In Mount Juliet, Tennessee, over 40 senior dogs have a safe and loving forever foster home where they can live just how dogs are meant to—feeling loved and happy, without a care in the world.

The Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary is no ordinary animal shelter. Its owners and all-volunteer dog care super-squad take only senior dogs under their roof. Their mission is to provide these dogs—plus the over 150 dogs they've placed in loving Forever Foster homes—with the high-quality food, veterinary care, and compassion that senior dogs so often miss out on in traditional shelters.

Many people overlook senior dogs, wanting a puppy instead because it's "cuter." Well, I challenge anyone who looks at Lacy, the three-legged German Shepherd, to tell me that her smile is any less radiant than a tiny pup's.

Senior dogs struggle in shelters and have much lower rates of adoption than younger dogs, who may come with fewer health problems or less baggage. It does take a special kind of person to truly care for a senior dog. Some people simply don't have the time or the resources to do so—that's where OFSDS comes in.

Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary's mission is this:

"While providing a lifetime home for senior dogs, OFSDS strives to raise awareness of the joys and challenges of living with aging dogs. While never forgetting where these dogs have come from, we want to emphasize the positive aspects of their life in retirement. We do not concern ourselves with the quantity of time that they have left, rather the quality of the life that we can provide them for that time."

If that isn't the epitome of nobility and selflessness, I don't know what is.

It's easy to be excited about caring for puppies and young dogs with boundless energy who will follow you everywhere. But it's a special kind of compassion and dedication to animals that allows the superheroes at OFSDS to not only help house dogs in retirement but to treat them just as well as they always should have been. They are determined to help their dogs through every ailment and illness, for as long as they can provide a good life and a good home. Accepting the responsibility of caring for these wonderful dogs in their last years before crossing the Rainbow Bridge—and never giving up on their chances at a quality life—takes a degree of courage and resilience that most of us can only imagine.

Senior dogs make great companions, which most people forget when they're looking to adopt. But Old Friends are mature, calm, and eager to love their companions. That's how so many dogs can get along at the OFSDS—they've mostly grown out of the fussing and fighting for territory and instead just want to enjoy their time with their canine (and human) pals.

OFSDS doesn't only bring peace to its retired dogs, though. Their daily Facebook posts about the highlights of the dogs' days bring joy to those of us who only seem to notice the bad news on our timelines. The comment sections under these photos are full of love and appreciation for these dogs and their incredible caretakers. There are notes to the dogs, wishing them well and thanking them for bringing sunshine into bad days. The Old Friends let us see a bright spark of pure good that really, truly exists.

If you need a pick-me-up, just look out for Captain Ron, the gang's fearless one-eyed leader.

In times of trouble, find brightness in the Sooper Dooper Snooper and his never-ending curiosity.

And no one can resist Leo, the ladies' man of Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary, whose face is featured on fundraising t-shirts.

OFSDS has made over a million people fall in love with dogs they've never even met—myself included. My roommate bought me a Leo shirt for my birthday this year. I teared up when Lacy was returned to the Sanctuary and immediately got along great with the other Old Friends. I live for updates on the dogs, and I always hope they're having a good day. I know they are at OFSDS.

The Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary gives me hope in a time where bad news is unavoidable. It may be a small beacon of hope, but it's there. When I've had a bad day, a post about the Lookout Gang or an update on Leo's summer haircut makes me smile. Those small moments are important, and they reflect the power of sharing a real compassionate love for animals with the world.

So whenever you're in need of some pure canine love, check out OFSDS's Facebook page. And if you're looking for a worthy place to donate, where your money will truly make a difference—that you can see—there's no better place than the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary, where love never grows old.