Each year, about 6.3 million pets enter animal shelters in the U.S., according to the American Society food the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). About 920,000 of them are euthanized yearly.
Many of those who never find forever homes are seniors, left at the shelter because the previous family either didn’t have money for treatment or had simply gotten bored of their old dog.
The faith of senior dogs at the shelter is often the sad one – but one organization decided it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here is their story.
Meet The Grey Muzzle Organization
Grey Muzzle was founded in 2008 when Julie Dudley decided to leave her corporate career behind and dedicate her life to a cause most people knew nothing about: Improving the lives of homeless senior dogs.
Senior dogs are usually overlooked in the shelters, as most adopters prefer taking in young puppies.
While this is easy to understand, old dogs also deserve love. However, they are often more challenging to care for, as many are struggling with severe health issues that require additional care and vet visits.
This is where Grey Muzzle comes into play!
Grey Muzzle isn’t a shelter or a rescue. Instead, it helps fund treatment for homeless senior pups who desperately need it.
It also helps other rescues adopt older dogs and provides funds for them to rescue dogs from euthanization lists.
Occasionally, it also helps dogs with owners get the funds they need for treating their older dogs that have gone through rare illnesses or accidents – such as helping Buddy, a 13-year-old dog that was viciously attacked by another animal.
To highlight the words of their organization:
“We believe every senior dog deserves to live out their golden years, months, weeks or even days in a place of love, security and peace.We believe dogs are not a disposable commodity; rather, they depend on us to care for them through all stages of their lives.
Beating The Heartbreaking Statistic
The statistics are devastating. According to the ASPCA, only about 50% of senior dogs left at shelters end up finding a new home.
Fortunately, organizations such as The Grey Paw help older pups get a new start in life.
One of the programs they support is hospice care for senior dogs, which allows sick dogs to spend their final days surrounded by love and care.
They also look for dogs deemed unadoptable and provide them with long-term, in-home care programs. This helps provide every single pup with the warm home they deserve, regardless of their prognosis.
Oftentimes, sick dogs are brought to shelters or rescue organizations emaciated, with severe health conditions that are too much for an average person to pay for.
Grey Muzzle helps by providing grants to various organizations that help senior dogs get the welfare they need.
While this might not sound like a lot at first glance, it’s important to note that in 2024, they have celebrated an important milestone: They have surpassed $1,000,000 in monthly grant awards, which can help treat thousands of dogs in need!
Isn’t it amazing?!
Some Stories Have A Happy Ending
One of the dogs Grey Muzzle has helped was Kumal, an 11-year-old German Shepherd left at the shelter.
Kumal appeared to have a severe spinal injury, had difficulty walking, and had some neurological problems on top of that.
“The Thulani Program of German Shepherd Rescue of Northern California was convinced that he was a hospice candidate, likely only to survive for a few months before passing to the Rainbow Bridge,” Grey Muzzle reports.
Without the help of organizations like Grey Muzzle, this dog would likely be euthanized, as the prognosis was rather grim.
However, once the neurological assessment was performed, it turned out that Kumal simply had an old injury that had fully healed, leaving him with a minor neurological deficit. In other words, Kumal just walked funny!
After a short rehabilitation and additional exams that proved Kumal was in no pain whatsoever, he found his new home and now lives on a large, redwood-covered property in California.
Stories such as this one leave us with a warm feeling in our hearts. They are proof that good people exist and that their efforts help save the lives of those who need it the most.
It is true that senior pups likely don’t have long lives ahead of them, but there is no reason not to allow them to live what little they might have left in a warm, loving home.
And considering how the oldest dog in recorded history, Bobby, crossed the Rainbow Bridge when he was 31, who knows just how long your beloved pooch might be with you?
Never give up on your four-legged friend, no matter his age.
Vanja’s passion for writing started at an early age, which is why she pursued Journalism as her college degree. She can research any topic and find all the information before you bat an eye, which is a great thing for her job but a terrible one for her husband.
Even as a young child, she fell in love with everything fluffy – but dogs have a special place in her heart due to her childhood companion, a Corgie named Archie.
Motivated by her experiences and driven by a desire to give back to her four-legged companions, she spends her free time volunteering at a local dog shelter.