In today's issue:

-Meet our adoptable dog of the day

-Learn about our Shelter of the Week

-Enjoy a laugh with our dog meme of the day

-Get great information in our featured article

-Take our action of the week

-Check out our family photo of the day

Join our Facebook group - Post Your Pooch!

Muttville Senior Dog Rescue is a pioneer in animal welfare dedicated to giving older dogs a sweet second lease on life. Founded in San Francisco in 2007 by animal advocate Sherri Franklin in her own home, Muttville was created to address a heartbreaking gap in animal shelters: senior dogs. These pups are often deemed "unadoptable" due to age or minor health needs, being overlooked or euthanized despite having so much love left to give. That's why Muttville, and organizations like it, are so important.

Since its inception, Muttville has rescued and rehomed thousands of senior dogs, changing the perception of senior pet adoption nationwide.

What Makes Muttville Special

• Cage-Free Living: Unlike traditional shelters, Muttville operates open, cage-free facilities where rescue dogs can lounge on cozy beds, socialize comfortably, and feel at home while waiting for their forever families.
• Comprehensive Care: Every incoming pup receives thorough veterinary attention, dental work, grooming, and tailored medical support to ensure they are healthy, happy, and comfortable.
• Hospice Program: For senior dogs with terminal conditions or specialized needs, Muttville provides compassionate hospice care and loving homes, ensuring every dog spends their final chapter surrounded by comfort and affection.

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Why Your Dog Is Obsessed With the Garbage Can

You left the room for three minutes. When you get back, coffee grounds, crumpled napkins, and half-eaten sandwich crusts are strewn across the floor. In the center of it all sits your pup, looking up at you with wide, innocent eyes.

You sigh, wondering how your sweet pal turned into a chaotic raccoon overnight. But before you get too frustrated, take a moment to look at the situation from your dog’s perspective. To them, that flimsy plastic bin isn’t just trash. It’s the greatest treasure chest in the house!

Their Superpower Is Their Nose

To understand your dog's garbage obsession, you have to look at the world through their nose. While humans experience the world primarily through sight, dogs live in a vibrant, complex landscape of scent.

A sealed trash can might smell like nothing to you, but to a dog with a sense of smell up to 100,000 times more sensitive than ours, that bin is radiating a symphony of aromas. They can detect the lingering scent of last night's roasted chicken, cheese wrappers, and discarded bacon grease from across the room. To them, the garbage can is practically screaming, "Open me, there are amazing things in here!"

The Ancestral Urge to Scavenge

Even though our dogs enjoy regular mealtimes out of shiny stainless steel bowls, their internal programming hasn't forgotten their wild ancestors. Canines are natural scavengers. In the wild, searching for food scraps and hunting for hidden meals was a matter of survival.

When your dog rummages through the trash, they are simply acting on ancient, hardwired instincts. The thrill of the hunt, even if the "prey" is an old yogurt container, triggers a rush of excitement and satisfaction in their brains.

The Jackpot Effect (Variable Rewards)

Dogs are master learners, and the garbage can offers the ultimate form of gambling: variable reinforcement.

Think about it. Most of the time, the kitchen trash can is locked, ignored, or empty. But every once in a while, your dog manages to tip it over or snag a discarded snack. That one glorious payoff of a chicken bone or a cheesy crust reinforces the behavior tenfold. It teaches them that persistence pays off, turning garbage-diving into a high-stakes game of chance.

Boredom and Curiosity

Sometimes, the trash can is simply the most interesting thing happening in an otherwise quiet house. Dogs are curious, tactile explorers who investigate the world with their mouths and paws.

If your pup is feeling under-stimulated, anxious, or lonely, raiding the wastebasket provides instant entertainment. It crinkles, it smells interesting, it offers different textures, and best of all, it usually gets an immediate (albeit panicked) reaction from you! From a bored dog's point of view, even a reprimand is a form of engagement.

How to Protect Your Dog (and Your Kitchen)

While garbage-diving is completely natural for your dog, it can be dangerous. Rotting food can cause severe stomach upset or toxicity, and bones or plastic packaging can pose choking or intestinal hazards.

To keep your furry treasure hunter safe, try these simple tips:

• Upgrade Your Bin: Switch to a heavy, weighted, locking, or step-can with a secure lid that your dog can't easily tip over or nudge open.
• Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Keep kitchen trash cans tucked inside a secure cabinet or placed on a high counter if necessary, especially when you're away.
• Feed Their Curiosity: Give your dog interactive puzzle toys, snuffle mats, or chew bones to keep their natural foraging instincts happily occupied elsewhere.

Dog Food and Supplement Recalls

Here are the recent recalls and advisories:

• FI - Pet Supplements: Potential Salmonella Contamination
• Northwest Naturals - Chicken Recipe: Potential Salmonella and/or Listeria Monocytogenes Contamination
• Fromm - Wet Canned Dog Food: Potential Metal Contamination
• Oma's Pride - Canine Food: Contaminated with Salmonella

Want to help find lost pets?

Download our RoverAlert app to receive notifications of missing pets in your area.

We want to feature your pup!

We want to share your pup with our pack. Email us your favorite doggy pic or video with your pup’s name, and we'll try to feature it as a family photo in one of our upcoming newsletters or on our Facebook page.