Quiet. Solitude. Restorative. Peace. Serenity. These feelings can be experienced by a person after time spent with an older dog. The cost? You have to slow down, close your mouth, and open your heart. Being willing to sit still longer than a minute or stay in a bed an extra thirty is also appreciated. A price some people may struggle with paying but I’m here to tell you that you will get what you pay for. If you can, try and look at it as an investment, a long term investment in yourself, and a short term investment in a dog.

Some of us have a harder time than others dealing with the daily negativity online and on television.  We get depressed from the high stress level, and would prefer an alternative to drinking a bottle of wine, or spending five hours on a treadmill trying to restore our positive outlook with a few endorphins.

You know what we found is a good alternative? Investing in a senior dog!

Senior dogs epitomize endurance.

Sláinte!

Do you live in the Bay Area? Do you have an animal lover or dog person who loves to see how dogs positive influence our lives? There are free graduations happening this fall at Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael.

These moving events are open to the public and are inspirational and family-friendly for all ages. I think they make for a wonderful weekend excursion and a great way to learn more how dogs give fearlessly!

Do you ever see yourself in a dog’s face? Does a dog’s adoption story ever resonate with you? I’ve noticed that the older I get the more I see myself and even my daily life in the life of older dogs.

When my own dog entered her golden years I saw my parents in her daily struggles, and aging process. She showed me a lot about what they were going through with their aches and pains, slower pace, greater need for naps, and dietary changes.

I swear both my parents and my old dog shared a love for snorting at me in disbelief when I would ask them something. (In my dog’s case, it was my asking her the rhetorical question, “do you want to go for a walk.”)

A favorite quote from Edith Wharton that many small dog lovers know by heart is how we begin November and Adopt a Senior Dog Month!

How much does this little face make your heart skip a beat? Older dogs have so much love and joy to offer if you give them a chance, or a second chance, when you adopt.

Check out all the senior sweethearts at the following animal nonprofits:

Muttville Senior Dog Rescue

Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary

Lily’s Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary

Oldies Club UK

Ingredients in a can of soup. Radioactive material. Overnight delivery. These are labels we need. They are important and in the case of one, can have a material impact on our life. But what about shelter dog? Is that a necessary label?

When we adopted our dog from a local shelter she was labeled a pleaser. I think she was just throwing out open body language, and any behavior she thought would get her welcomed. Being in a chaotic and unfamiliar environment her actions could have been labeled needy or anxious, even possessive. 

After we brought her home I stripped her of labels giving her the freedom to show us how she wanted to be known in her new family. We even tried to offer her the chance at a different name than the one she came with but she didn’t care and liked the one she already had well enough. As you might guess, I don’t like labels. Yes, in many cases they are important and helpful, but I feel that in today’s world they are used to divide — in a negative way. 

Sure, our dog came from a shelter but that became a footnote, very quickly. 

There is no trick to loving a dog. When I begin my volunteer shift with the old dogs at Muttville each week, I am sure to find a new furry face or five. Sure, first I have to get past the powerful smells that pour out of the rooms, made from twenty dogs waking up in the morning. Then I need to listen beyond the good morning barks. Until finally, I am up all the stairs and able to peer over the gates to offer my own greetings. It is always worth it.

I am always glad to arrive at Muttville and survey the current canine crew. Besides having the “senior dog” label in common, all of the dogs tend to overlap personalities and backgrounds. My favorite experience though is discovering the older pup who is still discovering that they hit the jackpot by having Muttville in their corner now. These dogs have this expression of disbelief that is tangible. I can feel it flowing off of them through their body language, the looks on their face and incredible gratitude.

Accidents happen. Even the most careful and protective guardian can have a dog manage to slip out of their harness or collar in a moment. A gate you thought was latched or a sudden loud noise across the street, just as you open the car door to go into the house. Help ensure that your family is reunited if your dog ever gets lost by having your dog microchipped.

August 15 is Check The Chip Day

Cute dog tags, cool looking harnesses and pretty collars are important to have for our dogs, but so is their microchips. If your dog goes missing but is found and turned into a vet or shelter, they can scan the microchip for your contact information.

Microchips greatly increase the chances that pets will be reuinted with their families if they are lost or stolen…but a microchip only works if its registration information is accurate.

To remind pet owners to have their pets microchipped and to keep the registration information up-to-date, AVMA and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) joined together to create “Check the Chip Day.” 

Learn more here

The time is here for one of our favorite animal adoption events! On Saturday, August 18, 2018 animal shelters across the country will offer free pet adoptions for qualified adopters thanks to the support of NBC and Telemundo owned stations. Our own San Francisco SPCA will be participating again, so be sure to visit their adoption pages now and mark your calendar.

If you’ve been wanting to add a furry family member this is your chance to help clear your local animal shelter and have your adoption fees waived, all thanks to the financial support of NBC and Telemundo!

#DOGood

"Every single pet that is adopted frees shelter staff up to work with and prepare the next pet for potential adoption," said Kenny Lamberti, director of strategic engagement and companion animals for the Humane Society.

Last year, more than 80,000 pets were adopted from over 900 shelters across the country. Since 2015, Clear the Shelters has helped 153,651 pets find forever homes.

OPT - TO - ADOPT

Go to ClearTheShelters website to learn more, find the nearest participating animal shelter, plus read about what to expect before and after adopting an animal companion. It’s important to be prepared and to have realistic expectations before you bring a dog or cat home. No one wants the stress or upset because they have to return an animal.

About Clear the Shelters

NBC and Telemundo owned stations are teaming up with hundreds of shelters across the country to host Clear the Shelters, a nationwide pet adoption drive on Saturday, August 18 to help find loving homes for animals in need. More than 150,000 pets found their forever homes since 2015.

Next week, Helen Woodward Animal Center is hoping San Diego animal lovers will save their Burrito Monday and Taco Tuesday food cravings until Wednesday, when every Chipotle in the area will donate 50% of sales to this amazing animal nonprofit.

On Wednesday, Aug. 1, from 10:30 a.m. to close, every San Diego Chipotle restaurant will donate half of all fundraiser sales to Helen Woodward Animal Center when you mention Helen Woodward Animal Center at checkout!

Helen Woodward Animal Center Invites San Diego Animal Lovers to “Taco One for the Team” to Support Orphan Pets.

Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (July 26, 2018) – For the second year in a row, Helen Woodward Animal Center is delighted to invite San Diegan, burrito-loving animal enthusiasts to support orphan pets by simply enjoying a meal at one of their favorite restaurants.

“We couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of this incredible single-day fundraiser with Chipotle Mexican Grill to benefit people and animals alike,” said Jessica Gercke, spokesperson for Helen Woodward Animal Center. “The donations we receive through these fundraisers can do so much good for our orphan pets waiting to find their forever homes.”

Animal-loving San Diegans will be glad to know that all of their Chipotle favorite items, from burritos to salads to bowls to drinks, are included in the fundraiser. Half of the total purchase will be donated to Helen Woodward Animal Center. What a great reason to indulge in a margarita and treat yourself with queso!

Should we expect airlines to allow emotional support animals onboard their planes? To be clear, these are not the same service animals trained to help the disabled, such as a seeing eye dog. Should the fact that we now acknowledge that people suffering from post traumatic stress are helped significantly by emotional support animals, thus allowing them to take their animals with them into places they previously would have been denied like on an airplane?

We posed this question to our Grouchy Puppy community on Facebook and thought it would also make for a good post for discussion here. The issue of what is a service or support animal, and where should they be allowed to go is emotional. I feel a lot of compassion and empathy for anyone suffering emotionally who feels better thanks to a dog...I do, in my own way, every single time I volunteer at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. I can imagine how good a dog’s companionship or physical presence must feel to someone much further down the scale of need.

As a result of last year’s Hurricane Harvey, Montgomery County Animal Shelter is nearing crisis point with over 1,614 available orphan dogs and cats. 

Once there, Center staff will work alongside MCAS employees and will begin the first part of a two-step process to bring animals out west to find their forever homes.

Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.  (June 28, 2018) – This morning, thanks to Lone Star Animal Welfare League and Southwest Airlines, staff members from Helen Woodward Animal Center are flying to Texas where they will visit Montgomery County Animal Shelter (MCAS), just outside of Houston.  As a result of last year’s Hurricane Harvey, the shelter is nearing crisis point with over 1,614 available orphan dogs and cats.  Once there, Center staff will work alongside MCAS employees and will begin the first part of a two-step process to bring animals out west to find their forever homes.

Helen Woodward Animal Center is becoming a familiar name in the Lone Star state.  During 2017’s devastating Hurricane Harvey, Center staff members flew to Houston to assist orphan pets left stranded due to demolished shelters and foster homes.  In the months that followed, the Center welcomed multiple arrivals of Houston pets transferred to the Center for a better chance at finding their forever homes out west.  Now, almost a year later, with Houston shelters still in disrepair, less stringent Texas spay and neuter laws, and a slow dispersion of FEMA checks to those affected by the 2017 hurricane, the Houston homeless pet population explosion is nearing crisis point. 

Jog or race your way across town for this fun adoption weekend! Celebrate Bay to Breakers weekend at the San Francisco SPCA’s Bay to BARKers event, May 18 – 20!

This year is the SF SPCA’s 150^th anniversary, so connecting the springtime cocktail party and adoptathon theme with Bay to Breakers, a beloved San Francisco tradition, was a natural fit. Adult animals (6+ months) will be FREE to adopt Saturday and Sunday, May 19 – 20, at SF SPCA locations in the Mission and Pacific Heights.

“This year is milestone anniversary for the SF SPCA, and we’re inviting everyone to get involved,” said Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, SF SPCA President. “We want to celebrate the San Francisco community and everything that we’ve been able to accomplish together in the last 150 years. Bay to BARKers is an opportunity for San Franciscans to come together, enjoy a weekend of festivities, and help homeless animals get a second chance!”

The SF SPCA’s 150th anniversary is Wednesday, April 18! In honor, San Francisco Mayor Mark Farrell has proclaimed April 18, 2018 ‘SF SPCA Day’ in San Francisco.

April 16, 2018 – The San Francisco SPCA is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year and it is inviting the entire community to get involved. Thanks to San Francisco’s unwavering support, the lives of millions of animals have been changed for the better since the organization was founded in 1868. From introducing the first horse ambulance in 1884 to founding the No-Kill movement in 1994, San Francisco has always been at the forefront of animal welfare. To celebrate this special year, the SF SPCA has planned a full calendar of special events, from cocktail parties to historical exhibits to cat movie nights.

The SF SPCA was founded on April 18, 1868, when San Francisco banker James Sloan Hutchinson caught sight of two men dragging a terrified hog along the rough cobblestone street. Appalled, Hutchinson stepped in to stop the cruelty and rescued the hog. The incident crystallized Hutchinson's concern over widespread animal abuse, and he soon rallied 15 like-minded citizens to found the SF SPCA.

APRIL 18th

In honor of the 150th anniversary, San Francisco Mayor Mark Farrell has proclaimed April 18, 2018, as SF SPCA Day in San Francisco! The proclamation will be announced during a special 150th Anniversary Gala Celebration at City Hall on April 18.

“The SF SPCA’s slogan for its anniversary celebrations is ‘the animal organization for people,’ which speaks to our 150-year connection with the community of San Francisco,” explained Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, SF SPCA President. “Not only are we celebrating 150 years of advocating for animals, but we’re also celebrating the bond between people and the animals in their lives.”

CELEBRATE: Contribute Your Adoption Story ♥️

Shadyside Inn All Suites Hotel, one of Pittsburgh’s most pet-friendly hotels, has announced a program to allow hotel guests to receive a free pet adoption after completing a five night stay at the property.

Starting on April 30th, National Adopt A Shelter Pet Day, guests signed up for the program will receive a credit towards adoption from their local shelter, giving hope to animals in need and allowing guests to make a difference in their local community.

Curious why senior dogs rule or do you already know and want to enjoy hearing very special songs and stories about senior dogs and those who love them? Get your tickets now for a wonderful concert celebrating San Francisco’s own Muttville Senior Dog Rescue!

What’s Your Story, Bay Area? is a concert by Bay Area songwriters telling musical stories about Muttville, senior dogs and the people that love them! You’ll hear a diverse group of songs based on the stories of Muttville’s adopters, volunteers, and staff and even some stories from the dogs themselves!

On March 11th and 12th, (Sunday & Monday) please join Fogg Theatre, Muttville and our dog-loving community for an exciting musical concert, “What’s Your Story, Bay Area? Muttville Edition!”

Come for a night of music and laughs!!