The Shady Pines Crew
Elijah
He/Him
I’ve been working professionally with dogs for the past 20 years. I started in the shelter system in Oregon, moving to the Bay Area and working at a large dog daycare before launching out on my own. For the past 15 years I’ve been running The Working Walk, a full service company for dogs of all types, particularly geared towards dogs who need behavior help. The Working Walk specializes in structured pack walks, in-home boarding and private training. Over the years I’ve cultivated a huge soft spot for senior dogs. While working in the shelter, it was particularly tough to see incredible older dogs be passed over time and time again, and it became a special mission of mine to showcase these dogs as much as possible.
About 15 years ago I adopted my first senior dog, Buddy, a 14 year old Newfoundland mix whose owner passed away. Caring for Buddy for the final few years of his life ignited a deep passion for seniors, in addition to teaching me so much about the particular (and shifting) needs of dogs in their golden years. Since Buddy passed away, I’ve adopted 7 senior dogs, in addition to caring for my other dogs as they have aged. When I moved to the Bay Area, I was overjoyed to discover Muttville, a rescue just for senior pups! Six of my seniors were adopted through them, and opening my home as a Muttville foster parent is always a meaningful experience, be it a few days or a few weeks, or even forever (as my 7th personal dog can attest!). I’ve now been actively fostering for Muttville for over a decade. While it’s thrilling to see so many wonderful seniors find new homes through Muttville’s tireless work, senior-specific services beyond adoption are few and far between; so I wanted to change that.