A Home for Hope
A gathering place for stories, ideas, and hope for animals waiting for a home.
For decades, MUTTS has shined a light on shelter animals and the people who care for them. Now, we're expanding that conversation with community insights, practical ideas, and shared experiences that help connect people with meaningful ways to make a difference.
We all have something special to offer, and there's a place for everyone at their local shelter.
Where Kindness Finds a Place
For more than thirty years, MUTTS has celebrated the bond we share with animals. Along the way, we've had the privilege of partnering with shelters, rescue organizations, advocates, volunteers, and readers who, like us, believe that all animals deserve compassion and a place to belong.
Now, we’re bringing more of those compassionate voices together with inspiring stories, original research and community insights, practical ways to help your local shelters, and other ideas for making a difference wherever you live. Our goal is to share and inspire conversations between real people in the MUTTS community and beyond — from shelter workers and longtime volunteers to animal lovers who want to help but aren’t sure where to begin.
There's a Place for You
In July 2026, we introduced our first-ever MUTTS Shelter Survey and received more than 2,000 responses from shelter staff, volunteers, and animal lovers across the country.
One message came through clearly: Helping a shelter doesn't always require a major commitment. Small acts, from sharing adoption posts to donating supplies, can make a big difference. Readers also told us about emotional challenges and other barriers that sometimes make getting involved difficult.
Just as importantly, we discovered that many people simply don't know where they fit. They may assume shelters only need dog walkers or foster families, when in reality many also rely on photographers, artists, organizers, drivers, social media helpers, event volunteers, and neighbors willing to lend a hand in countless other ways.
As our team reviewed the responses, we kept asking ourselves: “What if the missing piece isn’t willingness, but connection?”
What if someone who isn't ready to visit a shelter could organize a blanket-making night at their library? What if a local coffee shop hosted a pet supply drive? What if someone who can't volunteer in person could use their professional skills from home to help adoptable pets? By listening to one another, we begin to see gaps as well as opportunities. Our hope is that by bringing those needs into the light, more people will discover that there is a place for everyone at their local shelter.
"I feel a calling to volunteer. If I can make one cat’s life better even if for only a little while, my time is well spent." — A MUTTS Reader
What We've Learned by Listening
Sometimes listening is the most helpful thing we can do. Instead of assuming what challenges shelters face, or what makes people excited or hesitant about helping, we asked (a lot of) questions. Our readers responded with honesty and enthusiasm, helping to bring forth fresh ideas, overlooked opportunities, and countless reminders that there are many ways to make a difference.
Here are a few early highlights from what we learned, with many more community insights coming soon.
Have you ever visited your nearest shelter?
Outside of home or work, do you have a place where you regularly feel a sense of belonging?
If you currently have a place where you DO feel a sense of community, what makes it feel special?
"Two places I volunteer that make me feel I am making a positive impact and volunteering with people who have similar goals to me and love animals like I do."
"I have a great group of friends with whom I am able to spend time every couple of months or so. Doesn't matter where we go, it's always special to be able to be with them."
"My church, especially the church choir, as I enjoy being with people who share my faith and love to sing."
"It is the shelter at which I volunteer — my home away from home. We have a great staff of volunteers who are respectful and kind to one another. We work together to make our shelter a happy place for our cats, visitors, and volunteers alike."
What activities would make you more likely to visit your local shelter?
What other activities or features would make you more likely to visit your shelter?
"Special events that involve the community, or pop-ups at other locations."
"I would visit if I could get transportation. I am disable and unable to drive."
"Workshops on advocacy for policy change."
"If they had an in-house veterinarian and offered open, free TNVR services."
"Alumni days with prior shelter dogs and cats that have been adopted into forever homes."
"I volunteer at my local shelter. Reading to Rescues is my favorite day."
The Conversation Continues
This conversation is still unfolding! There are many more voices, stories, and ideas to come, and we at Team MUTTS will be sharing many more community insights — including a comprehensive report — to share what we’ve learned together very soon.
If you haven't already, we invite you to sign up for our Daily MUTTS email. It's completely free — subscribers receive the daily MUTTS comic strip, plus a daily quote, messages from readers, tips for helping animals, and more.
From the Comic Strip to the Community
These conversations are the next step in a movement that began nearly three decades ago. In 1998, Patrick McDonnell created the first-ever MUTTS Shelter Stories, a special week of comic strips inspired by National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, which tell stories through the eyes of shelter animals. Since then, Shelter Stories have appeared twice each year, shining a light on adoption, fostering, animal shelters, rescue organizations, and the belief that every animal deserves love and a safe home.
Over the years, that message has extended far beyond the comic strip. Together with our readers, Team MUTTS has supported shelters and rescue organizations through donations, fundraising campaigns, partnerships, and other efforts to help animals and the people who care for them.