Grey Matters

We all want to grow old with our canine friends by our side, but some seniors find themselves unable to afford care for their dogs. Sean Hawkins of Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando explains how his organization keeps vulnerable pets out of shelters by helping seniors provide their companions with necessary care.

Those who have had the pleasure of sharing their lives with a senior dog probably can‘t imagine allowing them to end up at a local humane society or animal control facility. Yet, shelters care for many old dogs every day. For this article, Grey Muzzle asked experts to share the common reasons for senior dogs being in shelters.

A wiry-haired, 14-year-old Chihuahua mix is taking the Internet by storm this year. Her name is Susie, and she’s on a mission to connect homeless older dogs with the family that will love them. Meet Susie - and Erin O'Sullivan, the woman behind Susie's Senior Dogs - and learn how they are helping senior dogs in need.

When a puppy becomes an old dog, will his family still love and care for him? In this prize-winning essay, Grey Muzzle volunteer Jan Zulkeski explains - from a dog's perspective - the importance of The Grey Muzzle Organization's mission to ensure that "no old dog dies alone and afraid."

Many children dream of getting a puppy, but in the new children's book He Chose Me, a little boy named Oliver discovers that what he actually wants is to adopt a senior dog. In this guest post, the author of He Chose Me, Christine Starr, writes about Maddie, the senior dog who was the inspiration for her book.

When Maria took Finn home as her foster dog, she knew he was ill, but not quite how ill - or how much she would come to love him in the months that followed. In this post, Maria Stoerrle, a member of Grey Muzzle's Board, tells of the love and heartbreak of deciding when to say goodbye to a terminally ill dog.

Many people with dogs worry about what will happen to their four-legged companions during a natural disaster, but few find themselves prepared when one occurs. Grey Matters has thus compiled a guide with the best advice we could find on caring for a dog during a disaster.

The Grey Muzzle Organization has a fantastic Advisory Board of experts from many professions, including veterinarians like Dr. Julie Buzby. Dr. Buzby is a practicing veterinarian who, after years of frustration watching her patients struggle on hard floors, developed Dr. Buzby’s ToeGrips for Dogs, devices which improve mobility in dogs by providing them with better traction.

Don’t allow your fear of hurting your dog prevent you from keeping his feet healthy

Conventional medicine is not the only option for dogs suffering from pain, whether it is from arthritis, or a muscle or joint injury. In this week's Health and Wellness post, Jennifer Kachnic, President of The Grey Muzzle Organization, discusses several alternative therapies that can help with pain management.