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 Protection Society - Friday Harbor
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria
Charlottesville-Albermarle SPCA
Community Spay Neuter Initiative Partnership (C-SNIP)
Found House Interfaith Housing Network
Foundation for Animal Care & Education (FACE)
Friends of Madison County Animals
Friends of Norfolk Animal Care Center
Friends of the Animal Community
Heaven Can Wait Animal Society
Hudson Valley Animal Rescue and Sanctuary
Humane Society for Hamilton County
Humane Society of Indianapolis
Humane Society of Scott County
Humane Society of Sonoma County
Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin
Humane Society of St. Joseph County
Kohala Animal Relocation and Education Service (KARES)
Lifeline Oro Valley Animal Rescue
Little Shelter Animal Rescue & Adoption Center
Little Traverse Bay Humane Society
Lollypop Farm | Humane Society of Greater Rochester
Noah's Animal House Foundation
Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
Poodle & Pooch Rescue of Florida
Seniors' Pet Assistance Network (SPAN)
Shelter from the Storm Animal Rescue
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.
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