Helping homeless senior dogs
Grey Muzzle has a dedicated Board of Directors who all volunteer their time, as well as a fantastic Advisory Board of experts from many professions who give us input and advice. We are an all-volunteer organization.
We are currently looking to add one additional board member to our Board of Directors. Please review our Board Membership Memo (PDF) and contact Julie Nowicki at julien@greymuzzle.org or 919-529-0309 for further information.
![]() Photograph generously donated by Bella Luce Photography, North Carolina |
Julie Nowicki, Founder and President
Julie is a business manager and customer researcher with a
passion for helping animals. After several rewarding years of
volunteering for
a local senior dog rescue organization,
OldDog Haven,
she found herself increasingly motivated
to apply her entrepreneurial skills in creating new
a
non-profit
to benefit
senior dogs nationally. Email: julien@greymuzzle.org
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Janet Berwick, Vice President Janet is the owner of
Paddywack, a pet supply
store in Mill Creek, Washington. She began her career in Health
Care Administration, becoming a
founding member and COO of a successful new health care
organization. In 2003, Janet decided to follow her passion and
left the health care field to spend time volunteering for animal
welfare organizations. She spent one month working at Best
Friends Animal Sanctuary in
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Renée Boothroyd, Secretary Renée directs the Program Development Center for Peers for Progress at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Peers for Progress examines the practical and social role of peer support to help people manage chronic diseases and other conditions. In Rhode Island, South Carolina, Kansas, Maryland, and now North Carolina, Renée has adopted cats and dogs and volunteered and worked with various companion and farm animal rescue organizations. Her commitment to senior dogs comes from Pele, her best boy and best friend of almost 13 years, who taught her about really living in each moment. Renée is applying her experience in health education, coalition building, grant writing/reviews/management, technical assistance, and research and evaluation to making life-changing differences in the lives of older dogs. She and Andre share their home with Emmet Otter and the other canine-crazies, Hogarth and Daisy, and the cats Nellie Lu, Brindle Bug, and Nelia Pseu who really rule the roost.
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Photograph generously donated by Kim Levin Photography, NY/NJ/CT |
Erika Mathews Erika Mathews, Marine Mammal Stranding Center’s Development Director, began her fundraising career at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). For eight years she worked in all aspects of development, including direct mail, major gifts, planned giving, and she spent a year in the volunteer department. Erika then went on to become the Development Director of St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, NJ. Here she managed the fundraising program for seven years, which included major donors, planned giving, foundation and corporate gifts as well as events and publicity. Erika is most grateful for the friends she has made along the way, especially Zoë, a 14-year-old shepherd/chow mix from Queens, three audacious cats and a 28-year-old retired school horse, Chance. |
(in order of join
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Susan von Beck Cardiff's Canine Country Lodge Duvall, WA |
Ms. von Beck owns Cardiff’s Canine Country Lodge, a non-traditional
dog boarding facility that provides a loving home-away-from-home
for special needs dogs. She is actively involved in dog
rescue, frequently opening her home and
facility to last-chance dogs from shelters. Ms. von Beck’s
background is in Advertising and Marketing where she
spent 15 years as a General Manager for the nation’s
largest private multi-media company, Cox Communications. |
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Amy Nam McCullough Trilogy Partnership Seattle, WA |
Amy Nam
McCullough is a research and investment analyst at Trilogy
Partnership, a wireless and technology private equity firm in
Bellevue, Washington. Prior to joining Trilogy, Ms.
McCullough was a
sell side analyst at JPMorgan Chase in New York, covering the
Applied Technologies sector, which included companies with a
combined market capitalization of over $70bn. She holds a BA in
Business Administration with a focus in Finance from the
University of Washington. A Seattle native, Ms. McCullough is
passionate about animal welfare and rescue and
volunteers with Old Dog Haven in Arlington, Washington.
Amy served on Grey Muzzle's Board of Directors from its
inception until late 2009, when she moved to the
Advisory Board where she continues to assist Grey Muzzle
with budgeting and financial planning. |
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Judith Piper, Executive Director
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Ms. Piper is the Executive Director of OldDog Haven,
a non-profit organization that provides assisted living,
hospice, and adoption services for senior dogs. OldDog
Haven currently cares for over 150 dogs across Western
Washington. |
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Fred Metzger DVM, Diplomate ABVP
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Dr. Metzger is a Diplomate of the American Board of
Veterinary Practitioners, a select group of veterinary
specialists certified by examination. He frequently
lectures to fellow veterinarians nationwide speaking on
clinical pathology, internal medicine and his favorite
subject, geriatric medicine. He has authored numerous
publications including co-authoring a textbook “A Guide
to Hematology of the Dog and Cat”. Dr. Metzger is active
in animal rescue, serving on the board of PAWS, Pets
Come First and his local SPCA. |
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Lisa Bennett, DVM |
Dr. Bennett has operated a private veterinary practice
since 1997. Her hospital exceeds the standards of the
American Animal Hospital Association; less than 14% of
veterinary facilities pass the inspections required to
live up to these standards. Dr. Bennett generously
supports dog foster programs and is active in assisting
senior dog rescue. |
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Cecily Joque, Adoption and Behavior Coordinator |
Ms. Joque is the Adoption and Behavior Coordinator for
the largest animal shelter in the state of Washington.
She has worked at the shelter for 8 years, as well as
volunteering for 4 years previously. Ms. Joque is
also a CPDT certified trainer who loves to teach dogs of
all ages, and she believes that some of her best
students have been older dogs. An enthusiastic advocate
for senior dogs, Ms. Joque says that many of the best
shelter dogs she's worked with have been quite
"experienced," and she's been fortunate to place many
senior dogs from the shelter into wonderful homes. Ms.
Joque lives with two of her own canine senior citizens. |
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Rick Johnson, Executive Director |
Mr.
Johnson is currently the Executive Director of the
Sacramento SPCA. He has been instrumental in
collaborations with the UC Davis Veterinary Shelter
Medicine Program in improving animal care in the shelter
and remodeled the SPCA’s veterinary clinic to make it
the only high-volume clinic in Sacramento County. Mr.
Johnson is the president of the State Humane Association
of CA and is a member of the HSUS Companion Animal
Advisory Committee and Hill’s Advisory Committee. Prior
to the SSPCA he worked at the Marin Humane Society for
24 years and served as the Director of the Animal Law
Enforcement Training Academy for 19 years. He also
serves on the CA Animal Care Conference Committee and
was last year’s conference chair. He has served on
numerous other committees within the CA Veterinary
Medical Association. |
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Deborah Workman, Executive Director |
Ms.
Workman is the Executive Director of the Sanctuary for
Senior Dogs, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to old
dogs. Her organization facilitates the rescue, adoption,
and lifelong care of senior dogs abandoned in shelters
and pounds. She is very active in the sponsoring and
training of senior therapy dogs. |
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Ardeth De Vries, President and Author |
Ms. De Vries is a teacher, writer and animal advocate.
She is the President of the Broken Arrow Memorial Fund,
a non-profit that provides financial assistance to
residents of Whidbey Island, WA for veterinary care of
their companion animals. The organization helps prevent
euthanization of companion animals when their
caretakers - particularly senior citizens - can’t afford
treatment that would improve the animal’s quality of
life. Broken Arrow believes that a loving relationship
between people and their animals is of major importance
in maintaining the health and well being of both animals
and humans. Ms. De Vries is also the author of the book
First Light: Animal Voices in Concert. She
provides end-of-life consulting and grief counseling for
humans mourning the death of an animal friend.
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Lauren Glickman, Executive Director |
Lauren Glickman, owner and principle consultant of FORAY
Consulting, has more than 10 years of experience as a
trainer, coach, and educator. Her experience ranges
from her work as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua
teaching agro-forestry techniques to managing the
volunteer program at the Progressive Animal Welfare
Society's Wildlife Center in Lynnwood, WA. She has
worked with dozens of nonprofits as a trainer, coach and
organization development consultant helping leaders and
boards create healthy and sustainable
organizations. Ms. Glickman was a co-founder
and board member of the
Chimpanzee
Sanctuary Northwest, and is currently Executive
Director of the
Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project. Ms. Glickman has a an
MA in organization development from the Leadership
Institute of Seattle and Bastyr University. |
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Shawn Buchholz, DVM |
A
1988 graduate of University of Illinois, Dr. Buchholz is
interested in the quality of life and life extension of
senior dogs and cats through senior oncology and senior
based medicine. She was involved in the medical care of
dogs from Pend Orille County, which was instrumental in
making animal cruelty a felony in Washington State. She
and Dr. Lynn Kingsley were recognized for excellence in
Veterinary Medicine by the Washington State Veterinary
Medicine Association for the care of these dogs. |
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Larry Siegler, DVM |
Dr.
Siegler graduated from Cornell School of Veterinary
Medicine in New York in 1980. Following additional
academic studies, including an internship at Angell
Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, he worked for almost
10 years in San Francisco and Marin County where in 1992
his whole focus and direction in health care changed.
Dr. Siegler became certified by the International
Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) and has also
completed the IVAS Chinese Herbal Course.
A member of the
Veterinary Botanical Medical Association, his practice
is one of integrating the modalities to maintain the
health of his patients. Dr. Siegler is passionate about
animal welfare. He was on the board of directors for
PAWS for three years and volunteered at Pasado’s Safe
Haven for homeless and abused animals for several years. |
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Susan Lauten, Ph.D. Pet Nutrition Consulting Tennessee |
Dr. Lauten is a Clinical Instructor of Veterinary
Nutrition at a Veterinary Teaching College and is a
consultant to pet owners, veterinarians and veterinary
specialists around the world. She is the author of
numerous papers and book chapters on pet nutrition. |
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Eric K. Senn, Esq. www.phillypetlaw.com Philadelphia, PA |
Eric K. Senn, Esquire graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Eric's law practice focuses not only on pets and animal welfare law, but it is also a general practice with a focus on real estate, contracts, business entities, and estate planning and administration. Eric has worked or volunteered with numerous animal welfare organizations, including Action for Animals in Latrobe, Pennsylvania as an animal caretaker and adoption counselor, SARAH Handicapped Pet Rescue, Philly Ferals’ project, and many interstate dog and cat transport relays. Eric enjoys dog shows and has attended the Westminster with his wife Sue. He enjoys going to dog parks with his three dogs Alex, Monkey, and Buddy, and having fun with all his pets, which also include 9 cats, and always a house full of foster friends. |
$100,000 milestone!

As of June 30th (which is the end of our second fiscal year of operation) Grey
Muzzle has given $100,000 in funding to help old dogs, including medical care
for adoptable and hospice dogs, beds for senior dogs at shelters, and assistance
for low-income owners to keep senior dogs. Thank you for making this great work
possible!
Faithful Friends

Faithful Friends are dedicated senior dog lovers who contribute pre-determined
monthly gifts to help old dogs at-risk. Will you join us?
Find out more...
Memorial Gifts

See our Gifts page for thoughtful memorial
donations and gift packages.