In the fall of 2014, I was looking for a non-profit to volunteer with and could not believe my luck when I stumbled upon an organization helping senior dogs. Since then, I have been involved with The Grey Muzzle Organization, advocating on behalf of senior dogs. I have a 16-year-old chihuahua who is my best buddy, so Grey Muzzle’s mission is close to my heart.

I got Rudy when he was 10 years old and I was in college. As a busy full-time student working 20 hours a week, having a loving companion without the problems that come with a puppy—potty training, chewing, and general house destruction—was such a relief. Rudy has been with me through college graduation, my first full-time job, my first big move out of state, engagement, and marriage. In fact, he attended our wedding in a tux! I had no idea Rudy would be attending, but my husband arranged for our dog sitter to drive an hour to our venue and bring Rudy, fully dressed, to greet me right before our ceremony. Since then, Rudy has stood by me through pregnancy and the birth of my daughter. He has been a sweet big brother, tolerating all the pats and prods from baby, and lying in front of her swing and crib as watchdog.

Rudy is a true friend who really inspired me to take being a senior dog advocate to the next level. I am so happy to be involved with The Grey Muzzle Organization and to share the benefits of adopting senior dogs with a wider audience. I currently work on the social media team, managing the Pinterest account. My favorite part of our Pinterest page is the "Show Us Your Seniors" board, where we feature pictures and stories of senior dogs submitted by our followers. It makes me happy to read about the love others have for their senior dogs and to see pictures of all the pretty and handsome grey muzzles!

I look forward to expanding beyond Pinterest this year and contributing to the organization’s Facebook page and working on the Grant Review team. I'm excited to be part of something so crucial to the organization's success.