{"id":30640,"date":"2017-03-29T10:39:18","date_gmt":"2017-03-29T14:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/?p=30640"},"modified":"2021-04-23T17:06:41","modified_gmt":"2021-04-23T21:06:41","slug":"hairstylist-brings-hope-senior-dogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/hairstylist-brings-hope-senior-dogs\/","title":{"rendered":"A Former Hairstylist Brings Hope to Senior Dogs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Sherri Franklin (center) at Muttville, her San Francisco dog shelter, with colleagues from Peace of Mind Dog Shelter. (Photos credited to: Muttville Facebook page)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A decade ago, whenever entrepreneur Sherri Franklin wasn\u2019t styling hair at the salon she owned, she was spending time volunteering at the <\/span>San Francisco Humane Society<\/span><\/a>. It was there that she met a small elderly dog named Heidi, who arrived at the shelter after her owner passed away. <\/span><\/p>\n

Franklin instantly became attached to Heidi, \u201ca beagle-basset mix, a low-rider girl with a big laggy tail.” And walking her became a \u201cpassion,\u201d she says. But one evening when she came in for her usual shift at the shelter, her furry friend was nowhere to be found. At that moment, Franklin had to face the hard truth: Heidi had been euthanized. Soon, she began to notice that many other older dogs were meeting a similar fate. \u201cIt changed me,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Heidi\u2019s story is not unusual. Dogs aged 7 and over are far less likely to be adopted<\/a> than younger dogs<\/span>, research shows. Franklin, harnessing her grief, decided to turn that tide and in 2007 started a shelter that would rescue and find foster and forever families for senior dogs. To date, <\/span>Muttville<\/span><\/a> has made a difference in the lives of more than 4,000 dogs throughout California.<\/span><\/p>\n

Space, Time and Love for Senior Dogs<\/b><\/p>\n

In the beginning, Franklin ran Muttville out of her home and spent her own money on dog food, veterinary costs and other basic pet care expenses required to prepare her canines for adoption. She accomplished much of the other work thanks to volunteer help;<\/span> several of her for<\/span>mer salon clients helped her secure grants, establish a web presence, and more. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I couldn\u2019t do it by myself,\u201d she says. With help, she saved 29 senior dogs during her first year in operation and coordinated several adoption and fundraising events.<\/p>\n

News of Franklin\u2019s mission spread by word of mouth throughout the Bay Area, and, by 2010, she had rescued nearly 600 dogs. She also received hundreds of requests to take in aging dogs. Overwhelmed by the demand, she decided to look for a proper building to use as a shelter, and solicited donations to make the move.<\/p>\n

To encourage people to help, Franklin sent out newsletters and shared inspirational pictures and videos on social media that showcased positive stories about the dogs — and humans — she has helped.<\/p>\n

It worked. She raised $100,000, and Muttville signed a lease for an old office building able to house 25 dogs at a time and give them space to roam freely in large rooms outfitted with beds and couches. From the moment they arrive, dogs are cared for by Franklin, a staff that now numbers 14, and a rotating cast of volunteers. They are vaccinated, deflead and dewormed, then given urinalysis and blood panels to detect any health problems. \u201cWe get dogs in pretty bad shape, so it\u2019s important for us to treat them right away,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Throughout the process, the Muttville staff prioritizes the comfort of their furry guests, especially those in need of additional love and care.<\/p>\n

Improving Lives for Two Species<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"Muttville has several programs for older dogs, but the one that put Muttville on the map with the \u00a0local press is \u201cSeniors for Seniors.\u201d The program places senior dogs in homes with people who are over 62 years old, with no application charges.<\/p>\n

Having a furry companion in a senior’s life can offer <\/span>benefits<\/span><\/a> like reduced stress levels, lower blood pressure and increased social interaction, research has shown. \u00a0\u201cA lot of seniors do not get out much,\u201d Franklin says, \u201cit\u2019s a chance for them to get some good love.\u201d Seniors who aren\u2019t allowed to keep pets where they live can attend Muttville\u2019s weekly \u201cCuddle Club\u201d with its dogs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Muttville also offers a \u201cfospice\u201d program for dogs facing illnesses that make them less-than-ideal candidates for adoption. Fospice, a term that combines the words \u201cfoster\u201d and \u201chospice,\u201d gives these animals a last chance to live in in a loving home. \u201cA lot of people that do this feel very rewarded by the experience of loving this animal, even though they know this animal is going to be on limited time.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Permanent Home for Everyone<\/b><\/p>\n

As demand continues to increase, Franklin says she hopes to find another location for Muttville and avoid renewing her lease for what is becoming a cramped space. She also wants to spread the love by helping other shelters implement similar programs to hers successfully.<\/p>\n

Muttville will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2017. Over the course of that decade, Franklin says she has enjoyed many triumphs, including being named a finalist for CNN\u2019s Hero of the Year award in 2016. But passion, more than winning, is what drives her.<\/p>\n

She calls Muttville her \u201cbaby,\u201d and says her favorite part of running it is helping people. \u201cThat\u2019s similar to hairstyling because you\u2019re still making people happy, but you’re working with animals to create and nurture that human-animal bond.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sherri Franklin, inspired by her affection for senior dogs, created a San Francisco organization called Muttville that has rescued thousands of them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111,"featured_media":30642,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"autoblue_enabled":false,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[],"autoblue_post_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[187,218],"tags":[20423,19762,19683,246],"class_list":["post-30640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-good-on-the-ground","tag-animal-welfare","tag-community-engagement","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-mission-based"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Former Hairstylist Brings Hope with Senior Dog Rescue<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sherri Franklin, inspired by her affection for senior dogs, created a San Francisco organization called Muttville which is a senior dog 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