Our Press
July 21 2010
Muttville Matches Senior Dogs With Caring Homes
Jefferson Award Winner: Sherri Franklin
Sherri Franklin leads two dogs across the grass at a San Francisco park.
“Come on kids, let’s go!” she calls to them.
It’s her life’s mission: saving older dogs.
“It is the reason I get up in the morning. It’s actually because I can save an animal, place an animal in a great home,” Sherri explains.
As a longtime SPCA volunteer in the 1990s, the San Francisco hairstylist developed a passion for older dogs: those last to be adopted, and first to be euthanized. ...
July 2 2010
Bay Area Focus: Sherri Franklin
Susan Sikora interviews Muttville founder Sherri Franklin (accompanied by our sweet little Buffy) on CBS 5.
June 2010
Wags and Kisses
“AARP California encourages members in the San Francisco Bay Area to consider adopting a pet from Muttville, a nonprofit senior dog rescue group. According to its website, Muttville’s mission is ‘to change the way the world thinks about and treats older dogs and to create better lives for them through rescue, foster, adoption and hospice.’
“Compared with puppies, older dogs are often calmer, quieter, housebroken and accustomed to being pets. Besides, older humans can reap health benefits from living with pets, such as increased physical activity, lower blood pressure, fewer trips to the doctor, less depression and a greater sense of security….”
June 2010
Sherri Franklin: Fairy Godmother to Senior Dogs
“Sherri Franklin didn’t even have a dog when she started volunteering as a dog walker at the San Francisco SPCA about 15 years ago. Today, the organization she founded, Muttville, has saved almost 700 dogs in the last three years and is nearly 200 volunteers strong. And Muttville doesn’t save just any dogs; Muttville specializes in senior dogs and those with the kind of health issues that make them challenging to find homes for.
“Franklin’s devotion to the dogs she cared for quickly turned into what she called ‘an obsession.’ She said, ‘The SPCA required a commitment of once a week, and I ended up doing five or six days every week. I found that it was the older dogs that I couldn’t get out of my mind, the ones with less of a chance….’”
May 30 2010
Credo: Sherri Franklin
“Sherri Franklin, a longtime dog advocate, served six years as vice chair of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare for The City and founded Muttville — which cares for and finds homes for senior dogs.”
Lisa Geduldig interviews Muttville’s founder and executive director about her influences, her philosophy of life, and how Muttville fits into it all.
May 22 2010
Sherri Franklin on Peter Finch's Beat of the Bay
Peter Finch interviews Muttville founder and executive director Sherri Franklin. And admits he may have fallen in love with our little Miss Daisy.
May 2010
Local Resident Gives Senior Mutts a Second Chance
“Sherri Franklin is a rescuer at heart. The Potrero Hill resident founded Muttville, an organization that fosters and finds permanent homes for dogs too old to be considered adoptable by many shelters. Muttville’s dogs are more than seven years old, and considered dog- and people-friendly. Many come from shelters that would otherwise euthanize them; others come from owners who have gotten sick or passed away.
“Since its inception in 2007, Muttville has rescued more than 600 dogs from throughout California. Franklin and her team of 150 volunteers and 27 foster homes care for the animals and assess their placement needs…”
May 2010
There's No Place Like a Home
“Fifty-four-year-old Sherri Franklin scans a group of senior citizens in a Berkeley, California, retirement home. Tucked under her arm is a white miniature poodle wearing a jacket that says, ‘Adopt Me.’ Her gaze falls on an 83-year-old named George. She kneels beside his wheelchair and asks, ‘Would you like to hold Cappy the poodle? He’s 14—about your age, in dog years. He’d be so happy to sit in your lap.’ After George nods Sherri places the tiny animal in his arms. Cappy drapes himself over George’s body, sighs contentedly and closes his eyes. As if he’s been doing it for years, George strokes Cappy’s white curls with his age-spotted hand.”
My Buddy Butch
April 15 2010
Sherri Franklin on My Buddy Butch Blog Talk Radio
Jeff Marginean, author of “My Buddy Butch: Confessions of a New Dog Dad” and the My Buddy Butch website, hosts a weekly show on Blog Talk Radio. On April 15th he talked to Muttville founder Sherri Franklin about Muttville, the adoption process, the benefits of adopting older dogs, and our “Seniors for Seniors” program.
March 14 2010
Kiehl's Helps Old Dogs Find New Homes
“Last Saturday, Kiehl’s on Fillmore Street hosted a unique pet adoption and fund raising event for Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. Every shopper who donated over $10 to Muttville took home complimentary Kiehl’s samples. The event helped raise over $1200 for Muttville, funds that will be much needed for food, shelter and veterinary care.”
March 2010
Bay Woof's 2010 Beast of the Bay Award Winners
“Deserving special mention here is the organization voted Best Rescue Group: Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. Its founder, Sherri Franklin, thinks older dogs who wind up in shelters need and deserve extra help getting adopted. Our readers obviously agree. Senior dog rescue, and Muttville’s efforts specifically, received the most votes as Best Canine Cause.”
Best Rescue Group, Best Canine Cause, and runner-up for Best Canine Fundraising Event. Thank you, Bay Woof readers!
Read Mindy Toomay’s lovely introduction and see the full list of winners.
Nov/Dec 2009
The Joy of Dog Fostering: Finding fulfillment, saving lives
“Fostering animals is a lot like mountain climbing. Everyone agrees it is a noble pursuit—just not something to consider doing oneself. Surely it takes extraordinary courage and strength of character? Yes, opening your home and your heart to a dog only to part with him again weeks or months later can be emotionally bruising. But the willingness of foster volunteers to love and let go brings about an awful lot of good. Without foster homes, Muttville and thousands of similar organizations could not function.”
With a lovely photo of Muttville founder Sherri Franklin with one of our lucky mutts.
July 17 2009
Gray Muzzle? No Problem! S.F. Nonprofit Finds Homes for Old Mutts.
“Good work, Muttville”, says SF Blog’s The Snitch (aka Peter Jamison), calling Muttville “a project that does good in the world free from the taint of greed, pride, or ideological bias.”
June 12 2009
Animal Friends: Muttville rescues Bay Area senior dogs
“The cocker spaniel was found wandering on the streets of San Jose two weeks ago. He is blind and deaf, and his fur was so matted you couldn’t see his eyes. He would have been put down if someone hadn’t thought to call Sherri Franklin in San Francisco… Others might call them rescuers and foster parents. I call them saints.” says Linda Goldston in her wonderful story about Muttville in the San Jose Mercury News.
June 8 2009
Animal welfare spotlight: Muttville
“Sherri Franklin has never met a graying muzzle she didn’t like. ‘So many people think that puppies are cute. I feel the same way about senior dogs,’ she says. ‘There’s something special about old, sweet mutts — it’s something in their eyes. It’s like you can see their soul.’”
April 21 2009
Perfect Match
The Grey Muzzle Organization helps support Muttville’s Seniors-for-Seniors program, which matches our wonderful dogs with wonderful senior citizens. Here’s an update from their newsletter “told in pictures – the happy smiles from people and dogs!”
April 2009
Welcome to Muttville
“San Francisco shelter Muttville has a mission that deserves our utmost support,” writes Lena Dakessian in the April 2009 edition. “A nonprofit organization working in collaboration with other animal shelters, Muttville is dedicated to finding homes for senior dogs that, tragically, would be euthanized if not adopted.”
April 2009
Muttville Makes Happy Endings Happen
“When I decided to dedicate some of my free time to a good dog cause, I chose to volunteer with Muttville,” says Ben Bartos. “Generally the process goes something like this: Muttville get an email or phone call from a shelter where there is a dog (or dogs) in danger of euthanasia. Transport is arranged to take the dog to one of Muttville’s partnering veterinarian clinics to take care of whatever medical issues there might be. Grooming and other essential services are often provided, then each dog is placed in a foster home while awaiting adoption by a forever family.”
January 2009
Wonder dogs: The benefits of loving a senior
“Sherri Franklin is the Director of Muttville, an organization that finds homes for senior dogs. She told FETCH that her number one reason for loving seniors is that they’re already set in their ways. ‘What you see is what you get,’ she commented. ‘Their personalities are there.’”
News Hound
December 1 2008
Thanks for Muttville
Michael Martinez: “I read this article in my local newspaper over the weekend, and it sounded like a belated Thanksgiving story. A lot of dogs can give thanks for a place called Muttville.”
November 29 2008
Dogs in their golden years get second chance at Muttville
“Estella is missing an eye. Ruthie has an inoperable tumor. Stimpy D has arthritis in his hips. Geriatric dogs, they would have been euthanized if not for Muttville – a new San Francisco nonprofit that specializes in finding homes for senior dogs that still have a few good years left.”
October 14 2008
SF Chronicle columnist Leah Garchik on the Gogol Bordello benefit for Muttville
“Everyone loves a puppy; it takes a real softy to honor the elders. As lead singer Eugene Hutz proclaimed at the show’s start, ‘This is for all the little doggies!’”
October 2008
Rescue dogs: Seniors with some livin' left to do
“Senior editor Leslie Smith travels to Muttville – and learns that for some dogs, life begins when there’s a place to call home.
“Sherri Franklin is making up for lost time. Until age 35, she hadn’t so much as walked a dog, let alone shared her home with one. These days, however, she lives amongst an entire pack. Franklin is the founder of Muttville-a sanctuary for senior dogs whose time has come to… keep on living.”
September 2008
Road to Rescue: Visit to Muttville
Leslie Smith: “Today I’m in Northern California’s Muttville, surrounded by nearly a dozen dogs, ranging in age from 7 to 17. Part sanctuary, part adoption agency, Muttville is a place where old dogs go to, well, live. Sherri Franklin … lives on the premises with dog beds of varying sizes lining the floors, and kitchen drawers full of medications for arthritis and incontinence. The energy in the place, however, is anything but feeble, with dogs in their golden years prancing about like young pups.”
Spring 2005
Proper care & feeding: A new law improves the lot of backyard dogs
“Over a span of six years, San Franciscan Sherri Franklin watched in dismay as Sam, the Golden Retriever in her neighbor’s backyard, suffered, deteriorated and ultimately died. ... Seeing how widespread the problem was, even in famously dog-friendly San Francisco, inspired Franklin to pursue an appointment to the city’s Commission of Animal Control and Welfare, and, ultimately, to help change the law, ... establishing legal guidelines for the care and feeding of dogs.”
Spring 2003
Another guardian victory: San Francisco becomes the 7th U.S. city to codify the term animal "guardian"
“On January 13, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 to approve a measure that amends city codes to recognize individual as the ‘owner or guardian’ of their animal companions rather than solely the ‘owner.’ ... Spearheading the effort before the Board [was] Animal Control and Welfare Commission member Sherri Franklin.”
Journal of the SF/SPCA
Spring 1997
With a little help from our friends
Muttville founder Sherri Franklin’s (incorrectly referenced as Sherry Gregory) early days volunteering at the San Francisco SPCA. “It kills me,” she says. “I cry to see these dogs who’ve spent most of their life in someone’s home, and now they’re in a kennel.”
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OUR SUPPORTERS
Thank you to Muttville’s human friends who generously donate their goods and services.
Hurvis Charitable Foundation
Jamie Anderson DVM
Jen Scarlett DVM
Pan American Veterinary Corporation
Pawtrero Hill BathHouse & Feed Co.
Pedigree Adoption Drive Foundation
Siobhan O’Connor DVM
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
Sit Stay Technology
Thelma Doelger Trust for Animals
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR MOOLAH FOR MUTTS SPONSORS
Joe Marko
