Rosanna Keyes

December 2024 Issue

by Edwina Hoyle
Photography by Cassidy Dunn Photography


As a child, Rosanna Keyes loved animals, and her bedroom walls were plastered with posters of all kinds of animals—even tigers. She was 8 years old when she found a stray cat lying in a culvert and wanted to help it, but the cat bit her and had to be put down in case it had rabies. It was a tough introduction to euthanasia. Two years later, she was surprised by her uncle who raised Collies: “One of his litters wasn’t show-quality, and I finally got my Lassie,” she said.

Her husband introduced her to animal rescue shelters and the joy of being outdoors. They started with rescuing horses and eventually changed over to working with dogs. “We always adopted rescue dogs at the holidays. We had eight dogs when we split up, and I won the dogs in my divorce.” While living in Virginia, Rosanna also offered socialization training for other dogs in her fenced-in yard.

Rosanna worked between the Justice Department and the Government Services Agency (GSA). “I commuted 36 years in DC traffic, and when I was ready to retire, I wanted somewhere more peaceful with less traffic and congestion. But there had to be an animal rescue organization with the same strict adoption requirements as the Friends of Homeless Animals in Virginia where I volunteered.”

She visited a friend in Hilton Head and fell in love with the area. While in town, she toured three rescue shelters. Maranatha Farm Animal Rescue was exactly what she was looking for. When she told the owners, Karen and Dwane, she was thinking about moving to the Lowcountry, they offered to let her stay in a trailer on the property until she found a home. “I couldn’t believe it; she didn’t even know me,” Rosanna said. Her decision was easily made, and she relocated to Bluffton in 2014. “I sat in traffic for 36 years, and now I’m outside all the time.”

Rosanna began volunteering and adopting older dogs that rarely get placed in homes. She continued until December 2023, when Maranatha Farm closed. She now volunteers at Raskel’s Rescue in Hardeeville. “Older dogs don’t ask for much. However, old dogs, like old people, require a lot of care,” she explained. All of her dogs eat different foods to meet their individual needs. Rosanna spends roughly $10,000 a year for their medical care and food.

On Halloween, Rosanna had six dogs. On November 1 she lost Buzzy, and on November 12 Stella passed. Her last 14 dogs were Maranatha rescues.

Buzzy, age 13, was a front-legged tripod with sarcoma. While at Maranatha, he escaped his crate one night and started barking non-stop. “He was barking to let us know there was a fire on the property. He was my hero. It’s never easy to lose a dog, and because I rescue old dogs, I have them for only one or two years. If I get three, that’s great.”

Stella, a 14-year-old lab/hound mix had inoperable cancer in her spleen and chest. She came to Maranatha because a bad marriage put her in need of a new home. So Rosanna gave her one until she passed.

Irma, a 4-year-old Pug, is number 35 in Rosanna’s journey of adopting dogs. “When I got her, she couldn’t walk due to neurological issues that affect her spine. She also has hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and she’s incontinent and blind.” Irma follows Rosanna by listening to the sound of her footsteps.

Sweet Tea is 14 and her owner went into hospice care, so Rosanna adopted her. She suffers from bladder stones.

George is a 15-year-old lab/chow mix with arthritis and needs a stroller to complete his walks. Rosanna adopted George when his owner moved into an assisted living facility.

Layla is a 13-year-old chocolate lab mix whose owner died. Layla has kidney disease that is now under control.

“All the dogs are special to me. My animals always signal when they are ready. I tell people to measure the good days and the bad days, and because you can’t always remember, write it on a calendar. When the bad days outnumber the good ones, it’s a quantitative measure, and a quality-of-life issue.” Rosanna is a merciful, compassionate advocate for aging seniors who truly makes a difference for all.

 

Up Close:
• Rosanna has helped an elderly neighbor for three years who broke a hip and has multiple litters of stray cats. She cleans and changes litter boxes for her and helps wherever needed.

• Rosanna’s parents emigrated to the US from Holland after World War II. Her father was one of 11 children. Her mother was one of 13. They had a basic knowledge of English and communicated in Dutch. When Rosanna entered Catholic school, she was told she had to stop speaking Dutch.