Muttville: What a blast! The day after the Night of a Thousand Mutts

What a blast! The day after the Night of a Thousand Mutts

Best Muttville party ever, and that’s saying something. Co-chairs John Mounier and Susan Christman put together a fabulous event. It was a night of old friends and new friends and tears and cheers, food and drink, prizes galore… all beginning with Maxwell, our 1000th dog, kicking off the celebration. Emily Pottruck really nailed the spirit of the night in her speech introducing Sherri when she said, “I am thrilled, honored, and proud of Sherri for fulfilling her dream in such a magnificent way. Of course, she could not have done this without many, many people helping her in a myriad of ways. Sherri is the visionary, and the world of animal/human connection will forever be changed by her determination, vision, strength, and devotion.” Emily listed some of Muttville’s awards and commendations, and it was stunning to realize that in four short years Muttville’s been honored everywhere from the guardian award presented by Jane Goodall, to the Jefferson Award for Seniors for Seniors, to the only Innovation Grant awarded to a rescue without a shelter attached, to the wonderful Bay Woof vote that named Muttville “best dog rescue” and “best canine cause” two years in a row.

When Sherri took the stage, it was pandemonium. She brought tears to the crowd with her description of the moments in her life when she knew that senior dogs were her calling. We’ll post those stories here soon.

Then came our first-ever live auction with the magnetic, exuberant Lenny Broberg, who whipped up the crowd like an evangelist – a senior dog evangelist, which he is, as expressed in his touching story about his own loving and loyal Dalmatian whom he adopted when the dog was 12. Thanks to Lenny’s exhortations (and the adorableness of the posters hanging from every wall), people were clamoring for the opportunity provided by Pet Food Express to have their pooches photographed and immortalized in a big poster that will hang in a Pet Food Express store. And dinner with Sherri brought the big coin – a generous donation considering that Sherri would go out to dinner with Dennis anytime!

Marie’s video of the transformation of many Muttville mutts not only brought cheers, but one of the featured dogs, Bongo, got adopted on the spot.

Thank you to everyone – and there are many – who contributed time and money and energy and spirit, including the hundreds who came to cheer Muttville on. What a blast. Stay tuned for pictures and more highlights.