A Connecticut woman has turned her home into a hospice for sick, injured and abused animals.

Carrie Haggart said she began Out To Pasture after working for veterinarians and running a grooming shop.

"We bought land out here to do a hospice because I got tired of seeing everyone put their animals down when there was a problem," Haggart said. "We give them whatever we need, kind of a happy-ending deal."

Haggart said that she has taken animals in from across the country.

"We've gotten them from Canada, California, South Carolina, Texas -- you name it, they come from wherever."

She said that she takes in animals that would otherwise have been put to sleep. Many of the animals at her hospice are missing limbs or are blind and deaf. Haggart introduced Channel 3's Scot Haney to a cat that is blind and deaf and was found in a California Dumpster with its skull fractured.

She said another cat was found hanging from a tree and had to have its leg removed.

Takina, a dog at the hospice, has no use of her back legs, but gets around the hospice in rural Connecticut with the help of a special cart.

"Takina was from Arizona. She was born with scoliosis, a real bad case, curvature of the spine and she's paralyzed from the shoulders back. The only way she can get around besides hopping is in her cart, but in her cart, she's normal," Haggart said.

Haggart also cares for a dog without front legs.

"When she was born, they were going to put her to sleep, and I said, 'Just keep her until she's eight weeks old, and then I'll take her, and she's been here ever since," she said of Chawla, who has been at the shelter for the past 11 years. "We've got a cart for her, the first front-legged car they've every made, but she really doesn't like it."

Haggart said that her goal is to give the animals a loving home and a quality of life.

"They get anything they want: They get attention all day, they get the best food, the best vet care. We have people come and sit with them, they get reiki, they get massage treatments, they get special beds," she said. "It's like a spa here."

Taking refuge at Haggart's hospice are 70-plus cats, dogs, goats, sheep, horses and birds, all suffering from various ailments.

Haggart said that while she provides the animals with a loving home and specialized care, she remains realistic about their fates.

"They never suffer," she said. "We never let it get to that point. When they don't want to fight anymore, we've been doing it long enough that we can tell when it's time, then they're brought to the vet and put down. We never let anything die alone. When it's time to be put to sleep, they are going to be put to sleep in my arms. I will not have an animal die alone."

Haggart said that most of the animals share her home with her and her husband, Kevin. She said because the animals have special needs, the majority of the dogs in her care wear diapers.

"I'm like a diaper queen -- I can diaper about 20 dogs in 10 minutes," she said.

Haggart said that she goes through 150 diapers per day.

Because of the animals' special needs, Haggart said that she doesn't get any days off or any vacations.

"It's a privilege to be able to do it for them. They deserve the very best. They've been through a lot of horrible things and they are handicapped, and they deserve a life like any of them," she said.

Haggart said that her work with the animals wouldn't be possible without the help of sponsors. Various people and organizations can sponsor an animal for a period of time or make a donation.

For information about helping the animals of Out To Pasture, visit the organization's Web site.

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