OLD DAWG FOR OLDER DOGS: The Quest Continues 2026
Part One: The Vermont Five Plus One
Old Dawg for Older Dogs is a hiking project dedicated to celebrating older dogs and supporting the people and organizations that care for them.
The journey moves from Maine to the Green Mountain State. The mission? To hike all of Vermont’s five four-thousand-foot peaks – Mount Killington, Mount Abraham, Mount Ellen, Camel’s Hump, and Mount Mansfield – along with the bonus, Mount Ascutney (not a four-thousand-footer). After all, would a hiking adventure in Vermont be complete without Mount Ascutney? By taking to these trails, I hope to bring attention to the needs, resilience, and beauty of older dogs and three wonderful groups that help support them.
The older dogs I have met have been open to receiving love and generous in giving it.
The Sanctuaries and Programs
This summer the quest honors the dogs and programs at Finally Home (North Yarmouth, Maine), Marty’s Place (Allentown, New Jersey), and Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society (Brownsville, Vermont).
I am proud to continue honoring the resident senior dogs at Finally Home. Beyond its sanctuary for about a dozen resident senior dogs, Finally Home also supports families through programs such as Teddy’s Friends, helping people care for their senior dogs at home. Joining the quest this year is Marty’s Place, a senior dog lifelong sanctuary of about 20 dogs. One of their special programs invites human seniors to visit and spend time with the resident senior dogs. Marty’s Place has an incredible foster network that allows many more senior dogs to receive loving care, as well as a financial assistance program. I am deeply moved by two specific initiatives at the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society: Jake’s Friends, which provides critical veterinary financial aid to families, and Sophie’s Seniors, a program that pairs older dogs with older people for mutual love and companionship.
The Companions at Home
My daughter Elizabeth originally termed this project “Old Dawg for Older Dogs.” She gets the credit for the title. I get the credit for being the “Old Dawg.” As I noted last year, in dog years I exceed 500. Like the senior dogs I meet, I still have an abundance of living and loving in me. My family remains my inspiration. In addition to my daughter, there is our Scottish Terrier Victoria, now 12 years old, a dedicated therapy dog who holds top priority in my heart as she is navigating her own senior health challenges. There is our Chihuahua Flora, 13 years old, remaining a veritable love bug. And finally, there is Angus, our almost three-year-old Tabby Cat who snuck his way into our home and hearts after an ice storm last year. Angus has not ceased lobbying for a parallel project dedicated to older cats.
The Panorama
I had thought that the headline “Crazy Older Man from Philadelphia Travels Hundreds of Miles to Hike all of Maine’s 4000-foot Mountains for Senior Dogs” might offer a light perspective in a depressing news cycle. Somehow the paparazzi have missed me. I have not gone viral on TikTok, and Mr. Beast has not called (yet) with a million-dollar pledge. The lack of an Oprah Special will not stop the stride. I hike for the dogs. I hike for my family.
And if this Old Dawg for Older Dogs project inspires you, I hope you will consider opening your own heart to an older dog or an organization that supports older dogs and their people. I trust you will find your own trail on how to help.
I enjoy everything along the trail – the trees and moss, the roots and rocks, the lichen, the birds, the chipmunks, the frogs and toads, the occasional snake or spider – as much as I enjoy the viewpoints and summits. Some summits have limited views, others wide vistas where the eye can stretch beyond the horizon. I like it all. Some would say it is the journey not the destination. I agree.
Onward!
NorthOne
July 1, 2026
NorthOne aka Andrew E. Behrendt lives in Philadelphia with Elizabeth, Victoria, Flora, and Angus, when not exploring the northeast trails. Contact: andybehrendt@earthlink.net (215) 668-0027.
© 2025 – 2026. NorthOne/Andrew E. Behrendt
Old Dawg for Old Dogs 