Gray Muzzle? No Problem! S.F. Nonprofit Finds Homes for Old Mutts.

Bella, a lady in search of a home

The King of Pop is dead, child predators roam the friendly skies, and California's economy is grinding to a halt while our Austrian-born governor unwinds in his jacuzzi. But it's not all bad news out there, folks. Once in a while we get wind of a project that does good in the world free from the taint of greed, pride, or ideological bias. The latest is Muttville.

Muttville is a San Francisco-based nonprofit that finds homes for old dogs. Its founder, Sherri Franklin, noticed after years of volunteering at the SPCA that older canines were frequently passed over for their younger counterparts in the adoption process, leading to loneliness, dejection, and euthanasia for furry would-be friends.

Years have brought wisdom to Dharma

Muttville takes these dogs from shelters in San Francisco and across the state -- some dogs have come from as far away as Los Angeles -- and places them in a circuit of temporary canine foster homes provided by volunteers. From there, the dogs go to permanent owners. Franklin says Muttville has rescued 400 dogs in the roughly two years since it was incorporated. (Note: The dogs Muttville works with aren't all creaking with age. Bella, pictured above, is 6; Dharma, right, is 7.)

"Typically, the call we get is, 'If you don't pick up this dog by five o'clock today, it's being put down,'" says Muttville board member and volunteer Helene Kocher. She says the organization currently has about 30 dogs up for adoption.

Sabaka the wookie -- er, schnauzer mix

The nonprofit has a popular "seniors for seniors" program, which focuses specifically on placing older dogs with older people. Franklin says all the dogs placed through Muttville are screened for friendliness around humans and other dogs before they leave the shelter, and the nonprofit arranges meetings between potential owners and pets for compatibility.

Good work, Muttville. Incidentally, all the dogs pictured in this story are up for adoption. For a full list of available mutts, or for information on volunteering, check out the Muttville Web site.

Photos   |   courtesy of Sherri Franklin.