A couple love the dogs so much they have taken on 19 at a time to give them a second chance at life – and will pay vet fees even if they rehome them.

Chris and Mariesa Hughes have rescued more than 600 senior and special needs dogs throughout what they say is their goal of giving all animals the best life possible.

In particular, they try to improve the lot of those who have given up, run out of possibilities and now live with more than a dozen dogs in their home.

The house is carefully prepared for you to live a pleasant life. while Chris and Mariesa co-founded a nonprofit company called Mr. Mo Project that helps dogs find loving homes and pay their lifelong medical bills.

Chris, 34, was initially born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, but moved to the US when he was just three years old.

When they met, Chris already had six dogs and Mariesa had two, bringing the family to a total of eight right away, but they didn’t stop there.

Mariesa, 40, told TeamDogs: “I always wanted to rescue dogs since I was young. I had my first dog rescued from the streets when I was nine years old. Chris has been the same way.

“We now accept specialized dogs for the purpose of rehoming.”

Even though they both have full-time jobs, they continue to find dog-loving homes that pay their medical bills.

The Mr. Mo project was inspired by Chris’s dog, Moses, who sadly passed away.

He said: “Moses was an old Pittie who was handed over to the shelter for being too old. We ended up having him for 22 months before he died from a spinal cord malignancy.

“Over the last few months with him, we realized how expensive it was to care for an elderly, sick dog, so after he passed away, we decided to take on the task of finding homes for senior dogs while paying for all the veterinary care. and opening fantastic houses that had all the love but no extra money.”

Many shelters contact Chris and Mariesa because they accept a very specific dog. The couple adopts sick dogs and dogs with medical problems, as well as dogs that other people cannot have due to medical expenses.

The couple’s effort involves a lot of fundraising to be able to care for the dogs. Last year they spent $700,000 (£508,536) on veterinary care.

Chris said: “Shelters call us, we take in the dogs and give them all the financial care and eventually find them the ideal foster home where they will live for the rest of their lives. However, we are the ones who take care of that medical care for the rest of their lives.”

At the couple’s house they have everything ready for the dogs to live happily. They have a huge walled back garden for the dogs to run free, and they also have their own kennels with their names on them. They offer a hydrotherapy treadmill and a laser treatment machine to work on joints and wounds.

Chris said: “All of our dogs have special requirements and it is much cheaper to have everything at our home.

“The feeding time is crazy, it takes about 30 minutes. We have dogs that are hand fed because they have no teeth or no lower jaw. Some dogs can become a little aggressive with food and we have dogs with very diverse diets.

“We have some incredibly old dogs here too. We have a 22 year old chihuahua and a 20 year old pug.”

The 19 dogs are of different ages, breeds and suffer from different disabilities, which, according to Mariesa, makes their care very difficult.

She said: “It’s bittersweet because it’s not always a dream, it can be extremely hectic, but it’s amazing to see all the work you’ve done and to see all these lovely dogs loved up, who deserve a second chance.” .

“But the lows are heart-wrenching, especially when there are dogs you can’t save. It’s those moments that really cut deep,” he said with a sigh. “Our work here is a constant whirlwind of chaos and mess.”

“I often think, ‘We can’t take in any more dogs,’ but then, almost without warning, we find ourselves rescuing two more,” he continued, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

“Yet, seeing their transformation—the way they go from scared and abandoned to joyful and loved—makes every ounce of effort and heartache worthwhile. It’s incredibly tough, no doubt about it, but this… this is our true calling, our life’s passion.”