To celebrate 25 years of MUTTS, we asked readers to tell us what the strip means to them, and to share some of their best memories of Mooch, Earl, and the rest of the crew.
We are so appreciative and touched by the messages we continue to receive, and we will post your responses throughout the coming months — so please comment below if you have additional stories or memories to share. Thank you for your love and support!
“When I first saw Frank and Mooch doing their ‘Cats are better than dogs’ dance in front of the living room window while poor Ozzie and Mooch were outside in the rainstorm, well that did it for me. MUTTS forever!” — L.B. Stanley
“What MUTTS means to me is the start of my day. I get the daily strip in my inbox (it usually shows up around 5:30 AM) and it’s the first thing I look at when I open up my laptop. It starts my day with a beautiful dose of love, friendship, humor and a respect for all living things. We have five dogs and five cats (almost all are rescues) and although I love all the MUTTS characters, my last name (Mucha … pronounced Moo-cha) has had me called ‘Mooch’ for most of my 67 years.” — John M.
“I’ve loved Guard Dog from the beginning. The two strips that I have permanently taped to my refrigerator are the ones where Guard Dog talks about protecting his family. But then he asks, ‘But how do you protect against loneliness?’ as he sits outside chained to the spike in the ground. In the other one, he is holding a shell to his ear and Mooch asks him if he can hear the ocean. Just THINKING about those two strips brings tears to my eyes. I always wished that Patrick would ‘FREE GUARD DOG!’ But then I realized that Guard Dog has made the ultimate sacrifice to show the world what a horrible life it is for a dog to be chained.
“He inspired me to join a local organization that works to protect pets. A campaign was started to make it illegal in our county to chain or tether pets on one’s property. After a long battle with bureaucracy, and with help from a neighboring Animal Protection Services that had changed their laws, we won for the untold numbers of dogs that had been tethered for years. The fight still continues to get the word out, but Guard Dog cheers us on! Thank you, Guard Dog, for your service.” — Catharine O.
“I love MUTTS, and getting a strip emailed to me every day is like starting my day with a furry hug (in addition to my two purry fur babies’ hugs). My favorite strip was a shelter strip that ended with an adoption where the cat said something to the effect of, “I’m a keeper!” I had that on my refrigerator for a very long time, and when I moved it got ruined. But, I keep telling myself that I’m a keeper too!” — Barb F.
“Mooch is being tucked into bed by Millie, who’s saying, ‘Sweet dreams.’ Then it shows various other animals dreaming — a circus elephant dreaming of being free, a pig dreaming of being out of his gestation crate, a chicken, a lab monkey … ending with Guard Dog dreaming of someone tucking him in. All those animals. Gets me every time. I have it framed on the wall outside our bedrooms. ❤️” — Sara D.
“Among my many favorite strips is one in which snow is falling and Mooch feeds the little wild kitties his dinner. He proclaims it to be ‘the best meal I never ate.’ It’s close to our hearts because of a particular Thanksgiving holiday years ago when we were driving home in the dark and snow after visiting my Grandmother (who passed away at 103 this year). As family members left at the end of the day she put together care packages of leftover food for everyone.
“During the long trip home to our own warm and safe pets, we stopped at a highway rest area and discovered a cold and hungry colony of feral cats living in the nearby woods and feeding off the dumpster. You can guess where Grandma’s leftovers went that night. We had no qualms whatsoever about sharing the bounty with those less fortunate, and we knew she would approve. In all the trips we made to Grandma’s house over the following years we never saw that colony again, but we’ve also never forgotten them. This strip helps us remember them and all animals who struggle to survive, and how easy it is to share so everyone is taken care of.” — Jen M.
Have your own MUTTS story to tell? Let us know in the comments or email us at blog@mutts.com.
Want to read more stories from MUTTS lovers? Stay tuned for more posts like this throughout 2019 and 2020, because we’re celebrating 25 years of MUTTS for a full 12 months!
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