Christmas Walk at Fort Funston

On Christmas Eve some of us got together for a walk at the beach!

We had the best time at Fort Funston, couldn’t count all the Muttville dogs and adopters, foster families and volunteers. Maybe about 50 dogs, and 50 people, a rowdy mob we were!

Sunny beautiful day for a beach stroll, happy holidays from Muttville Senior Dog Rescue!

12.25.10

Fritz is Home for the Holidays

A blog post by our good friend Rita:

When this holiday family photo of Fritz and his new forever family landed in my email inbox, I was reminded of when I first met Fritz almost exactly a year ago.

It was December, and all the regular dog-walking volunteers were gathered at the Muttville house to celebrate the season. Fritz had just arrived at the Muttville house, brought by a transport volunteer a few hours earlier. His first act upon meeting Sherri when she took him into her arms was to bite her in the face. So poor Sherri was playing holiday hostess with a huge swollen lower lip!

As bad as we all felt for Sherri, our hearts broke for sad, stressed-out little Fritz. He had been dumped in a shelter drop box. He was at least nine or ten years old and probably had never received any dental care his entire life—most of his teeth were completely rotten. He also was diagnosed with spondylosis—basically a pinched nerve in his back- that made him yelp with fear and pain whenever he twisted his rear legs the wrong way.

All this added up to a terrified, miserable, lonely dog.

For a long time, Fritz was not an easy dog to care for.

But Muttville saw through his fear and his pain, gradually acclimating him to his new surroundings, getting him medical care, and making sure that he received daily walks, pets, and encouragement to trust the world again.

It seemed like Fritz might have become a Muttville lifer. And he did stay at Muttville for five months. But then amazingly, one day in May, Muttville got a call from a woman who lives in the hills above Napa. She had seen Fritz on the Muttville website, and she just had to have him!!

Regular blog readers will remember that Sherri drove Fritz personally to meet Lucie and Frank on their land overlooking Lake Berryessa. Fritz hit the ground at his new forever home running and never looked back!! Fritz loves his new life, following Lucie from room to room all day. Lucie and Frank are crazy about Fritzie, and he gets to be the littlest prince in a pack of black-and-white fur balls.

Now he’s surrounded by Shelties and a fellow Papillion. The whole crew, aside from Frank and Lucie, of course, from left to right are Lacy, Tula, KD, RedDog, Bonnie, Echo, Fritz and Mr. Chips. All their dogs are rescues and are all 10 to 15 years old.

And there’s Fritz in his mom’s lap licking—not biting—her face. Lucie said he wouldn’t stop kissing her long enough to take their holiday photo!!

Sigh. Fritz is home for the holidays, home for good. That’s why I love Muttville.

12.16.10

Jimmy: From Foster Dog to Foster Dad

Laura adopted Jimmy from Muttville in the summer of 2009. She reports, “He is such a great guy and is helping me with a medically fragile, tiny foster kitten. This kitten adores him and I think she views Jimmy as her “Dad”.” She sent along this photo as proof. Good dog!

10.11.10

Foster Homes Needed!

Muttville volunteers have been fanning out all over the Bay Area posting signs for fostering and adopting senior dogs – and it’s working! New foster parents Deb and Paul spotted a Muttville poster South of Market and voila, they soon fostered little Sally. If you see Muttville dogs on a bulletin board or telephone pole, take action – pull off a tab and spread the word about adopting an older dog!

10.08.10

Seniors for Seniors - tried and true

A while back, we blogged (http://www.muttville.org/blog/seniors-for-seniors) about Kenzie (http://www.muttville.org/mutt/mackenzie), a senior mutt who was adopted into a senior home. Kenzie and Van are real life proof that Muttville’s Seniors for Seniors program is working!

You may recall that 10-year-old Kenzie went to 83-year-old Van and lifted his spirits, and he lifted hers as well! A year later, man and his canine companion walk a couple of miles in the neighborhood each day where everyone in the ‘hood knows them. Kenzie accompanies Van to the Senior Center a couple of times a week where she has many new friends. She watches over the house alerting Van when someone is at the door. She is his lap-warmer while he reads or watches TV. Thanks to neighbor Jane who originally found Kenzie on the Muttville site, Kenzie is living the life on the coast!

Muttville proudly supports our Seniors for Seniors program in which adoption fees for people over the age of 65 are waived. We believe strongly in the health and wellness benefits of a canine companion to people of all ages, but we get great joy from matching a senior dog with a senior person. Muttville is pleased to send all of our dogs to their new owners after a full veterinary exam and blood panel which costs $100.

We need your support to continue making great matches like Kenzie and Van. Please make a donation today – http://www.muttville.org/give

10.04.10

Success Story: Lady

Butch and her partner, Judy, adopted Muttville’s Lady (www.muttville.org/mutt/lady) last summer. Lady was a 45-pound hound who had been starved to the bone. She was nearly deaf and her coat was dry and brittle—whether she had been abandoned and living on garbage found in the street or deliberately starved, we can never know.

Lady was originally diagnosed with liver cancer, and was given only a few months to live. The odds of adopting out a ravenous, terminally ill hound, tall enough to get up and gobble any food left out on the kitchen counter seemed small. But the folks at Muttville didn’t give up on her! After some phone calls and consultations, Butch and Judy agreed to take Lady on as a hospice case. A Muttville volunteer packed Lady up and drove her 200 miles south to Atascadero where Butch and Judy live with their four other dogs on five acres.

As it turns out, Lady’s liver is fine, although she does have Cushing’s disease. But with Butch and Judy’s down-home cooking and room to roam, Lady (now named “Zamboni”) has fattened up and flourished. She spends her days lounging around the house and sniffing out the yard. When her moms come home, she gets so happy she howls!

Thank you Butch and Judy, Muttville rescue moms, for taking on what seemed like a tragic case, giving Zamboni the care she needs, and for giving her a wonderful second life.

09.24.10

Giving and Grieving

Cinda lost her beautiful girl, Madison, after she succumbed to cancer and congenital heart failure.

In her time of mourning and sadness, Cinda thoughtfully gathered and packed Madison’s supplies of herbal supplements and medical supplies. She contacted our friend, Lee Ann of Pet NutriSystems (www.petnutrisystems.com), and asked if there was someone who was in need of these valuable items. Lee Ann introduced Cinda to Muttville and shared with her our story of Collette, stricken with cancer. Even as she grieved, Cinda wanted to take the time to give.

In memory of beautiful Madison, Muttville is honored and privileged to accept her gift. Thank you, Madison.

09.14.10

Sunday Streets with Muttville

Wow! Muttville had a wonderful day participating in San Francisco’s Sunday Streets program! http://sundaystreetssf.com/

Here’s The Dynamic Duo, Snickers and Mocha! How have they not been adopted? Such a lovely, bonded pair. What a joy they would add to someone’s life – affection and love and happiness.

Sunday Streets today was held at the very edge of Golden Gate park where it hits the Pacific Ocean – I took a break from our table and walked one our senior poodles out to the edge of the sand and felt so grateful to be in San Francisco. The sun was shining, Clif Bar was giving away free samples, all the food trucks were serving good food and clever drinks, and people want senior dogs for adoption. What a city!

08.22.10

Be here now

One of the greatest things about dog rescue is having the opportunity to be a voice for the most elegant and intelligent senior dogs. There is a wonderful story to each of these dogs, and our simple minds get wrapped up in the PAST – what happened to this dog? Why is he with us? Is he sad?

The way to find your new pet, and the way to find yourself, is to be PRESENT. I lose sight of this sometimes, but these regal dogs remind me. At adoption events, I am the only communicable VOICE for dogs, but actions speak louder than words. These dogs are fine. They hit a rough patch, but they are ready for the next step. If you are at peace with yourself and with the adoption process, they will be at peace with you. You do not have to worry about why the dog is in Muttville’s care – you need only to worry about how to love in the moment.

And loving the moment, by the way, includes loving yourself, and allowing yourself to experience wonderful things, eat wonderful food, and exercise!

This dog, Sweetie, took me to the top of Bernal Hill over and over, and when the sun and the wind hit her wolf-face, she was centered, she was quiet, she was present. I was honored to represent her at adoption events – are we so intelligent because we use language to communicate? Are we so advanced? Whereas Sweetie here communicates by being available to the joys of life.

Appreciate the joys of life with a senior dog.

08.08.10

Success Story: Wyatt

A note about the ease of adopting a senior dog, from one of our fantastic adoptive parents, Jane. She and her husband Richard adopted Wyatt, now known as Charlie.

“We adopted Charlie the Pomeranian at the recommendation of our daughter, who is a Muttville volunteer and lives in San Francisco. Rick flew 2000 miles to visit Lake Tahoe and play golf, intending to bring Charlie home on the plane after a week-long visit.

Charlie is a 6 pound, bundle of energy – a senior dog who is full of life and a delight to be around. People frequently think he is a puppy but he is really a very seasoned dog who happens to be both well-trained and missing more than few teeth!

He was rescued by someone from the side of the highway, completely matted and covered in fleas, burrs and a big scab on his leg. After Muttville’s veterinary volunteers shaved him, gave him a bath & some medicine, he looked like his usual handsome self.

Charlie loves his walks and was already completely house-trained. He gets along well with other dogs of all sizes, cats, people and children. He even marched in “Pooches On Parade” on the Fourth of July in Half Moon Bay, California while wearing a patriotic, red bandana. Charlie enjoyed his week at Lake Tahoe and took lots of short hikes with our daughter’s two dogs.

On the plane, Charlie slept the whole way to Cleveland. The sedative the veterinarian prescribed conked him out until the end of the flight when Rick unzipped the Sherpa bag and Charlie popped his little head out of the bag and refused to put it back inside! Rick carefully zipped the bag around Charlie’s head and carried him off the plane. (Rick was afraid to push him back into the bag because Charlie is so small.)

Upon arrival at his new home, Charlie immediately inspected the fenced back yard and urinated on every bit of shrubbery. After a bit of aloof behavior, Charlie and the youngest cat are romping and playing together. They are approximately the same size and enjoy playing games.

Charlie sleeps on the foot of the bed and has an upholstered footstool to help him jump up and down off the bed. He plays fetch with a small, plush bumblebee toy with a squeaker inside.

Charlie is settling into his new life in the Midwest. He rides well in the car and goes almost everywhere with us. Recently, he was the only dog at a human birthday party near Lake Erie. Truly, this dog was born to be a Clevelander!”

07.23.10

Muttville thanks the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

A blog post from a wonderful friend of Muttville, Rita Long:

What better time could be had in the summer in the City than to scoot on down to the Eagle when the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (http://thesisters.org/) are throwing a beer bash?

Muttville rescue mom, Butch Young, pictured here with Sister Shelby Redeemed, was on hand for all of the leather-clad beer-soaked celebration this Sunday. Muttville was the proud recipient of a $300 grant to help with the costs of rescuing one of our senior mutts. To all of the Sisters: for your fierce generosity and commitment to supporting our community, Muttville says "thank you"!!!

07.20.10

Pooches on Parade

Today we drove down with some adoptable senior pups for a parade in Half Moon Bay, California. It was great – I got chills hearing calls from the sidelines when we walked passed. Everyone seemed to know us and be cheering us on. What a good feeling! Thank you to the volunteers who joined us and to the good dogs who stayed by our side for the parade.

07.04.10

Mr. Bumps Goes to Victoria

A blog post by one of favorite adoptees, Claire, who adopted Cocobear (http://www.muttville.org/mutt/cocobear). When Cocobear came to Muttville, we removed his infected eye, and since being adopted he has had his other eye removed – but he doesn’t love life any less!

“Cocobear is my real name (aka 229) but I do bump into lots of things these days because I keep my nose to the ground.

My very first ferry boat trip was to Victoria, BC. In the photo I’m at Butchart Gardens where it didn’t smell very good to me at all, except there were lots and lots of smelly people and I got lots of pats. I also bumped my wet, brown nose into the back of the legs of some very startled bipeds.

They loved me at Admiral’s Walk Canadian Tire Store. They gave me tidbits to munch and I even had a clerk to take my leash while my sidekick shopped. (Sidekick and I now have matching blue eyes. My open eye is blue – but is just a rubber ball.)

Woofs-a-bunch! This was doggie heaven. They sell Poopy Sacs with parfum de vanille and I hear that a rescue group went down to CA to save some of my relatives in a puppy mill. In the pet section at Thrifty Markets, they have a a fridge with fresh dog food. Full yips to Thrifty!

Downtown at the Victoria/Port Angeles ferry terminal was good. One took a video of me with his girlfriend but a man from Texas had a hook for a hand and didn’t give me pats. I scored with a custom agent who I knocked over on her back with my happy greeting.”

06.24.10

Appreciating All The Lives We Cross

A blog post by our all-star volunteer, Marie:

Walking Muttville dogs Chloe, Collette, Waldo and Frankie in Glen Park, Muttville volunteer, Patty, and I came across an injured blue jay. She let me pick her up and she cuddled in my hand. She looked injured in one of her wings. We named her Twitter.

True, I have no idea how to care for birds, and I have never had one as a pet. But loving and caring for a life, no matter how long or short, this is something I do know. How lucky for this little fledgling to be found by 2 Muttville volunteers, I thought. But really, the fortune was all ours.

This beautiful bird was cradled in my hand. I could admire its beauty up close! Who has ever seen beauty this close of a wild creature? I felt so honored. Her blue was so beautiful. My favorite color. Reminded me when I used to have the same deep blue streaked in my hair years ago. And she was the same blue as the charm I’ve been wearing for years. Looking at her in the same hand where I have a little blue bird tattooed on my ring finger, quite surreal.

She knew I was going to care for her, I could tell. And when she passed away the following day, she was so peaceful and happy and relaxed. She was laying in my hand. She let me pet her head, and she showed that she loved it. She tucked her little face in my palm. She did! Before she went, she lifted her head, looked all around, and then her eyes stared into mine. Then she gently nestled her head again in my palm and closed her eyes.

06.21.10

Dogsitting

Do you all remember Sugar?

Sugar was adopted and renamed Rocky. His mom loves Muttville and spends a lot of time with us. This week, instead of fostering, I am dogsitting Rocky at my house while his mom is out town.

I am so lucky to have this guy with me. A lot of dogs come through my apartment, and lot of them are depressed. This dog is the opposite – he is the funniest, happiest, go-gettin-est dog of all. We walked around San Francisco today, up to Bernal Hill, and I took this picture with my phone. It’s hard to convey in the photo, but I want you all to know that this guy screams “HAPPINESS”. He has dry-eye, no teeth, and he’s old – but he is great. What a senior!

06.07.10

Waldo's Funny Mug Attracts Artist/Actor Michael Horse

From Foster Mom, Marie:

I was walking my Muttville mutts Collette and Waldo this morning and as we usually do we end up at Farley’s for coffee and hang out on the sidewalk with our other dog-owning neighbors.

With Waldo perched on my lap, a friendly Native American gentleman walked by, then stopped suddenly and stared into the eyes of little Waldo. It was kinda funny! And then he speaks and says, “Your dog is telling me that he wants you to find him a new toy.”

This kind and friendly man said he used to live in our lovely Potrero Hill neighborhood and also happened to mention that he has an exhibit starting today at the DeYoung Museum! In addition to being a successful artist, Michael Horse is also known for his role as Deputy Tommy ‘Hawk’ Hill in David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks”.

I’ve been making fun of Waldo’s funny mug since he came to stay with me on Monday. His adorable face is already attracting stars, and surely will attract his forever home in no time, we hope!!

06.02.10

Success Story: Fritz

When Fritz first arrived at Muttville HQ he was so fearful that he hid in a corner for 2 weeks, trying to touch him was a challenge! I think he finally started to feel safe enough to join in the routine, the other dogs taught him that this was an OK place. We took him to the vet and found he has an untreatable spinal problem called spondylosis, his back hurt so we started him on some pain meds and a good diet with supplements to help his joints.

He stayed with us for 5 months, during that time I was sure he was to stay here forever because of his fear issues. Then the call came! A wonderful couple wanted to meet him and they were sure he would fit in with their pack. When I arrived at their home near Lake Berryessa I was greeted by 6 black and white dogs, all wagging their tails and waiting to meet Fritz! Wow. I wanted to live there. Trees, grass, a view! Fritz jumped out of the car and ran in and he never looked back, I cried out of pure joy for this little dog that had had such a rough life. After one day I got the first email from Fritz’s new mom. Here it is!

Dear Sherri,

Good News, Fritz is happy, happy, happy. He sat in his little bed in the kitchen and watched us cook and eat dinner. He was cute as Pie ! He loves the other dogs and they totally accept him. Later in the evening we went up stairs to watch TV. I put a pillow on the floor and laid down, he climbed onto the pillow and snuggled with me. At bed time Frank and I fluffed up about 4 sheets and put them on our bed. He climbed in and re-arranged all the sheets until he made a big fluffy hole, then climbed in and went to sleep all night. This morning Frank had a big dirt bike ride scheduled so we were up at 5am. I love mornings, everyone is warm and we always say “goodmorning” to everyone, lots of hugs. The dogs love it. Fritz joined in, he got out of bed and was thrilled to see all of his friends, and wagged his tail every time I said Goodmorning! Then we all went down the stairs into the back yard and Fritz was thrilled, he went potty and ran around and played in the grass and enjoyed all the trees. Then it was back into the kitchen. While I was packing for Frank’s trip, all of the dogs were with me and Fritz was right there, wagging his tail the whole time. He looks like he is at Summer Camp and having the time of his life ! He loved his dinner last night and his breakfast this morning and ate everything. Right now, there are 5 dogs in the computer room with he and Fritz is right here too! He is darling, I love him and he is truly happy here. When you first drove away, he went to the gate and barked at you like, “don’t leave me”. It broke my heart, I always feel so sorry for dogs because of the changes they have to go through. But as soon as you were out of sight, he was right back into the backyard and happy as could be. He follows us everywhere. We put his little bed by the glass doors in the kitchen, he loves that. He sits in there and watches all of the humming birds flying around the sugar water. I have been taking pictures of all of this, but this morning, right after Frank left I realized that he took my camera. When he gets home tonight, I will be sure to take some more pictures and send you lots. You will see how happy Fritz is. It’s a match made in heaven, I think Fritz is home. He will go to the vet sooner, rather than later. I am worried about the smell in his mouth, pretty sure he will need to be scheduled for some extractions. So we’ll probably plan a full anesthesia to clean and remove teeth, remove the bump between his eyes and the lump on his tummy. Then he will be good as new! and will probably feel lots better too!. He loves when I rub his chest and he lets me pick him up, no problem. Everything is good, this was the right decision for you and me and Fritz. Thank You again ! Lucie

06.01.10

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day! Our Muttville founder, Sherri Franklin, is the featured credo in this week’s Sunday San Francisco Examiner!

http://www.sfexaminer.com/lifestyle/Credo-Sherri-Franklin-95127579.html

05.31.10