The Greener Side Haven Inc

Our only revenue source is donations. One hundred percent of each donation goes to help animals.

Our mission is also to bring about a time when there are No More Abandoned Pets.  We believe that all pets – no matter the circumstances of their health or age – deserve to live a quality life in a loving home environment. Nearly 75% of our animals are "seniors." We are a foster based animal sanctuary.

Normally we accept (1) emotionally and/or physically handicapped pets, (2) pets whose cost of medical care to ensure quality of life is beyond the capability and financial means of their owner, (3) pets who are not good adoption candidates (the blind and/or deaf, the arthritic, the amputees, etc), and (4) terminally ill pets (cancer, congestive heart failure, renal insufficiency, etc) who still have a quality of life and the will to live. 

We give our animals every treatment they require, and as much Tender Loving Care as they crave.  They give us – in love and companionship – far more than we give them. Meet some of our “gang:”

Shilie is a 20 year old white Shepherd mix with cancer of the lower jaw. She was turned over to Citrus County Animal Control to be euthanized because her owners – who had her for 12 years – decided they could not deal with her cancer. When we got her, we paid for a dentistry and for removal of as much of her tumor as possible, since it was affecting her ability to close her mouth. Shilie has been very happy and active, only requires pain medication and softened food, and loves to have her backside scratched. She has been thriving at our sanctuary for more than 8 years. 

Grandma is a 14 year old, heartworm positive mix breed who had a hernia dangling between her hind legs almost touching the ground. She was very thin with terrible skin and patches of missing hair. Since her arrival she has had over a 2 hour hernia surgery, been spade, had a dental, shots and been on a multitude of medications. Her hair has grown back beautifully, she no longer has the mass dangling between her legs and she has gained 7 pounds. She is a real sweetheart.

Bear is a 14 year old Shit Zhu mix who is blind with chronic dry eyes, a heart murmur and bad skin. He had patches of hair on his front end and almost nothing on his hind end or tail. He has a beautiful coat now and gets eye meds 4 times a day. He loves his food and enjoys long naps.

All of our animals owe their rescue to Julianne Jackson, founder and president of The Greener Side Haven. She writes:

 I adopted my first dog – Honey, a miniature poodle – more than 30 years ago. I didn’t have a clue how to choose a puppy, so I chose the runt of the litter. He turned out to be very sick. By his first birthday had developed demodectic mange, which was difficult to treat back then. I took him to vet after vet, specialist after specialist, but my poor little boy just got worse and worse. Soon after his second birthday, I had to make the gut wrenching decision to put him to sleep. I felt like my world had come to an end and I would never stop crying. It took me many years to get over my loss and adopt again.

The Greener Side evolved in 2006, when Florida became my permanent home. I started out with 8 dogs, 3 birds, and 2 horses. Soon, various souls pulled at my heartstrings. All had either physical disabilities or mental ones; some had both. (I have always been drawn to down trodden, sickly, overlooked animals – the ones that no one else wants. I feel that we are kindred spirits.)  Suddenly, I had 13 dogs, and then 27 dogs.

Not long afterward, the Greener Side “gang” grew to 44 dogs, 4 cats, 2 birds, and 6 horses. For years, I supported them all, with the help of my mother. The bills were astronomical (especially the vet bills). Eventually, I could no longer afford the bills. Therefore, on August 20, 2014, The Greener Side Haven, Inc was born. Shortly after, we received our determination as a public charity under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3).  Currently we are the “forever home” of 31 dogs, 20 cats, 3 birds, and a pig.