About Frankie
Over the past five years, in a weekly newspaper column, Frankie has answered more than 260 letters from dogs who write to her about the indignity of being dressed up. The fear of being adopted and living with humans. The resentment of a new puppy who showed up unannounced.
Frankie answers each letter with warmth and wisdom — the kind of hard-won perspective that comes from years of conversations with dogs from all walks of life about love, loss, jealousy, compassion, and kindness.
Frankie was adopted from a shelter and soon after became Geneva’s service dog. Since then, she has been a companion, a confidante, and the most trusted advice columnist in the room.
The Column
Dear Frankie began as a weekly newspaper advice column — written in the tradition of Dear Abby, filtered through the eyes of a dog who has learned that the best advice is honest, the best listener is patient and respectful, and the best response leaves the reader feeling a little less alone and uplifted.
The Show
In April 2026, Dear Frankie came to life on screen.
Frankie, a schnoodle, and Rufus, a bloodhound, co-host a radio advice talk show where every episode begins with a letter and ends with possible solutions. Rufus reads the letter, Frankie provides the advice, and the show ends with a reminder: “Problems become smaller when there is a solution.”
New episodes air three times a week on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Frankie's Right-Pawed Assistant
The voice behind Frankie is Geneva Woodruff’s — an educator with two master’s degrees and a PhD in education. Woodruff's career was spent working with and advocating for quality services for some of the country’s most vulnerable children and families.
Over the last 30 years of her career, she designed and directed programs for children with disabilities under age 5. These programs were funded by multimillion-dollar federal grants and major foundations, such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Geneva’s years of experience listening to children’s stories about their lives, families, worries, and things that confuse them are woven into every column she writes, every episode she creates, and every letter she answers.
She understands that advice dressed in dog’s clothing is often easier to accept when it is delivered from one wearing a collar.
