Penny Miller is a dog whisperer extraordinaire.
For decades, this canine behavior counselor has calmed the orneriest pets.
But Miller’s admirers say what she’s accomplished with abandoned senior dogs — some with only weeks or months to live — is nothing short of miraculous.
Penny and Peter Miller run Frankie and Andy’s Place, a holistic senior dog sanctuary on a 12-acre ranch in Winder. It’s a permanent home for abandoned dogs, mostly from shelters or rescues, who have little time left before they cross the rainbow bridge.
Some can’t see well, and others limp along. Most have white muzzles and achy joints and have never slept on soft bedding or had much of a good life. At Frankie and Andy’s, they get the royal treatment.
“They live off-leash and cage-free with other dogs who are very gentle and have been given up by their families, and that is how they live out their life,” Penny Miller said. “It’s a beautiful existence for them.”
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The good life includes home-cooked meals, leather chairs and couches for lounging, rubber slip-free floors, and whirlpool baths.
“It seems silly to say it’s a magical place, but it really is,” said longtime volunteer Eileen Cargell of Winder. “We’ve seen some dogs that we didn’t think we would have three days last for three years.”
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Credit: spe
As an animal behaviorist, Miller has made a career working with last-chance dogs.
When the Millers moved from Great Britain to Georgia 20 years ago, Penny began volunteering at animal shelters. She noticed that the cute little dogs and puppies would get snapped up for adoption, but the older seniors would be stuck there.
“It used to kill me,” she said, “and it set me on a crusade to change that story.”
The Millers already ran their pet boarding service, Desperate Dogs, but didn’t have the money to expand and start Penny’s dream sanctuary for senior dogs. Then, two sisters came to their rescue.
Penny and Krystle Andrews were the Millers’ friends and also loved senior dogs. They helped to purchase a large tract of land and get the venture started. The four became partners, formed the charity and named it and the sanctuary after the sisters’ dogs — Frankie and Andy.
Peter Miller insisted they build a facility for the five or six dogs they anticipated would live there. The initial small log cabin had a kitchen and a little fenced-in yard, and they filled it with leather chairs and soft beds.
“I wanted those dogs who had been cast aside by their owners and dumped at the shelter to have their best life,” Penny Miller said.
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After opening their doors in 2016, they quickly learned that one cabin was not enough. Frankie and Andy’s now has three step-less cabins to house about 32 dogs, separated by size. The animals are cared for primarily by Penny Miller, 11 paid staffers, and 44 volunteers who come on rotation.
In addition to any veterinary visits, the aging dogs are seen monthly by a massage therapist and a chiropractor to soothe their sore muscles.
“These dogs couldn’t be any better cared for if they were in private homes,” said volunteer Kathie White of Lawrenceville.
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Credit: spe
The dogs are never adopted out. Instead, the volunteers — whom Penny Miller calls the real heroes of the sanctuary — become “forever families,” showering the dogs with love and attention.
Cargell calls Frankie and Andy’s her “happy place” and where she wants to be when she’s not at work or home.
“All I do is go in and love on the dogs for two or three hours a week. It’s not a bad gig,” said Cargell, who moved to Winder from Lawrenceville so she could be closer to the sanctuary. “The dogs are sweet and loving and teach you so much about perseverance and never giving up.”
As Frankie and Andy’s Place grew, so did its purpose. The nonprofit now provides three free outreaches: Senior Solutions, an advice service for senior dog owners; therapy visits from the sanctuary dogs; and pet food for those in need.
Through Senior Solutions, Penny Miller and her staff handle about 100 calls weekly about aging pets. The priority is keeping the dogs in their homes, and Miller’s staff will deliver pet food and mobility supplements if needed.
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The sanctuary dogs also serve as therapy pets at nearby schools, senior living communities, and an adult day center in Winder. Miller said these visits give the dogs a purpose, and they enjoy their work and bring joy to others.
The nonprofit distributes pet food and supplies weekly through an area food pantry. Free dog food is also given to Athens veterans and unhoused pet owners.
White regularly helps with the pet food distribution and has been surprised at the number of people who line up for help. One week, volunteers gave dog food to 96 families.
“It’s wonderful to be helping these dogs, but it’s even more wonderful to be helping people. It gives me a sense of purpose,” White said.
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The Millers raise money and apply for grants to operate the charity. Penny Miller also writes books, using her knowledge of holistic pet care and stories about her senior dogs to support the sanctuary.
“What started as an effort to save a few little dogs now is huge,” said Penny Miller. “Everything grew organically, but the core of it all is the hospice sanctuary.
“We absolutely love doing what we do and feel very, very blessed to be able to do this. Not many people get to live their dream, but we do.”
FRANKIE AND ANDY’S PLACE
Senior dog sanctuary only takes dogs from state-licensed 501c3 shelters or rescues. Does not accept owner-surrenders or dogs being re-homed.
Learn more: frankieandandysplace.org
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