This pretty girl is Florence and she can’t wait to find her forever home. We think Florence is an Australian Kelpie mix. She is very sweet, loves meeting people, and enjoys going for walks.

Florence does perfectly with other dogs and is very polite. She has a sweet demeanor and would make a wonderful addition to any kind of home. Come give her the forever home she deserves!

What we love about Florence: She is a perfect size- not too small, not too big. She is still active but is also perfectly happy just relaxing. She loves to sunbathe!

Florence is 10-12 years young and weighs 40 pounds.

Her adoption fee has been sponsored by one of her adoring fans!

Fall in love with her at Muttville in San Francisco!

Here’s what Florence’s fosters have to say about this sweet girl:

Florence is sweet & loves pets! She is Busy, loves to get going on walks & flies up stairs. She likes her crate and her bed. She is house-trained and knows potty-pads and will find spots away from house to go to the bathroom.

Florence is sweet & will give you kisses when you arrive home! She has a busy activity level & will gallop back to the house on walks! She is good with house-training and uses potty-pads in the house.

What is the number one responsibility when you have a dog? This can be answered with specifics but also with general notions such as setting them up for success. That was the mantra we heard when we adopted our dog from the San Francisco SPCA.

We posed this question to our Facebook community and their big concern was safety which I couldn't agree more with! When you choose to have a dog you're taking on the role of guardian. This means you guarding them, as much as they may be guarding you.

Keeping a dog safe includes have secure harnesses and leashes that don't break. It means being watchful and insuring your dog can't bolt out into a busy street or charge through an unsecured screen door. Good training as well as safe barriers protects everyone from tragedy.

Safety means watching out for chicken bones on walks, keeping toxic foods away from inquiring snouts, and making sure they get regular vet check ups. 

Setting a Dog up for Success

Keeping your dog safe is tops, because that includes their health and wellbeing for as long as you are their guardian. But we'd add to that the notion that it's your responsibility to set them up for success.

We think Oscar is just about the most perfect doggie around! Look at this happy Shepherd face!

Oscar is an adorable Shepherd/Cattle dog mix, who comes to us from Central Valley ready to find his forever home. Oscar is very friendly with people and other dogs.

This boy loves long walks and would make a great nap buddy. He will politely explore his surroundings and has an amazing temperament.

We think Oscar is pretty much the complete package!

We think Oscar is around 10 years young and weighs around 78 pounds.

Fall in love with Oscar at Muttville on Rescue Row in San Francisco!

I have met emotional support dogs and understand why you would feel calm having a dog close by at all times. Whenever I volunteer at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, the dogs turn any frown upside down.

Our family dogs not only made me feel safe and protected, but on many occasion they also calmed my adolescence. I could turn to any one of them when I needed to redirect my anxiety over family squabbling.

How did the stress of growing up in a turbulent household diminish?

Dogs wanted to play with me. Playing together distracted me for hours from our family worries. And with dogs, there was always poop to be picked up or bedding to be cleaned. They enjoyed learning and eagerly gave me all their attention if I wanted to work with them. Anyone with a dog who loves to fetch knows how easy it is to pass hours tossing a ball. If I wanted to have a dog even just sit next to me and listen to my worries, one of them always would.

Dogs have always been excellent at distracting me. Is there a certain dog gene I carry that makes me susceptible? Is this why someone would visibly and physically respond to a dog they don't know?

This ability to distract and engage my attention so completely continues with dogs I meet at Muttville. Each week, whether I am surrounded by new dogs, or dogs I met previously, they still offer a unique calming effect on my demeanor.

I can understand the role emotional support dogs play. Just look at Oscar's face in this photo, he's showing you how to thoroughly enjoy a walk! 

When you look at a dog's face how does it make you feel? What about a dog's relaxed body language? When they smile do you return the look? 

Beyonce is an adorable, friendly Chihuahua girl who can’t wait to meet you! This sweet girl will make a loyal companion- all she wants is love!

Beyonce is always wagging her tail, loves walks, and is perfect with dogs of all sizes- truly a superstar just like her name suggests! Beyonce is an fabulous gal who is patiently waiting for her forever home!

Beyonce is 10 years young and weighs 12 pounds.

Check out what Beyonce’s foster’s have to say about her:

Beyonce is wonderful. I work from home on my computer so I am home mostly all day. While I’m working she will lay on the bed in the sunshine or lay on the floor next to my chair in a blanket that I have there for her. There’s really not much more to say other than she’s an absolutely wonderful little dog to have around, very sweet and very loving. Beyonce loves to go for walks. Short or long. She is capable of walking quite some distance without getting tired. The longest walk I tried her on was about two and a half miles and she did great. She’s very curious, always sniffing things. Around the home she’s the typical lazy dog just like my other two. She loves to be on my lap. So far she is good with house-training, not one accident in my home. Beyonce is a lovely lady! She loves being held/cuddling, and is great with potty training. She loves going outside on her walks & exploring the great outdoors. She isn’t really much of a barker, but does make noises to indicate she she needs to go out. Otherwise Beyonce loves napping. She is mellow and though she loves her walks will also snooze the day away in her bed. She is great with most dogs. She is doing great at crate training, occasionally goes on pads but I would say pretty much trained otherwise. She has an adorable tongue that sometimes pokes out. She is an angel and loves sleeping in her bed/on the couch with people. She would make a great companion for a mellow lower energy household.

Meet this senior sweetheart at Muttville on Rescue Row in San Francisco!