Muttville, located in San Francisco, is a really remarkable organization, and most everyone here at Dogster would admit to having a soft spot in our hearts for the senior-dog rescue group. Rescue organizations abound, but Muttville takes care of dogs that routinely fall through the cracks. Most people, when they start to make the rounds of shelters to take a dog home, want to take home a youngster: Puppies and dogs in their early adolescence are the stars of the dog adoption scene.

Muttville on the other hand, specializes in senior dogs, who often languish in shelters or are simply euthanized because they’re not considered adoptable. When a dog comes into Muttville, the group finds a home for that animal if it can. If the dog just isn’t adoptable, Muttville provides end-of-life care.

That’s some good, praiseworthy work. So, we’re really happy to see that Muttville is celebrating its 2,000th rescued dog since its founding in 2007. That’s an impressive number of dogs in only a few years, especially considering how difficult it is to place older dogs.

You can meet Muttville’s 2,000th rescue on its web page, along with her 1,999 predecessors. Number 2,000 is Varsha, a 9-year-old cattle dog mix who was found in Oakland, covered in scabs and missing big chunks of hair. When someone brought her into Oakland Animal Services, the staff knew that between Varsha’s age and her physical condition, there was a good chance that she would wind up being euthanized. So, they called Muttville. Executive Director and Founder Sherri Franklin said, “At first, Varsha was shy and somewhat shut down but in only one day after arriving at Muttville, she started to blossom.”

Varsha is with a foster family now, and if you’re in the Bay Area and looking for a pet to take home, she is available for a forever home.

The fact that Muttville has made 2,000 rescues is a great milestone, and Franklin is already looking forward to the next thousand and beyond.

“Our success reaching this milestone shows that people do love senior dogs and can see just how special a senior dog can be,” she says. “We’re well on our way to continue the plight of rescuing these precious older dogs — and with the help of Muttville’s volunteers, foster families, and donors, we will reach 3,000 in no time.”

The history of Muttville’s first 2,000 rescues is told through pictures on its website. Except for the ones who were snatched up immediately, each mutt has a mug shot and a little bit of biography on the wall. It starts out with Jimmy Love, a Tibetan Terrier mix who came in covered with fleas and almost blind from cataracts. Muttville raised $3,000 for surgery and placed him in a home. After many more, of multiple breeds and conditions, you’ll find Varsha’s picture down at the very bottom. But happily, she’s not the end of the story. Already, Muttville’s dogs who are ready for adoption are numbered up to 2,019: Jake, a 12-year-old Aussie mix. It looks like Muttville is already well on its way to racking up its next thousand. Happy anniversary to Muttville, and to all the dogs it has rescued.