LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — There are many dogs in Central Florida that need a good home, but some dogs find it harder to get adopted because of special needs or medical care.

When you walk through the gate at Polka Dogz Rescue, you’ll be greeted by some happy pups, all rescued by Heidi Hardman and her team of volunteers.

Heidi didn’t start Polka Dogz rescue for the dogs most likely to get adopted, or even most likely to survive.

“Just because a dog is paralyzed doesn’t make them any less of a dog,” she said.

Heidi and her team have taken in hundreds of dogs, cleaned them up, and gotten them ready for adoption.

“I don’t have exact numbers but it’s approximately 800 that we’ve saved, we average about 200 a year,” she said.

But caring for dogs with severe injuries or special needs isn’t cheap.

“We had another dog, Nina, who we ended up spending about $50,000 on for about three years,” Heidi said.

That’s a lot of money and countless hours spent on dogs they don’t even know will make it or get adopted in the end.

But Heidi says seeing these dogs run around the yard is worth every penny.

“That is the reward, that’s the reward right there,” she said.

If you’re looking to adopt a dog from Polka Dogz Rescue or if you’d like to volunteer, head to the Polka Dogz website.