From PEOPLE Magazine
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After a life of struggle, these creatures—including 37 dogs, 45 cats and 20 caged birds—don't have much fight left. Arriving mostly by way of local animal shelters, they have been abused, maimed or injured, debilitated by disease or lack of proper care. Half a dozen cats are hobbled by cerebella hypoplasia, which makes them unable to balance. A goose with a broken pelvis roosts out back, near a pony with a metabolic disorder. Marino, 51, a former pediatric ICU nurse trained in animal rehab, offers aquatic therapy and massage. One rottweiler left quadriplegic by a ruptured disc has recently started walking. "But most of the animals," says Marino, "are here for the hospice"—to pass their remaining days looked after and loved by her and her companion of 11 years, Victor LaBruna, 60. The pair receives help from a small group of volunteers that includes veterinarian Douglas Kappstatter. "I've never seen anything like Angel's Gate," says Kappstatter. "You don't have to put down an animal if they have a place like this."
The nonprofit Angel's Gate began in 1992, when Marino took in a broken-backed shih tzu from a neighbor. She and LaBruna have cared for 1,000 animals since then, she estimates. The effort hasn't been easy: Supported with stipends from shelters and individual donations, the couple say they barely make ends meet (they shell out $500 a week on feed). "And you need a high tolerance for piddles and poops," says LaBruna, who three years ago gave up a job in social work. "But I tell you, it's a joy to be able to do this."
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