Last week, the nation’s largest nonprofit dedicated exclusively to senior dogs announced a record-breaking $1.57 million in grants awarded to 119 animal welfare organizations across the United States.
“If 50 is the new 30 for humans, why not for our older best friends?” said the director of the Grey Muzzle Organization.
“Senior dogs have so much life to live and love to give, yet they’re often the last to be adopted and the first at risk when shelters run out of space,” added Denise Fleck.
The grant recipients, located in 33 states, will use the funding for medical and dental care, adoptions, foster and hospice programs, and other resources that help keep senior dogs in the homes they love.
Most senior dogs entering shelters require medical attention. Now, thanks to Grey Muzzle’s support, dogs like Maya will find love and a soft landing.
Maya, who spent 10 years repeatedly bred and confined to a cramped pen, was finally rescued—but faced euthanasia due to shelter overcrowding. She was saved by a pet sanctuary in Arizona, funded by Grey Muzzle’s grant program for aging dogs.
“I am so excited that her story is getting out there to help raise awareness about senior dogs,” says Caroline Mirtich, Maya’s new mom.
Since 2008, The Grey Muzzle Organization has awarded $7.3 million in grants supporting senior dogs nationwide.
Among this year’s grant recipients are The Golden Bark Foundation in Utah and Czar’s Promise, a Wisconsin-based organization founded in honor of a beloved Great Pyrenees, to support families facing a pet’s cancer diagnosis.
Founded in 2022 and run entirely by volunteers, The Golden Bark offers safe, loving foster homes where senior dogs can heal and enjoy comfort in their final years. Their Grey Muzzle grant will fund their dental care program, their biggest medical expense—since 80% of the senior dogs they rescue suffer from painful dental disease.
The new funding will allow them to place even more senior dogs in loving retirement homes.
Meanwhile, Czar’s Promise has supported hundreds of dogs with cancer across Wisconsin and neighboring states. With help from Grey Muzzle, they’re now providing chemotherapy and radiation for dogs aged 7 and older—giving families more precious time with their cherished companions.