Foster dogs with Marley's Mutts

Marley's Mutts : A Hopeful Mission

Maggie Marton | August 01, 2018

Imagine a dog who has no hope.

A dog who has suffered, or a dog who is afraid. One who is starved or injured or shut down. 

We’ve all seen these dogs and shared their pictures on social media. They are heartbreaking and overwhelming because we feel helpless. How can we possibly help these animals whose past, present and future are so bleak? How do you impact the life of a dog who has no hope? 

Enter: Zach Skow 

Zach’s organization, Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue, has a mission to give hope to dogs who have none. 

When Zach was forced to deal with a life-threatening disease, his own dogs gave him the strength he needed to make it through. Inspired by these pups and his own path to wellness, Zach started Marley’s Mutts to bring his experience full circle. 

Focused on saving the lives of Kern County's incarcerated canines, Marley’s Mutts usually has around 80 dogs in foster care or on their ranch in the Mojave Desert. Kern County's shelters are bursting at the seams and register some of the highest euthanasia rates in the entire country. At the shelter because they have been abandoned, lost, neglected, discarded or abused, many of them have no way out but RESCUE. These dogs are without family, love or representation and Marley’s Mutts aims to save as many as they can. Once the dogs come into their care, the Marley’s Mutts team gives the dogs love, safety, care, and training--they give the dogs hope. And it takes a community to make this mission come to life. 

As part of their care, and to alleviate the pressure on Zach and his team, Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food provides dog food for many of the pups in Zach’s care. For Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food, helping people like Zach and organizations like Marley’s Mutts fulfills our mission to help make sure all pets--no matter the circumstance--eat well. Every single dog deserves quality nutrition, and it’s vitally important to nourish these dogs from the inside as they heal. And, it gives Chicken Soup for the Soul the opportunity to take one thing off of Zach’s overflowing plate--providing nourishment to all these dogs--and it’s an honor to fill the dogs’ bowls and bodies with healthy food while they do the hard work of rehabilitation. 

Marley’s Mutts is an extraordinary organization doing extraordinary things. To learn more, or to find ways to help, visit their website or check out their Facebook page