The Grey Muzzle Organization

The Grey Muzzle Organization aims to be the international leader promoting the welfare of senior dogs. We strive to increase the total amount we award in grants by at least 10% annually. We also aim to provide the highest quality resources and information to animal shelters and rescues that are working to develop and expand programs designed specifically to ensure senior dogs receive needed care and have the chance to live out their final years, months, weeks, and days in comfort and surrounded by love. Finally, we are working to provide pet owners with the information and resources they need to give their senior dogs the best possible care.

Our priorities for 2023 are four-fold. First, we will review our grant-making strategy, examining the pros and cons of offering a designated number of grants focused on specific areas or topics (e.g., efforts to better promote senior dogs, collaboration among shelters and rescues). We will build on the findings from our Saving Seniors study by exploring an additional invitation-only grant cycle to pilot test innovative strategies focused on community outreach and collaboration to keep senior dogs in their homes. Ultimately, we are committed to an approach that produces the best results for at-risk senior dogs—both during the grant period and beyond. We remain committed to providing all of our grantees with the support they need to expand and sustain their efforts on behalf of senior dogs.

Second, we will continue to increase our marketing and communications capacity in order to raise awareness about senior dogs. Fundamentally, we seek to change public perceptions of old dogs. This is a long-term goal, but this year we will build on our media success and increase the number of features on senior dogs in national and local media outlets.

Third, we will continue to invest in the infrastructure required to support and advance the growth of Grey Muzzle. We recognize that investments in technology and human resources are essential to our evolution from an all-volunteer organization to an international leader promoting the welfare of senior dogs. We will continue to invest in systems that increase our efficiency and add professionals to our team who have expertise in areas such as marketing and analytics.

Finally, we will continue to raise the funds necessary to increase the total amount of grants we award by at least 10% annually. We will do that by working to expand our individual donor base, identify new corporate sponsors, and promote our legacy giving program.

Grey Muzzle's greatest asset is our human resources, including our small-but-expert staff, our accomplished board of directors, our high-profile advisory board, and our cadre of volunteers who offer thousands of hours of in-kind service every year. In 2015, in order to make the transition from an all-volunteer organization, we recruited an executive director who has decades of experience managing nonprofits and getting results. In 2017 we added a part-time communications manager with extensive experience in animal welfare and marketing. In 2018 we increased our level of administrative support by adding a half-time administrative assistant. In 2020 we added a part-time financial consultant to ensure adherence to the highest accounting standards as we continue to grow. Together they provide leadership and manage day-to-day operations.

Our 8-person board of directors includes animal welfare experts, a CPA, IT professionals, small business owners, and experienced nonprofit leaders. In addition to providing governance and oversight, board members are actively involved in ad hoc committees that are instrumental to Grey Muzzle's success.

We continue to add to our advisory board, the members of which serve as ambassadors for Grey Muzzle and are essential to helping us promote our work on behalf of senior dogs. Long-time advisory board members include "America's Veterinarian" Dr. Marty Becker and Victoria Stilwell, prominent dog trainer and the star of the Animal Planet TV series, “It's Me or the Dog." This year we added even more well-known experts who are passionate about senior dogs, including Michael Levitt, Emmy-nominated founder of Michael Levitt Productions and producer of the "American Rescue Dog Show" for the Hallmark Channel and Dr. Heidi Lobprise, a board-certified veterinary dentist.

Volunteers also play a critical role in helping Grey Muzzle to achieve our goals. We have recruited a highly skilled volunteers to assist with graphic design, media relations, information management systems, among other areas of expertise.

With your support, we have accomplished much in the past year:

- We awarded a record $705,000 in grants to 78 animal welfare organizations in the U.S., Canada, and—for the first time—Puerto Rico, a 13% increase in total grant awards over the previous year.

- We saw increased demand for our grants, reflecting greater awareness of the needs of senior dogs and interest in lifesaving efforts on their behalf. We received 334 grant applications, 25% more than last year.

- Grey Muzzle grantees served nearly 3,300 senior dogs in 2022, 10% more than the previous year.

- Grey Muzzle grantees exceeded their targets. Austin Humane Society (TX) provided lifesaving care to 101 senior dogs, nearly 20% more than their goal to serve 85 senior dogs during the grant period. Animal Rescue Inc. (PA) rescued and provided care for 60 of the most at-risk older dogs, exceeding their goal for the number of senior dogs served by 50%.

- Grantees not only sustained, but also expanded their lifesaving efforts. Misty Eyes (IN) has more than doubled the number of senior dogs they serve from 22 to 52 in the last two years.

- Grey Muzzle grantees are catalysts for change and innovation. SpokAnimal’s (WA) Hearts and Paws program places senior shelter dogs in the loving care of residents at a skilled nursing center. The center fosters one dog at a time and gives each resident a chance to participate in taking care of the pup while SpokAnimal looks for their forever home. To date, five dogs have been adopted through the program. The program is such a success that Shelby Humane Society, a Grey Muzzle grantee in Alabama, adopted it. Matthew Lysobey, administrator of Sullivan Park Care Center, said, “It is amazing to see so many residents with significant physical and cognitive challenges overcoming all obstacles because of their commitment to saving senior dogs and making a difference in their community. We’re all looking forward to welcoming and saving the next senior shelter dog.”

- We built the capacity of our grantees by continuing “Director’s Corner,” a monthly professional development newsletter for grantees that features research and resources on best practices in animal welfare, and quarterly webinars focused on a range of professional development topics (e.g., adoption screening, foster recruitment, marketing).

- We invested in our human resources by hiring a Creative Content Manager to help develop resources to educate the public about the care of senior dogs and tell the stories of dogs impacted by Grey Muzzle grants. We also invested in our infrastructure, updating our website to Drupal 9 and embarking on a redesign effort to be completed in 2023.