Senior Dogs Fetch Lifesaving Grey Muzzle Grants

    Grants Will Help Thousands of At-Risk Older Dogs Nationwide

    Senior dogs have something to wag about as The Grey Muzzle Organization announces a record-breaking $848,000 in grants to 90 animal welfare organizations—shelters, rescue groups, and other nonprofits—in 29 states and Puerto Rico. This brings the national nonprofit’s total grant funding to more than $4.6 million over the past 15 years.

    The new grantees, selected from 370 applicants, will use the funds to help save and improve the lives of at-risk senior dogs in their communities. These grants will provide critically needed medical and dental treatment; foster and hospice care; adoption promotions; and programs that help keep old dogs in loving homes and out of animal shelters.

    “With so many puppies and young dogs waiting in shelters, it’s even more challenging to find homes for older dogs,” The Grey Muzzle Organization’s Executive Director Lisa Lunghofer, PhD said. “In addition to helping homeless old dogs overcome barriers to adoption, we prioritized programs that prevent senior dogs from being surrendered to shelters by helping people who need resources and support to care for them.”

    Here are a few examples of how senior dogs and the people who love them benefit from Grey Muzzle grants:

     

    Senior dogs like Brian can remain with their families and out of shelters, thanks to SPCA Florida’s retention program which provides resources such as dental and medical care, food, bowls, crates and more. The Lakeland-based SPCA will use their Grey Muzzle grant to reach out to 40 families and give them the help they need to keep their senior dogs healthy, happy and in their forever homes.

     

    Support from Grey Muzzle will enable Young at Heart Senior Pet Adoptions in Woodstock, Illinois, to rescue and provide “super senior” dogs with veterinary care and loving homes, lowering the rate at which very old dogs are euthanized in community shelters. The possibility of expensive care can stand in the way of finding families for dogs like 15-year-old Lincoln. Young at Heart’s Grey Muzzle grant will provide super senior dogs with all the advanced dental and medical care they need before matching them with adopters.

     

    Pasadena Humane’s Helping Paws Pet Food Pantry in California provides senior dogs like Yolanda with the specialized food that can strain their family’s budget. Thanks to support from Grey Muzzle, Pasadena Humane aims to provide 700 pets with food this year, ensuring that no old dogs are turned away.

     

    A Grey Muzzle grant will help the Pet Support Program of Found House Interfaith Housing Network in Cincinnati, Ohio, continue to care for and support senior dogs whose owners are experiencing housing insecurity or related hardships and cannot afford the cost of medical care for their beloved pets. The program works to keep families and senior dogs like Scruffy together. During his stay at Found House IHN, Scruffy received a medical checkup and vaccines. After finding stable, affordable, and pet-friendly housing, his owner was reunited with Scruffy. 

     

    “Thanks to our generous supporters who make Grey Muzzle grants possible, fewer senior dogs will be left behind in shelters, and more grateful old dogs will get to spend the rest of their lives in loving homes,” added Lunghofer.

     

    Meet this year's Grey Muzzle grantees:

    Animal Fix Clinic

    Animal Friends, Inc.

    The Animal Foundation

    Animal Protection Society - Friday Harbor

    Animal Rescue, Inc.

    The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria

    Arizona Animal Welfare League

    Arizona Humane Society

    Asheville Humane Society

    Austin Humane Society

    Austin Pets Alive!

    Brother Wolf Animal Rescue

    CARE 4Paws

    Charlottesville-Albermarle SPCA

    Compassion Without Borders

    Community Spay Neuter Initiative Partnership (C-SNIP)

    Czar's Promise

    Dane County Humane Society

    East Bay SPCA

    Forever Loved Pet Sanctuary

    Found House Interfaith Housing Network

    Foundation for Animal Care & Education (FACE)

    Friends of Homeless Animals

    Friends of Madison County Animals

    Friends of Norfolk Animal Care Center

    Friends of the Animal Community

    Fur Ever Yours Dog Rescue

    Gold Ribbon Rescue

    Heaven Can Wait Animal Society

    Helping Hands Humane Society

    Hudson Valley Animal Rescue and Sanctuary

    Humane Indiana

    Humane Society for Hamilton County

    Humane Society of Indianapolis

    Humane Society of North Texas

    Humane Society of Scott County

    Humane Society of Sonoma County

    Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin

    Humane Society of St. Joseph County

    Jacksonville Humane Society

    Kentucky Humane Society

    KodiakCare

    Kohala Animal Relocation and Education Service (KARES)

    Lawrence Humane Society

    Lifeline Oro Valley Animal Rescue

    Little Shelter Animal Rescue & Adoption Center

    Little Traverse Bay Humane Society

    Live Love Animal Rescue

    Lollypop Farm | Humane Society of Greater Rochester

    Maui Humane Society

    Max's Helping Paws Foundation

    Melissa's Second Chances

    Mercy Crusade

    Michigan Humane

    Misty Eyes Animal Center

    Muttville Senior Dog Rescue

    Nevada SPCA

    Noah's Animal House Foundation

    NMDOG

    Oshkosh Area Humane Society

    The Pasadena Humane Society

    PAWS Atlanta

    Peace of Mind Dog Rescue

    Pet Community Center

    The Pet Cottage

    Petey & Furends

    Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

    Poodle & Pooch Rescue of Florida

    Project Street Vet

    Rockbridge Animal Alliance

    Sacramento SPCA

    Safe Harbor Lab Rescue

    Seattle Humane

    Second Chance Animal Services

    Second City Canine Rescue

    Seniors' Pet Assistance Network (SPAN)

    Shelter from the Storm Animal Rescue

    SPCA Florida

    SpokAnimal

    Stop the Suffering

    The Street Dog Coalition

    Suncoast Basset Rescue

    Tennessee Dachshund Rescue

    Two by Two Animal Rescue

    Vets in Vans

    Vieques Humane Society

    Virginia Beach SPCA

    Wild Hearts

    Woods Humane Society

    Young at Heart Senior Pet Adoptions

     

    The Grey Muzzle Organization saves and improves the lives of at-risk senior dogs by providing funding and resources to animal shelters, rescues, and other nonprofit groups nationwide. We envision a world where every senior dog thrives, and no old dog dies alone and afraid.

    ###

    Help senior dogs