Animal Shelters at Capacity: The Misery of Old Pets
An unfortunate reality that goes unspoken is that animal shelters are now so overcrowded that many cities can no longer accept more animals. So, what can one do when they have to give up their beloved dog after a move?
The owners of a 13-year-old Dachshund mix in the USA opted for a course of action that was beyond audacious. Not only did this case captivate animal shelters and the police, but it also garnered attention from several news channels.
Left in a Stranger's Front Yard
Instead of taking Reese to an animal shelter, its owner decided to do something unconventional. She took Reese to a stranger's house, left her in the yard without even knocking on the door.
A note was attached to the dog, stating, "My name is Reese. I am 13 years old and don't like small children. I love chilling. I hope whoever gets her takes good care of my dog. I love her so much, but I don't have time for her."
The Finder Couldn't Leave Her in the Yard
But that wasn't the end of the letter. The finder kept reading, "She loves all your time and love. I wish I didn't have to do this, but I have four kids and no time for her." The note was signed with "Thank you, her mom."
It was heart-wrenching that Reese was left behind by her previous owner with just a note. However, the woman who found Reese in her yard couldn't keep the older dog either.
Facebook Was the First Stop
Not knowing where to start, the finder turned to Facebook and posted about the unusual circumstances in a private group. Although she wasn't fortunate enough to find someone to directly adopt the senior dog, someone did step in to help. They recommended a local animal shelter, the Royal Animal Refuge.
The Royal Animal Refuge immediately reached out to the finder, inquiring about Reese and the entire situation. The shelter's director, Mariel Weigand, spoke to The Dodo about the abandonment of the older dog, saying, "When we heard about it, we were naturally angry."
The Shelter Provided Significant Assistance
While the shelter wasn't pleased with the events, they were understanding. In an interview with The Dodo, Mariel Weigand, the shelter's director, said, "Many animal shelters are overcrowded and can no longer take in animals. So, it becomes very difficult when you can no longer keep a pet but also can't give it away."
The Royal Animal Refuge has an excellent foster care program, where people take in dogs until they are adopted. In Reese's case, an experienced foster caregiver stepped up.
Robyn agreed to take Reese into her home until the shelter found a more permanent solution.
Robyn Introduced Reese to Her Mother, Suzy
When Robyn brought Reese home, she eventually introduced the older dog to her mother, Suzy. It was pretty much love at first sight. Suzy simply felt that the dog was something special and she was ready for another companion.
Robyn mentioned her mother being head over heels for Reese. So, the family decided, why not just adopt Reese and make her a part of the family? From the animal shelter to the family, everyone was thrilled about this twist of fate.
Reese's Incredible Journey
What a whirlwind month it has been for Reese! First, she was left outside a stranger's house. The hope of her original owner was that this stranger would take in the 13-year-old dog and treat her as their own. When that didn't work out, Reese found herself in the hands of the local rescue center. Poor Reese must have been so confused! Luckily, Suzy was ready to help and improve her life.
Suzy and Reese couldn't be happier together. During an interview with The Dodo, Weigand spoke about the adoption and how wonderful the outcome has been for both sides. She said, "She is excited to give her a home. She told me Reese will be loved. And it's a happy ending for Reese."
Reese has found her forever home
Reese wasn't the only one happy in the end. Suzy couldn't have been more thrilled to bring the older dog into her family, especially after recently losing her own dog. Both of them needed companionship and found it in each other. Reese would spend the rest of her days very loved, and the rescue center couldn't be happier about that.
Unfortunately, Reese wasn't the only dog that had to be rescued by the Royal Animal Refuge. Elsa had some luck too, although her story was quite different from Reese's. Spotted on the street, the woman who found Elsa wasn't sure what to think. The poor creature was half bear, half dog!
Elsa was gentle and kind
According to the woman who found Elsa, she is incredibly gentle. And she has this thing where she constantly gives you her paw. I think she knew we were trying to help her. Thankfully, Elsa hopped right into the kind woman's car. They headed straight to the veterinarian to get her checked out. It was obvious that Elsa had a type of mite infestation since she was quite bald.
Initially, no one wanted to adopt Elsa. She was just so big, and her skin condition made her look miserable. However, about six months later, her fur had grown back, and people began to show interest in her.
Foster mother wasn't ready to let go of Elsa
When the Royal Animal Refuge sent a family to check on Elsa as foster parents, the foster mother burst into tears! She didn't want Elsa to go to another family. Fortunately, the family said they couldn't take the dog with them.
The Royal Animal Refuge has helped many dogs find a safe home. Ironically, the charm of Reese and Elsa seemed to have even won over their foster parents! One very special foster mother is Sherri Franklin.
Sherri Franklin is an animal lover
Sherri Franklin's home has always been a safe place for older dogs in need of foster care. As a longtime animal advocate and shelter volunteer, helping older dogs has always been close to her heart.
Ten years before Franklin created a business plan for a nonprofit organization, she was a passionate volunteer at the San Francisco SPCA. There, she witnessed how older dogs who arrived at the shelter rarely found new families.
A Beagle-Basset mix named Heidi changed her
During her work at the SPCA, Franklin encountered a Beagle-Basset mix named Heidi, an older dog who had been brought to the shelter because her owner had passed away. Franklin fell in love with the dog, played with her, and took her on walks. But one day, when she arrived for her shift, her furry friend was nowhere to be found. Franklin had to come to terms with the truth - nobody had adopted Heidi, and she had been euthanized. It was a shock for Franklin.
Research shows that dogs who are seven years or older are less likely to be adopted. And because of overcrowding in shelters, they are more likely to be put on a euthanasia list. As an animal lover, Franklin couldn't accept that her friend had met this fate; she had to do something.
An idea took shape
After much contemplation and brainstorming, the beginnings of what is now known as Muttville came to be! According to their website, Muttville's mission is to give senior dogs a second chance at life.
Without prior experience in nonprofit organizations, Franklin followed her heart. She couldn't carry out the entire operation alone; she needed help. Starting with her friends, Franklin began recruiting volunteers for her senior dog vision. It didn't take long for the word to spread!
2007 - The Inaugural Year
Muttville's inaugural year was in 2007, and it was a trial by fire. The organization operated from Franklin's house because there wasn't enough money to rent a space. With the help of her many volunteers, Franklin was able to save 27 older dogs in Muttville's first year of operation. The message of Muttville's mission and Franklin's efforts to save senior dogs quickly spread, and the number of rescued and adopted dogs continued to grow!
Franklin wasn't sure how to market the senior dogs or if there was even a market for them! She went through a few different strategies, one of which was "Let's make senior dogs sexy." The goal was to make older dogs look like the best dogs ever, focusing on how loving and low-maintenance they are.
She started with various marketing tactics
After brainstorming different strategies, Franklin soon realized that she needed to implement various marketing ideas to attract different types of people. Instead of discussing how old the dogs were and how sad it was that they ended up in a shelter, Franklin decided to publish hopeful and positive stories about the rescues.
After the first year of Muttville, Franklin received hundreds of emails about older dogs, asking her to take them in. By 2010, she had saved nearly 600 senior dogs. So Franklin decided it was time to move the operation into its own building. The only problem was that the organization was nonprofit and didn't have the means to rent a space for an extended period.
Franklin appealed for donations
With the rent for a new space being an issue, Franklin planned to appeal to the public for donations. After all, by this time, the Bay Area was fully aware of their mission, so she was confident that some people would be willing to help. And she was right! By 2012, she was able to raise $100,000 in this way.
The rented space was perfect for Franklin's needs. A shelter is generally not a happy place for a dog, so we made ours more like a home," Franklin says. "Our facility is 4,000 square feet, cage-free, with dog beds and sofas everywhere."
Donations remain crucial
Given all the great causes out there, Franklin is often asked the big question of how Muttville can stay afloat. After all, it's a nonprofit. The answer is simple – the money comes from fundraisers, private donors, and foundations. In 2015, Muttville was able to raise $675,000 from the annual Moolah for Mutts event!
The good news is that all the pets Franklin saves are permanently housed because the senior dogs at Muttville are well taken care of. It also helps that the staff consists of 250 volunteers who are not compensated in the traditional sense.
Seniors for Seniors!
One Muttville program that is becoming increasingly popular is Seniors for Seniors, an initiative where older people can adopt an older dog for free. Franklin says that many families bring their senior members in the hope of finding them a furry companion.
In an interview with Driven for Women, Franklin said that the biggest thing she learned in starting a nonprofit organization was to choose her board wisely, not just her friends! Establishing an organization like Muttville requires an immense amount of teamwork, so you need to hire the right people. If they happen to be your friends, great. If not, find someone else.
Franklin is thinking about the next steps
Since its founding in 2007, Muttville has grown significantly and now has a building and various programs for older dogs. One such program is fospice, a hospice for foster dogs. Franklin's plans for the future include creating a handbook for other shelters that want to start a similar program for their rescue efforts.
When asked how to most effectively help dogs, Franklin's response is simple – spaying and neutering! It is crucial because there are always more strays. Another way to help is through education. Franklin says that if parents teach their children from a young age that a pet is a lifelong commitment, not just a Christmas gift for a day, then more dogs will lead happy lives.
The future looks bright
Franklin believes that all their programs – Seniors, Fospice, and humane education – could grow if they had their own space. Franklin says, "We could do so much more of everything if we had our own home. That's my big goal before I leave Muttville."
The second mission that Franklin hopes to achieve in the coming years is to share Muttville's system with other shelters. After various trials and errors, Franklin and her team have found a blueprint that works well for their nonprofit organization in rescuing older dogs. Their hope is that the formula will also work for other shelters that want to revamp how they adopt their older pets.
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