that time and had also been left by a family that couldn't keep him any longer.

"We took good care of him for five years. [Teddy had several surgeries, including one for a wound inflicted by a neighborhood dog.] At the beginning of his fifth year with us he had his first seizure, followed by a series - one at six months, then three months, then two weeks, and then only 12 hours apart. It was time to give Teddy his peace and that took place on Oct. 2, 2014.

"We missed him so much and also missed having a companion dog in our home that we contacted "Lost Our Home" right after we first heard about them. That night I looked up their Web site on the computer and the very first dog pictured for adoption was Beemer, who looks just like our Teddy.

"Then, as we read more about Beemer, his blindness, his brother Bentley ( he had lived with since birth) and that they would need to be adopted together, we had another decision to make.

"We were pretty sure we wanted to adopt them both, and after our first visit with them, we knew for certain that we wanted them in our home and hearts.

"They are very loving dogs. On the first visit, Bentley ran and jumped right into Chuck's lap and Beemer fell asleep on my lap. We were hooked and we [went] to visit them every day [after that].

"Lost Our Home agreed to keep them, at no charge to us, until we returned from our trip to Europe on Nov. 10.

"It was meant to be, an adoption made in Heaven."

Brothers Beemer And Bentley

According to the Ridens, Beemer and Bentley are eight years, five months old, best guess by Lost Our Home. Beemer is the white one that is blind. Bentley is the brother who takes care of Beemer. Bentley obviously has some Airedale in him. He's taller and longer and has a beautiful champagne color coat. The family that had to give them up was very sad to do so last May.

Yes, they are brothers from the same litter, but obviously there was more than one papa. They are not purebred Bichons, yet both are considered Bichons.

For More Information

Lost Our Home Pet Foundation is a non-profit (501©3), no-kill rescue and is located at 2323 S. Hardy Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282. They focus on rescues, adoptions, a pet food bank, low-income boarding, a temporary care program, and more.

Contact information includes info@LostOurHome.org, (602) 445-7387, and their Web site http://www.LostOurHome.org.