By Jarissa Aquinde, Positively Woof Rescue and Adoption Story Editor
Sherri Franklin, founder of Senior Dog Rescue, Muttville, is one of the 10 Finalists for CNN’s 2016 Hero of the Year! She is the only person this year, and in recent years, from the animal/rescue community to reach the finalist stage! Voting ends December 6th and the CNN live broadcast will air on December 11th!“I started Muttville Senior Dog Rescue because wonderful, older dogs were getting passed over— and euthanized — just because of their age. These are fantastic dogs! It’s all about getting the word out, and being chosen as a CNN Hero Top 10 nominee is not only an incredible honor but one of the best ways I can think of to spread the word!”– Sherri Franklin
Since its inception in 2007, Muttville (based in San Francisco) has saved over 4,200 senior dogs. The organization’s founder, Sherri Franklin, has spent years rescuing dogs (especially seniors), and recognized that the need was greater than she, as an individual, could ever address. After watching older dogs in the shelter being passed over for adoption and then getting euthanized, she couldn’t look the other way. So, she decided to start Muttville. It began with one dog at a time and now, over 900 lives are saved a year.
Sherri has had a strong presence in the rescue community for decades. She began her work in animal rescue at the San Francisco SPCA (SF/SPCA) in 1994, as a dog behavior volunteer. In 1995, she started caring for dogs for the SF/SPCA that were considered “un-adoptable” because of medical problems, behavioral issues, or other challenges. In 2002, she began to work at San Francisco’s Animal Care & Control (ACC), a city shelter without the resources of the SF/SPCA. She continues to volunteer for the Give A Dog A Bone program, which provides quality of life for dogs being held in custody awaiting “vicious and dangerous dog” hearings, abuse and neglect cases, and dogs whose guardians have been incarcerated or are in the hospital.
Along with her 2016 CNN Hero of the Year nomination, Sherri and her efforts have gained nationwide recognition. She was appointed to the San Francisco Commission of Animal Control and Welfare in 2000, and in 2003, she began work on an ordinance that both mandated minimum requirements for care for dogs and put some muscle into enforcement. The “backyard dog ordinance,” as it was known, went into effect in January 2005, and made headlines around the country. In 2004, Sherri was honored by In Defense of Animals and received The Guardian Award, presented to her by Jane Goodall.
Muttville rescues dogs from shelters all over the United States, and they receive more requests than they can handle. At times, Sherri feels like it’s ‘Sophie’s Choice’. However, she is starting to notice a trend that she hopes will continue: shelters are becoming more open to putting their senior dogs on the adoption floor…and they are getting adopted! Sherri also hopes that her CNN recognition will shine a spotlight on the plight of senior dogs everywhere. 
So many dogs have passed through Sherri’s life and home. She tends to adopt dogs over twelve years old, and all of them have touched her heart in their own way. The most recent love of her life was a dalmatian named Niner. He was in a wonderful home, but sadly, his mom died at a young age from a brain tumor. Thirteen year old Niner was the light of Sherri’s life for three years. She always said he had the ‘happy gene’ and she needed a blood transfusion of his ‘happy blood’. Niner was always up for an adventure, always had a big grin on his face, and Sherri was honored to share in his last chapter.
N I N E R
Niner was proof that senior dogs have SO much love to give. They are easier to care for than puppies, are beyond grateful, and full of heart and soul. Muttville adopters tell Sherri over and over again how their Muttville senior dog has changed their life, and how their adopted pup has taught them to live in the moment.
If you would like to get involved with Muttville, there are so many ways! You can volunteer, donate, become a foster, spread the word on social media, and of course, ADOPT!
There are numerous ways you can vote for Sherri Franklin and Muttville for CNN’s 2016 HERO OF THE YEAR, and you can vote up to 10 times a day via each method:*Tweet #HeroesVote Sherri Franklin to cast your vote on Twitter*You can also vote for Sherri and Muttville via Facebook MessengerFollow Muttville on Facebook @Muttville.Senior.Dog.Rescue, on Instagram @muttvillesf, and on Twitter @muttville!
