We first became aware of Muttville when we watched Sherri Franklin being honored as a CNN hero. Up until that point, neither of us had ever really thought about rescuing seniors (let alone a shelter that catered to them). But our hearts immediately went out to these little guys.
We started to scan the Muttville website and soon saw Friday. This little scrappy Malti-poo, who had been picked up off the streets of Oakland, was exactly the addition to our family that we wanted. We traveled the two hours to the shelter and immediately adopted him despite learning that he had been adopted and returned for being too ornery and snappy. Instead of thinking that there are bad dogs, we went with him to the vet and found out that he needed several more teeth removed (life as a stray is hard) and that he was allergic to most pet foods. That explained his aggressiveness when you touched his tummy and got near his mouth. Once we got him feeling better, he became the biggest lover there is. He loves to have his tummy rubbed and gives big smiles with the six teeth he has left.
We had such a great experience with Friday, that we came for Bernice soon after. Her Muttville name was Abita and she had been left at the groomers by her previous owner. Bernice is the sweetest poodle ever and everyone loves the way she prances down the street when we take short walks with her (she’s an old lady so walks tend to be a little short).
And since a house cannot have too much love, we also brought home a Bichon named Jesse about six months later. Jesse is blind, mostly deaf, and has a bit of dementia. He is also the best snuggler in the world. Jesse (who we renamed Jack) was a fospice dog and we expected to have him for a short time. Instead, he has been in our home for over a year and helped to fill it with love. It wasn’t long after getting Jack that we decided to make the family official. We were married at home surrounded by family (human and furries).
Jack passed this week. This is a sad moment for our family, but we are so thankful to Jack and are happy that we were able to help him spend his last year with his Muttville siblings, surrounded by love, and treated with dignity and respect.
Thank you Muttville for bringing Friday, Bernice and Jack into our family and helping other families fill their homes with love. Including Jen’s mom who just brought home Rocky. He’s great little Shih Tzu who is filling her days with companionship and affection since the loss of her husband.
Affectionately,
Scott, Jen, Friday, Bernice, Gertrude, & Walter (& old man Jack)
2/27/19
Are you the proud parent of a Muttville dog? Send us your story! Include three of your favorite photos and send it to success_stories@muttville.org with the subject line 'Success Story'.
