December 2 2014
Lords of Dogtown
The Bay Area is awash in unwanted dogs—and in groups dedicated to saving them. But not all rescue organizations are created equal.
“That’s Fonzi. He’s a real humper.” Sherri Franklin says as an eight-year-old miniature pinscher darts by our feet on his way out for a walk. “He grabs on and doesn’t let go.”
Even senior dogs get frisky, especially when they’re pampered as lavishly as they are at Muttville, Franklin’s shelter for dogs age seven and older. Downstairs, Franklin shows off the shelter’s “community cuddle room,” a space where potential adopters come for meet-and-greets and senior citizens convene for a bimonthly “cuddle club” with the dogs. Upstairs, she points out he kitchen where dinner—a mix of whole grains, vegetables, blueberries, chicken, and nutritional supplements that even I might deign to eat—is cooked for Muttville’s residents. Next up is the veterinary suite, built entirely with $50,000 in donations. A chorus of raspy barking greets us as Franklin shows me the area where anywhere from 17 to 22 dogs are kept, cage-free, in “different rooms for different personalities.” She bends down to pick up a particularly decrepit-looking Pomeranian mix with patchy fur and ragged ears. “Hey, sweet boy,” she coos, “are you coming home with me for the night?” …
“There are so many rescue groups now, more than I’ve ever seen before,” says Pali Boucher, the founder of Rocket Dog Rescue, a 13-year-old organization based in Bernal Heights…. To the casual observer, many of these groups are indistinguishable…. But talk to people in the dog-rescue community about who stands out from the pack, as it were, and certain names come up repeatedly. Franklin’s is one. …
