Admittedly, this story brought some sad but mostly happy tears to our eyes.

Bianca and Billy are two special dogs very near and dear to our hearts. They both were originally rescued from commercial breeding facilities in Lancaster county, after being used as breeder dogs their entire lives.

They both came to us very shy and shut down and heartbreakingly also were quickly moved to our hospice/medical need dogs program due to both diagnosed with severe incurable cardiac issues.

Medical issues can make finding a placement for dogs more difficult, but we were so incredibly happy we found an adopter willing to love them both regardless of their health issues- without hesitation 💛

Please read this beautiful update from their family below:

“Dear Angel’s Retreat,
On May 28,2026 Billy crossed the Rainbow Bridge and took a piece of my heart with him but I am thankful for every moment of the 20 months he was a part of our lives.

Our story begins when I looked into Bianca’s (AKA BB) beautiful brown eyes, read her story and fell in love with her. She came home on July 18, 2024. She was a puppy mill mama and had severe cardiac disease but I knew I could give her the love and new life she deserved. I wanted BB to have a doggie buddy and we tried with Pippa, a sweet golden doodle, but she thought my kitties might be lunch so she went back to AR to find a loving cat-free home. I soon applied for a cute little mix named Mikey. Happily, he was adopted by his foster family.

We were still hoping to find our special buddy when, at the end of September, AR called and asked if I would be willing to take another dog from the same puppy mill who also had severe cardiac disease. While BB’s cardiac disease, pulmonary stenosis, is congenital, meaning she was born with it, Billy’s myxomatous mitral valve disease was acquired at a much younger age than most of his breed. My only qualifier was that he was not a threat to the kitties. An AR volunteer brought him to my house and he mostly ignored the cats so we finally had our boy. Little did I know that Billy would wrap his sweet paws around my heart.

Billy-the beautiful cream mini golden doodle with the big, dark, soulful eyes and ears so soft everyone who knew him had to rub them every time they petted him. It took a little time-BB wasn’t sure she wanted to share the lime light but Billy was a gentleman and always deferred to her. She got first pets and he waited shyly for his turn and then he came to sit proudly next to me-my little guardian and protector. He crammed so much living into 20 short months-rolling in the grass, chasing BB around the yard, both of them barking at every UPS, Amazon, & trash truck coming down the street.

Billy’s favorite place to nap was on the bay windowsill where he could watch the world go by and not miss any opportunity to join BB in barking. I will always have a picture of him on the walks they both loved. His was a jaunty walk-head up looking all around for a child or another dog, sniffing the air, tail high and wagging, smiling and bouncing along with his best friend, BB. Always a little shy at first, he loved meeting new people and would sometimes try to follow them down the driveway as they left. He was especially fascinated watching children play-maybe because he didn’t have that opportunity as a puppy.

In August of last year he started with a cough which his vet first thought might be kennel cough (despite being vaccinated) but as it didn’t respond to treatment he was soon diagnosed with early-stage heart failure. He continued to love life despite his increasing cough. At the end of October, Dr. Dennis, his cardiologist confirmed that his heart was deteriorating and gave him about 6-12 months. We were determined to cram as much fun into every day and we did!

Many of friends called or sent messages after we lost him-he was so loved and made a big impression on everyone who met him. BB and I both miss him so much and we are actively looking for another dog. There will never be another Billy but there is a dog out there in need of the love and companionship we can share in memory of Billy.

On a very happy note: BB just had a checkup with Dr. Simon Dennis, her cardiologist, and we got as good a report as possible. BB and I will celebrate 2 years since her adoption on July 18th and her 7th birthday on July 21st. Although her heart condition cannot be cured or repaired, it is stable and has not progressed since she was first diagnosed on arriving at AR in January 2024. Dr. Dennis feels with her meds and good care she has a good chance for a fairly normal lifespan.

Thank you Angel’s retreat for bringing these two wonderful dogs into my life.”

Big hugs to Billy and Bianca’s mom for being such a beautiful example of pure, unconditional love for these two special dogs. ❤️

Stories like this are such a much-needed reminder of the kindness and goodness that still exist in humanity- something we can sometimes lose sight of after seeing so many of the difficult and heartbreaking things that come with rescue work. Thank you for showing us that there is still so much good in the world.