Meet Our Dogs

FOR OPERATING YEAR 2020

What a year, right?

And yet, even the very tough 2020 brought some brightness to The Old Mutt Hut. We took in three additional old dogs —t he ever-cheerful Lacee, a 12-year-old Aussie/border collie; Lexi, a good-natured bloodhound, about 10 years old; and Cocoa, 12 or 13, a perpetually smiling chocolate lab. Lacee came to us after her person developed fast-moving dementia and had to move into a care facility. Lexi and Cocoa came from The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.

We also adopted out a dog for the first time: JayCee, a high-energy border collie, 11, who was with us for six months, needed someone of her very own, and we located the perfect person with the help of a supporter.

During this last 12 months we’ve learned a great deal more about how to keep old dogs engaged and stimulated; welcomed a few more devoted volunteers; and gained support for our merry band of oldies from as far away as Maine. Other highlights: The local NBC affiliate did a really nice story on us. We celebrated the 18th birthday of our remarkable beagle, the Magnificent Miss Molly. And in addition to the dogs we took in, we helped facilitate the re-homing of nine other old dogs who could not come to us because they don’t get on well with other dogs. 

The year started off normally enough — walks with the dogs through the snow, chopping ice in the back dog yard, routine vet visits and vaccinations for everyone, and preparations to get rattlesnake boosters in the spring (a requirement in our area, which is located far from vet care and, sadly, quite the haven for rattlesnakes). 

And then we, like everyone else, were gut-punched when the pandemic hit and lingered, the many implications grew more clear, and the lockdown went into effect. Soon it became obvious funding for the oldies could diminish to worrisome levels. We had to cancel the spring and summer fundraisers we had scheduled, of course. And we had to find ways to adjust. More online auctions. Yard sales once those were considered safe. We applied for and received federal PPP funds for our one paid employee­, fulltime caregiver Tami. Board member Robin researched how to get our property taxes excused (because of our nonprofit status) after they suddenly jumped from $300 annually to $1,200, and she successfully navigated the 40 pages of documentation required to get that savings approved for us. Volunteer Dorothy scored donations of dog food from Bentley’s (and she also scoured the town for almost non-existent paper towels to add to the few rolls we shared so Bentley’s could do the cleaning required after each sale to remain open). 

Every person and every group was struggling, of course. We were able to donate some crates to a local group that transports cats to get free and low-cost spays and neuters, as well as some to a dog rescue; and we located a rescue group that needed puppy food that was donated to us and that our oldies can’t eat. 

We were thrilled to receive an unexpected $1,000 from the American Humane Association to help with food and medical care expenses during this awful time. Board member Garry created “In Your Honor” certificates so people could donate in someone else’s name for birthdays and so on, and the honored person received the certificate in the mail. These have proven to be very popular. Board member Robin, who had sewed hundreds of free face masks for first responders during the Great Mask Shortage early in the pandemic, concluded once the shortage had passed and masks were once again in strong supply, that hand-made masks could be a good fundraiser for The Old Mutt Hut. We sold hundreds of those masks through various means.     

While all these efforts were unfolding, our supporters came through for us. In huge ways. Many, once they figured out their new financial situations, began sending us $10 or $15 or $25­ – whatever they could spare whenever they could spare it. Some sent much more. Four sent us a portion of the stimulus money they received with notes like this one: “I’ve lived on my retirement funds for a few years now and really don’t have a deep need for the stimulus money, so I’m sending you and a couple of other charities I believe in a piece of it.” And people who had been contributing to us since almost the beginning continued, sometimes in a bigger way than usual, knowing that every nonprofit was facing financial challenges. We shed some tears as people coping with their own uncertainties remembered the oldies.

People we’ve never met (and some people we have) mounted birthday fundraisers for us on their Facebook accounts; artists and quilters donated some of their creations for us to sell at our auctions; supporters sent us gift items to sell online; folks donated supplies such as paper towels, Cosequin for joint health, trash bags and dog beds; Pet Smart at Broadmoor Towne Center gave us hundreds of overstock dog jackets, life jackets and other supplies.

Volunteers Michelle and Mark bought us a new dryer after ours broke, and then they bought the materials and built a new half wall to make isolating newcomer dogs easier during their quarantine period. Volunteers Susan and Jerry paid for someone to come and mow the fields closest to us to help reduce fire risk and also to keep the rattlesnake population down. Our small but mighty band of loyal volunteers, who walk the dogs hundreds of miles a year, give them baths, brush them and clip toenails, also put another coat of paint on the porch railings so we can get through yet one more wood-punishing winter before having to think about replacing them, installed a clothesline for the months we didn’t have a dryer, and hauled in a tractor to plow up a second hiking trail through the prairie for the dogs.

To say we have felt loved and lucky is a massive understatement.

The year ended with sadness. We had to say goodbye in December to sweet Godfrey, a gentle boy who came to us from the Humane Society after he was seized as a cruelty case. He wasn’t expected to live more than six months when we took him in as he had been so neglected for so long his liver, spleen and kidneys were beginning to fail. We got to have nearly 18 months with him, good months of contentment, during which he was never hungry, knew he was loved, and spent most pleasant-weather afternoons in his happy place — lounging about on a big blue bed on the front deck — soaking up the sun and listening to the birds.

We also lost, just a few days later, our amazing Molly, strong and irrepressible, who lived 18 years, 6 months and 22 constant-momentum days – more than 26 months of them with us. She was The Old Mutt Hut’s first dog, a gentle leader who was respected by one and all. She was smart and independent. She was perfect. 

We are heart-broken over the losses, of course. It’s an obvious part of what we do, but that doesn’t make it easier. We know they had been happy with us. And they passed at their home, at The Hut, with the help of Dr. Judith Lee, while we sang to them.

In 2021, we’ll be doing more of what we’ve been doing for nearly three years, and perhaps this will be the year we can launch new plans and expansions.

We appreciate all you’ve done in all your various ways to ensure that we can continue our mission of caring for old dogs who need a warm, safe place to spend their final months or years. We are very grateful to you all. And we know Kaya, Charlie, Maggie and the other dogs are too. 

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THE YEAR IN REVIEW, 2019

What a year 2019 was for The Old Mutt Hut! Huge thanks to all of the  donors, supporters, and hard-working volunteers who helped us make life  terrific for several old dogs who previously had no hope. They’re living  the good life in the little blue house on the  prairie.
 

Here are some highlights from the last 12 months:

• We welcomed several new dogs into the fold — most requiring fairly significant medical interventions to ensure that their final years could be as comfortable as possible — bringing the total number of residents we’ve being caring for at the hut to 10.
• Molly the irrepressible beagle celebrated her SEVENTEENTH birthday with  us (we know her birth date because she spent her life before TOMH with  one man and one veterinarian in Trinidad, Colorado). Molly dressed up, partied like crazy, dove nose first into a  doggie birthday cake, shared nicely with her fellow canine buddies, and posed prettily with the volunteers and board members who gathered to  celebrate her.
• We helped link up adopters with at least 15 old dogs — dogs  we couldn’t take for a variety of reasons (mostly because they had histories of not dealing well with other dogs, or, in some cases, people).
• We coached 8 people through practices and resources that allowed them to  keep old dogs that they had previously believed they would have to give  up.
• Volunteers donated the materials and time to construct a second  fenced-in area (and ramp to access it) so that new arrivals, who we always keep separate from the other dogs for two weeks to ensure they  are infection free, have an outdoor space for exercise  and play. Volunteers also replaced the grout in the shower we use for  dog baths and put up gutters (which we got donated).
• The Old Mutt Hut was chosen The Spirit of the Season nonprofit by the  Festival of Lights parade committee. Old mutts Kaya and JayCee got to  ride in a classic convertible down Tejon Street as 60,000 people cheered them on (actually, those people were cheering all of the parade participants but the dogs were sure everyone was  there for them).
• We held three fundraising yard sales, three online auctions, and fundraising events at pubs, eateries and malls.
• We installed our Fond Memories Garden, a beautiful collection of pavers that people purchased to honor dogs who have passed on.
• Volunteers and board members dedicated more than 2,000 volunteer hours  to The Old Mutt Hut during the year. They walked and bathed dogs,  cleaned things, constructed things, worked on fundraisers, created  literature, located resources for free or discounted  dog food, transported dogs for vet visits, forged relationships with  retailers and rescue groups, and handled scores of other tasks. Some  volunteers came to the facility every week, some a couple of times a  month; some volunteers, such as a group from the  El Paso County District Attorney’s Office and the athletes from the  Pikes Peak Derby Dames, came for a single day to do a special project, with plenty of dog hugs and kisses added.

It’s been just 16 months since we opened our doors to our first dog — the  incomparable, fiercely independent  Molly — and just a few weeks later to adorable little Chihuahua Pinto (Bean), a sunny guy despite years of  neglect and a terminal illness. Each new dog  and every new day surprises and delights us. First-time visitors often  comment that they had expected that a house filled with old dogs would  be a little, well, depressing. Instead, they observe, “it’s like Disney World for dogs!”  There are sun-splashed decks  where  dogs lounge about watching the rabbits and birds, beds of every  size and shape (perpetually cheerful beagle Joey, 13, always chooses to nap in ones that are a little too small for him so he can spill over the  edges), and regular raw-carrot or apple-slice  treats.
Some of the dogs choose to sleep together from time to time; a couple  have developed especially special relationships with other dogs or some  volunteers; and they all love their daily walks across the plains, rain  or shine, especially when they flush  out quail  (with the exception of Norwegian Elkhound Maggie, the Nordic beauty who  is quite possibly the world’s laziest dog and who often hides under the  table when the leashes come out).