LAYTONSVILLE, Md. - A home dedicated to taking care of older dogs may be forced to close its doors forever because of the bad economy. 

Animal lovers are now wondering what will happened to the 19 dogs now being cared for in a Laytonsville home.

"I get to get up in the morning and live my passion every single day and not everyone can do that," said Sher Polvinale, the owner of The House With a Heart. "I think I am lucky beyond belief."

Polvinale's dream was to turn her home into a dog sanctuary, a place for aging and unwanted dogs to die with dignity. "There's never any reason that a dog can't stay -- never. We'll figure it out," she said.

After her husband passed away last year, Polvinale believed she could continue her work for the rest of her life. That dream is now in crisis.

"Things that happened with the economy -- we invested the money and it just didn't work out the way that we had hoped," she said.

It costs Polvinale $1,000 a month for dog food and $4,000 a month in medicine. And although she says she just doesn't have the money, she's determined not to let any of her 19 rescue dogs go.

"I just have faith that good will come through and so far we've always managed to pull it off," she said.

The House With a Heart continues to take in donations and now takes in more boarder dogs than rescue dogs. The owner says she hopes she can keep going.

 Email To Friend