What MUTTS Means to You: Guard Dog's Message, Remembering 'Peanuts,' and More

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’ve received, and last month we shared just a few of our favorites. We will continue posting your responses in the coming months, so please comment below if you have additional stories or memories to share. Thank you for your love and support!

Published on February 7, 2016

“My all-time favorite comics are Peanuts and MUTTS. Many MUTTS strips have decorated my office bulletin board or home refrigerator over the years because Mooch ‘spoke’ for my cats. One strip gracing the refrigerator right now is Mooch kicking the football: ‘That’s for you Charlie Brown.’ How perfect.” — Dina

Published on October 18, 2014

“This one [with Guard Dog] is on my refrigerator as a constant reminder that how society treats its animals, children, elderly, and vulnerable, is an indicator of their humanity. We have much work to do.” — Cynthia

Published on April 29, 2005

“My favorite was one of the Shelter Stories. A dog has just awakened, and still has his eyes shut tight. He’s thinking ‘I’m going to open my eyes to see it was all a dream and I’m back on the floor in the shelter.’ Finally he opens his eyes, and sees that he’s in a big comfy bed with his new person.” — Darren

Published on June 3, 2016

“When my mom was alive, her newspaper didn’t carry MUTTS, but mine did, so each day I’d cut out the strip and set it aside. The next time I went to see her, or she’d come to visit me, we spent a good long time reading all those MUTTS strips, one after the other, in order, until we finished them all. She loved Mooch so much. She always remarked on how wonderfully expressive the faces of the animals were. So it’s not an individual strip that’s meaningful for me; it’s the whole concept. I think of my mom and smile because of the joy Mooch and Earl, et al. brought to her.” — Stella

Have your own MUTTS story to tell? Let us know in the comments or email us at [email protected].

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!

— Team MUTTS
Tagged: Books & Art, News & Events

Comments (31)

I love the ones where the Shelter Stories are highlighted. The brother and sister kitties are favorites and the cat who learned to High-Five visitors was very cute.
Professor Mooch also cracks me up since I am a teacher.

Susan Smith

My favourite Mutts story is Earl and Ozzie in an autumn forest. “We’re all just walking each other home.” How very true, and if we remember that, our world will be a happier, kinder place.

Beth Tilbury

One of my favorites is “little pink sock”! My husband and I still giggle over that because our cats play with socks as well.

Kathy

I love whenever Earl and Mooch take a “road trip” in Doozy’s Kiddie Car!

Andrea

My favorite MUTTS strip is with Guard Dog. He talks about how the little girl comes by and pays attention to him and for one minute he’s free. The last panel where we get to see him unchained, jumping in the air, and yelling, “I’m free!!” made my heart hurt for him and all abused/neglected animals. I still have that original strip that I cut out as a child for our fridge. It now has its own page in my photo album as a reminder of what started a lifelong passion for helping animals. Thank you, MUTTS!

Chelsea

My favorite is “roses are red, violets are blue, I’m glad I’ve walked this world with you” from February 2003. The original is still on the fridge, the print I ordered hangs on the wall with pictures of my 3 dogs in heaven, Max, Sam and Owen.

Lauren Kulp

I fondly remember the one where a cat in the shelter is thinking “this cat needs a home” and a girl somewhere is thinking “this home needs a cat.” I’m probably not saying it right, but that is very much how a home without a cat feels to me.

chessiepique

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 & their home. That he is proud of his job. But then he asks “But how do you protect against loneliness.” as he sits outside chained to the spike in the ground. The other one he is holding a shell to his ear & Mooch & earl ask him if he can hear the ocean. What he hears, in his mind & his heart, is not the ocean but himself running free along the shore. Just THINKING about those two strips brings tears to my eyes- even at this very moment! 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- that they can be penned, but never chained. 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, left neglected in the elements, sometimes dying alone. Now, one can report a chained/tethered dog & Animal Services WILL issue warnings, then fines, then confiscate if it continues. We now have a no-kill shelter so dogs can live safe until they can be rehabilitated & ultimately adopted to loving families. I recently discovered & reported a neighbor keeping two dogs chained 24/7 in their yard. They willingly surrendered them to AC. I wonder why they kept them in the first place if they had so little love & care for them! The fight still continues to get the word out, but Guard Dog cheers us on! Thank you, Guard Dog, for your Service. XO

Catharine Orellana

My Forever Favorite Mutts strip: “We’re all just walking each other home” published 10/14/2018, my dad’s birthday, who died (& went home to Heaven)10 years earlier. I believe we’re here on Earth to help each other get home to Heaven, not an easy task — just as walking through a forest has no map for how to get through. It amazed me to see this one on Daddy’s birthday. Thank you for all you share with us.

Mary Jilka

This one is from a long while ago – the one where Mooch is being chased by dogs, but notices a 4 leaf clover. It was taped up by my desk all through grad school. I must have shown it to my nephew at some point when he was younger, and he became a fan too, so i try to get him a little Mutts themed gift every Christmas. Overall, it’s the compassion and empathy, the pet adoption and wildlife campaigns, the plight of Guard Dog, and the expressive and charming characters that will keep me a fan forever.

kerin