MUTTVILLE
"Muttville is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the way the world thinks about and treats senior dogs."
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The tragic truth is that wonderful dogs are euthanized simply because they are older. Shelter workers see it every day: a dog is brought in because he can't jog with his guardian anymore. Or he needs a little time to get up the stairs. Or he's no longer a puppy. We rescue and care for senior dogs. We place them in loving, permanent homes, and provide hospice care for dogs with life-limiting conditions who still have a good quality of life. These are not just shelter dogs; every day, dogs are moved from loving homes to concrete cages because their guardians have died, or moved, or can't care for them anymore. We receive over 500 requests monthly to help with these special dogs. If we had our way, no dog would spend their last days alone in a cold shelter. There is so much love and joy in these dogs! Bringing these special dogs into a home is not only good for the dogs, but these “experienced” best friends transform the quality of life for the people who adopt or foster them.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Seniors for Seniors Program
Muttville’s Seniors for Seniors program places senior dogs with senior citizens, enriching the lives of both. Muttville believes that old dogs contribute positively to our quality of life, both physically and emotionally. Senior dogs make calm, affectionate companions for the elderly and they keep each other active and engaged.Muttville’s Seniors for Seniors program helps unite senior dogs who need a home with senior citizens needing a companion. We reach out to senior organizations and travel to pet-friendly senior facilities to place the right dogs in the right forever homes. Senior dogs display temperaments and energy levels that coincide with the capacities of elderly caregivers. Senior dogs are rescued and their new human companions can rejoice and embrace the healing power of the human/animal bond.
Foster
If we had our way, no dog would spend its last days in a cold, dark shelter. There is so much love and joy in these dogs! Bringing these special dogs into a home is not only good for the dogs, but such loving, mellow dogs transform the quality of life for the people who foster them.
Hospice
Muttville rescues senior dogs. Despite temperament testing and veterinary screening and care, the backgrounds of many of Muttville’s dogs are unknown, and some dogs may have severe, previously undetected behavior or medical problems. As a result, we have developed fospice program that allows these wonderful dogs a loving home that will see for them through there palliative care and to live their finals days surrounded with love.
Adoptions
Happily ever after. That’s our goal: a happy human and happy dog living together in a "forever home.”
Where we work
Awards
Award for Public Service - Sherri Franklin 2010
Multiplying Good, formerly the Jefferson Awards Foundation
CNN Hero - Sherri Franklin 2016
CNN
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of animal adoptions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Adoptions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2020, adoption numbers went down due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Average number of days of shelter stay for animals
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Adoptions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
This metric measures the amount of time a dog stays at Muttville or a foster home before she/he is adopted. The shorter the length of stay, the more dogs Muttville can rescue.
Number of animals rescued
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Adoptions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2020: As with adoptions, intake totals (number of animals rescued) were fewer this year across the board for the entire animal welfare community nationwide, due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Number of animals with freedom from discomfort
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Hospice
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Muttville offers hospice for dogs with terminal illnesses who have a good quality of life. They're adopted by loving families and receive palliative care until it's time time to say goodbye.
Number of animals going to senior citizens
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Older adults, Seniors
Related Program
Seniors for Seniors Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Muttville's Seniors for Seniors program helps reduce social isolation and loneliness in the senior community by making it easy for senior citizens to experience the benefits of a canine companion.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Muttville’s mission is to change the way the world thinks about and treats older dogs and to create better lives for them through rescue, foster, adoption, hospice, education, and advocacy. Through saving lives, happy adoptions, volunteer opportunities, and educating the public, we enrich the community around us.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Through associations with shelters and other animal organizations, Muttville finds senior dogs that have been given up and are not likely to be adopted. We also serve as a resource for people desperate to re-home their seniors. Through outreach and networking, Muttville finds loving new homes for these dogs. Muttville has its own cage-free facility, housing newly rescued senior dogs while they await to be matched with foster homes. We have also built a trailblazing in-house veterinary clinic to provide care for the dogs we rescue, and have an extensive network of volunteers and fosters.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Since its inception in 2007, Muttville has enjoyed tremendous success, finding homes for over 10,000 senior dogs and helping change the way the world thinks of senior dogs. In the process, we've won awards and accolades from a wide range of people and groups like Oprah and the Red Cross, and our founder was named a CNN Hero in 2016.
Our work never stops. If we had our way, no dog would spend their last days in a cold, dark shelter. There is so much love and joy in these dogs! Bringing these special dogs into a home is not only good for the dogs, but such loving, mellow dogs transform the quality of life for the people who adopt or foster them.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We need more room to help more dogs find love and our chance to show them kindness.
We have outgrown our current space so we are getting a new "Forever Home." Our large new campus at 750 Florida Street in San Francisco will be a permanent headquarters where we can help more dogs and touch more people. We hope to move in during 2023. For more information about our Building New Beginnings Campaign, please check out https://foreverhome.muttville.org/.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person),
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
MUTTVILLE
Board of directorsas of 01/19/2023
Rhonda Vitanye
Retired from Barclays Global Investors
Sherri Franklin
Muttville
Patty Stanton
No Affiliation
Jane Goldman
TheObvious.co
Rhonda Vitanye
Barclays Global Investors
Kevin Nishioka
Alexander & Baldwin
John Lake
Wells Fargo
Kate Wheble
Cooper, White & Cooper LLP.
Kerry Hopkins
Electronic Arts
Don Dickerson
Fitness SF
Myra Rothfeld
JVS
Jay Stowe
Slingshot Global
Jessica Gilmartin
Honor
Joyce Polhamus
Smith Group
Rachel Shay
Tracy Nakano
Deloitte & Touche
Kaylene Patel
Barb Izzo
Flori Ventures
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data