To celebrate 25 years of MUTTS, we’re asking 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 appreciative of all the messages we’ve received, and we will continue responses throughout the coming months — so please comment below if you have memories to share. Thank you for the love!


“Every morning, I know there is ONE bright little thing I look forward to. The daily MUTTS comic strip! I have the books, a mug, and a framed pic!” — Tony M.

Published September 8, 2008

 

“My mom loved to send me comics in the mail — as animal lovers, MUTTS was always tops. ❤️ This was the last one she sent me before she passed away.” — Michelle R.

Published March 8, 2013

 

“My youngest son learned to read with Mooch and Earl back when MUTTS was first in the paper. We have all the books and I used to make up personalized Mooch cartoons for his lunch, which were a big hit with him and his friends. We love all the characters and one of our cats is named Mooch (orange), and our girl cat Snooki looks like Mooch.” 💗💗💗 — Angela C.

Published September 10, 2001

 

“I have followed MUTTS since the beginning. Once, about 20 years ago, I heard Patrick was doing a book signing in North Jersey. I pretended I was sick, skipped night school (I was the teacher!!) and drove 1-1/2 hours to the book signing. Patrick was so cool and drew a sketch of Mooch or Earl in each book he signed! Great memories!” — Mary L.

Published September 10, 2018

 

“MUTTS has been my favorite comic for many years. I display the comics at work to raise awareness for the causes that Patrick espouses in his artwork: shelter animals, endangered wildlife, protecting the environment, and spay/neuter day. The MUTTS characters have been great ambassadors for teaching people about these issues, and they bring a smile to my face every day. (My favorite comic features the shelter cat with one eye. I adopted a black cat who had lost an eye and named him Blackbeard. He’s the sweetest, most loving kitty.) Thank you, Patrick, for doing a story about shelter pets that people often overlook because they aren’t ‘perfect.’ They don’t know what they’re missing!” — Michele

Published April 30, 2008

 

“Before I recently retired, I worked in a U.S. government job that I loved but which redefined stress in the workplace. My colleagues and I learned to look for the simple pleasures of our jobs through Mooch and the Little Pink Sock. One of my buddies actually had a pink sock fastened to her cubicle wall. So, thank you, Patrick, for helping us get through the day.” — Veronica W.

Published January 8, 2010

 

“I have been a shelter volunteer at a municipal shelter for almost eight years now. Through the work of our volunteer group and our awesome new kennel manager, the shelter is practically a no-kill facility. We are overjoyed! Every time you publish a “shelter story” it touches my heart, makes me cry either for joy or sadness that one more fur baby is still in a cage, and drives me to help more homeless animals to find their fur-ever homes. Thank you for your continued work to save innocent lives, raise awareness, and assist helpless, precious souls find loving homes.” — Connie M.

Published November 7, 2009

 

Have your own MUTTS story to tell? Let us know in the comments! Want to read more stories from MUTTS lovers? Stay tuned for more posts like this throughout the rest of 2020.

Comments (12)

Fourteen years ago, when I was undergoing cancer treatment, my best friend sent me “I Want to Be the Kitty.” It was my first taste of Mutts and I fell in love with the adorable cast of characters and with the essential kindness of the strip. My self-care routine soon became lying in a hot bath reading Mutts—the book still shows evidence of having been dropped in the bath once or twice. Now I’m well, but still a huge Mutts fan, and still grateful for having been given permission to lie in bed and just “be the kitty” when I needed it most.

Catherine

My favorite is the January 01, 2013 strip – we had just moved into our new home on December 12, bought our cats new tags and then our beloved Bud who is a dead ringer for Mooch disappeared. We searched, made posters, went back to our old home 11 miles away and could not find him. He woke us up on January 1, 2013 mewing at the front door!!! Best morning ever! The strip from that day was magic.

Nancy Swain

As a teacher who frequently has ESL students, I love the illustrated idioms and figurative language. “Blanket of Snow” is one of my favorites, and always gets the students talking about why we use images to describe our thoughts. I also use your quotes and cartoons as writing prompts!

Beth Byrnes

Throughout mine and my now adult kids’ lives, all our dogs have been either rescued from the streets, adopted from shelters or bad situations. I used to volunteer with a rescue group as well, and the founder became a dear friend, now departed. Your strip is a very important part of my life that I look forward to every day, and often share with my closest friends. Thank you for your daily blessings ❤

Ms. Gerry Manley

My fav is Guardians of Being, written with Eckhart Tolle. I have a few collections I like to reread periodically too.

David B

My all-time favorite Mutts is the strip where there’s lots of snow on the ground, we see Ozzie walking Earl in the cold as they look through the window and see Frank and Moochie strutting their stuff in the warm indoors. Cats are better than dogs.

Linda

always makes me happy inside

craig lemoine

I love my daily Mutts! It greets me in my work email when I log in each day and I start the day with a smile. Working from home now due to the pandemic, with my own Tiger (cat) and Amelia (dog) and Sunshine (budgie). Lovely to be with them watching the birds at the feeders outside, and rabbits and squirrels visit too!

Lisa Murphy

my first memory of Mutts that hooked me is one of my favorites it was approximately 20 years during Thanksgiving Season, Mooch, Earl, other friends gathered around a table with their heads bowed and the quote below ‘“If the only prayer you ever say is ’thanks’ that is enough"’ Meister Eckhart
thank you Patrick and Friends for the daily humor and wisdom thought!

Michele V

My father worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer for 42 years before he passed away in 2000. He introduced me to Mutts when it first showed up in the paper and we would share that moment of reading “the most important small squared section” every day possible. Besides adoring the strip and collecting hats, mugs, prints (little pink sock hangs by my bed), and books, I read Mutts for the connection it gives me to my dad who I still miss very much. Thanks for all the memories.

Lettie Minnick