A nonprofit has just opened in Independence, Missouri, to serve as a retirement community for man's four-legged best friends.

Shep's Place Senior Dog Sanctuary is named after the dog that inspired the venture.

"His picture just jumped out at us," Russell Clothier said of his elderly Beagle mix, Shep.

Clothier, a high school physics teacher, and his wife knew they wanted to adopt a senior dog.

"As a volunteer, it used to just break my heart to go there and see week after week, month after month these sweet old dogs unable to find a home," Clothier said.

Once Shep stole his heart, Clothier decided it was time to take his love of animals to the next level.

"He's inspired us to help other dogs like him and start Shep's Place, so it's named after him," Clothier said of his rescue dog. "This place is yours, Shep."

The senior sanctuary, comprised of a house and a large fenced yard, is a sanctuary for good boys and girls to live out their golden years. Shep's Place takes in dogs ages 10 and older that have not been able to find a forever family through area shelters.

"We will be their family and this will be their home," Clothier said. "They'll be free to roam and sleep on the couch and go in the play yards."

Volunteers supervise the dogs, who have their own kennels to sleep in at night. The plan is to house about 12 dogs.

"Being able to bring them here and give them some place of their own, I mean that's what inspired this whole thing to start," he said.

Shep's Place is in need of volunteers and funding to help offset the cost of renovations to the property, which were done with the help of KC Custom Design.