We've been taking our dog to The Bond Between for his whole 4 year life at this point! Having purchased our dog from a breeder to ensure a hypoallergenic coat, we wanted to continue to support local rescues since we didn't adopt from one. The Bond Between is a non-profit veterinary clinic and rescue that provides support for rescue animals, foster animals, and other animals not adopted from them. We continue to see Dr. Gohr because she is incredibly friendly, sweet and affectionate to our dog, and knowledgeable on the veterinary services we have requested. Pricing is always straightforward and upfront, and portions of the cost go back to supporting the mission of the non-profit. It's also not difficult to get a convenient appointment or even a last minute appointment for an emergency! read more

I have fostered a few times and I'd have to say they have always set me up for success. The staff has been very kind to me and thankful. Helpful when help or answers are needed. read more

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Love this place! Love what they do! Really nice facilities! We have fostered several dogs from here!

After my very horrible experience with this "rescue", I want to warn others to think twice before trying to adopt from here. I put in an application for two kittens. I met with the foster parent, Demi, who was nice to my face. She told me that she only has a couple of interested adopters at a time, so she doesn't set people up to get heartbroken. I bonded with a male kitten. I was not sure about his sister. The next day, I let her know I would not take the sister, but I would take the male. She wrote back citing the "only reason" (which is a pure lie) that I was denied was because of my "busy schedule". For full transparency, I accidentally said something about the current cat from FIVE years ago, and she couldn't let go of. I told her I had a plan in place. She also knew I work from home full time, which was even better, as the kitten would have gotten a lot of attention and not locked up in a room, unlike her foster cats she had locked up the day I visited. There is no appeal process for them. I tried appealing and the "rescue" said the foster parent gets to make the decision. That was the end of that. This is unacceptable because I am a very good pet parent. Demi knew my background prior to meeting the kitten. I have spent THOUSANDS of dollars on my previous cats and current cat. My last cat, lived to be 17. Everyone kept telling me to put her down, but I kept spending money to keep her alive until it was time to let her go. I had stellar vet references from my previous vet and landlord regarding the care of my 17-year-old cat, before she passed away. The rescue I got my current cat from was beyond impressed and was happy for me to adopt my current cat. The Bond Between? They could have cared less because they rely on the foster parent to make the decision. With no appeals process in place, I emailed a lot of the higher ups my story and shared how horrible they are as a rescue and how Demi messed up, and she knew it. The VP wrote back to me and understood where I was coming from, and that they take all feedback seriously, even if they say it's not positive. No, they tell you what YOU want to hear. They truly don't care and will never change their policies or practices. I will say she was kind and offered to personally match me with another kitten. I told them because of the way I was treated by Demi, I would NEVER support this "rescue" again. Mind you, Demi revealed they took in 75 kittens and were getting them all adopted out. I wonder how that would happen, especially when they reject wonderful adopters, such as myself. Yet, they wonder why people go get animals for free or very low cost rehoming fees. Rescues are too picky about who they adopt out to. I also use an animal communicator. My cat approved of the kitten coming in. She liked his energy and would have been happy with him. She was not ready for a kitten five years ago when I first got her. I told the people this. The Bond Between has some one star reviews, and rightfully so. Again, they will only respond to this review with some standard response of what they THINK I want to hear. They want to save their image, which I find funny, because they let inept volunteers be foster parents. Also, they bragged on the news about how they got a grant to take in unwanted cats and dogs from the south. How about helping the unwanted animals in Minnesota? Other people I have shared my experience with also do not like The Bond Between because they're all about the money. I agree. This makes me wonder how many other adopters Demi rejected strictly because she was said one thing that she didn't like, or she didn't like the adopter? So if you end up putting an application in and Demi Olson is the foster parent, BEWARE. Be VERY careful with what you say to her. Otherwise, you might end up heartbroken, like I did, when she said she doesn't want to set us up for that. My search for a kitten continues. However, I can guarantee that The Bond Between will NEVER see a penny from me or support after how I was treated by Demi. read more

I've volunteered there in the past by doing home evaluations. They show a lot of concern about who is adopting or fostering an animal and they are dedicated to making sure that the pet is going to a good home and one that will match the pet's needs. read more

The work they do is commendable. They care! They face each day with renewed concern. The four legged furry ones couldn't be in better hands

We adopted Sasha in 2019, and she has been such a great companion. We were told she was originally a stray in Texas, had a litter of puppies, and was shipped up here. We adopted her on the same day we adopted a puppy, and told our son that they needed each other because the puppy was losing his mom, and Sasha had lost her puppies. She is the sweetest little girl. I take her to the dog park every day. One of her favorite things is to lie out in the sunshine when it's warm out. She's not a huge fan of the snow, though. Must be a big change from living in the south. Thank you for saving this wonderful dog! read more

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Sachi was rescued by Second Hand Hounds in Minnetonka Minnesota in January 2023 and my wife and I adopted her in April of 2023. Second Hand Hounds changed their name to The Bond Between sometime in 2023. At Sachi's yearly check-up in Feb 2024 , a small mass was found near one of Sachi's back right nipples. The size of the mass was smaller than a grain of rice. The BB vet did not find any other masses during Sachi's check-up. We were told that for Sachi's age, she was in very good health. We decided that doing a simple mass extraction would be a fine way to go because the risk and invasion to Sachi was very small. We were told the procedure would be a 1-2 inch incision, removal of the "grain of rice" sized mass, and suture up. No unneeded tissue removal and no exploring via knife. Instead, Bond Between did a radical full line mastectomy, and a 12-14 inch incision and removal of tissue. This wrong procedure occurred due to massive amounts of negligence, mis-communication, and non-communication on the part of Bond Between. The procedure that Bond Between conducted was also done poorly; emergency veterinarians described the procedure and sutures as "angry". The vet techs at The Bond Between were critically un-trained, forgetting to give vaccines, giving vaccines in the filthy entry way of the vet office, The vet tech picked Sachi up from under her front legs without supporting her body, letting her 12+ inch wound hang un-supported. This move by the Vet Tech may have been the catalyst that killed Sachi. We had to euthanize Sachi at the emergency vet because the procedure that The Bond Between conducted was just too much for Sachi to overcome. Sachi's procedure at The Bond Between was on March 27th, she passed away on March 30th at around 12:00am. We trusted the professionals and the organization. We had to. We did not know that we needed to scrutinize every single move by The Bond Between, especially for a simple procedure and some yearly vaccine updates. The Bond Between Vet = BBV The BBV Surgeon never spoke to the BBV Vet. The BBV surgeon told us this. The BBV surgeon never read the BBV vet's annual check-up notes. The BBV surgeon told us this. The BBV surgeon never reached out to us, before surgery. The BBV surgeon lied to us on the post-surgery phone call. She said "The incision is 5 inches in length". We were told pre-surgery the incision would be 1-2 inches. The Emergency Vet said the incision was 12+ inches long. The BBV surgeon admitted to conducting the completely wrong procedure. The BBV surgeon admitted that this procedure never should have been conducted. The BBV surgeon told us she was horrified by the handling of Sachi by the Vet Techs. The BBV staff were not ready for Sachi's surgery drop-off. None of the paperwork was ready and it was as if they weren't expecting us. The BBV staff had the wrong paperwork for us to sign. It needed to be amended. The BBV staff had none of the outtake paperwork ready. Again, the staff was lost and unprepared. The BBV Staff thought we had already received Sachi post-surgery, when we hadn't even seen her yet. They then had to go find her and get her ready. Staff seemed lost. The BBV staff gave Sachi 2 vaccine shots on the dirty floor of the entryway. The BBV staff handled Sachi in a horrific way that may have led to some or all of her internal bleeding. The BBV staff gave us almost no post-surgery care instructions: side effects, treatment, medicine info, expectations, etc. The Emergency Vet told us that Sachi was grossly under-medicated for pain. They immediately put her on Methadone and Fentanyl. BBV had her on a small dose of gabapentin. The Emergency Vet told us that after a procedure like the one Sachi had (which she was never supposed to have) she should have had at least one night of hospitalization. The Emergency Vet tried to call BBV while Sachi was at the Emergency Vet hospital. They tried to get more info or support, but BBV abruptly declined. BBV's procedure and handling caused internal bleeding. BBV admin did finally reimburse all of the cost of this horrific experience: BBV's bill, and Emergency Vet's bill, with the stipulation in their email that BBV did nothing wrong and the reimbursement was a gesture of good will. BBV admin in the days after still talked about how they had never spoken to the BBV surgeon, even after their organization killed Sachi due to their negligence. It is not surprising that The Bond Between would do something so negligent. It is clear that staff in the organization do not communicate. It is clear that they are working with such a high volume of pets in their Veterinary services that negligence and communication errors are likely to occur. There really isn't a way for us to hold The Bond Between accountable, we have to trust that they will adjust their internal practices so that a situation like Sachi's does not occur again. read more

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In August of last year, our dog was adopted from Second Hand Hounds and the process was (surprisingly) SO easy. We only had contact with the fosters, met the dog on a Tuesday, and had him Friday evening. We were not called by the organization, did not have a home visit, were not told about much of anything about the dogs background, and we very much were not told about the dogs medical history. We received the vet records post adoption that stated the dog had tried to bite a vet and was very protective when in that environment. We thought that was odd, but were so elated to have a new member to the family. Our dog had a mass amount of energy. Energy an older owner was not prepared to take on, especially without a fenced yard. Cattle dogs are very anxious, high energy pups that do not do well when confined to a home or leash. We have unfortunately learned this the hard way. Fast forward 1 year, and the owner just cannot justify the quality of life he or the dog has. The dog needs to run and be active- and the owner cannot keep up. The owner reaches back out to the bond between and is told that they will not take the dog back, despite the contract stating to proceed if surrendering ever had to become an option. The reason: the dog was aggressive at the vet. Something that was undisclosed to us, and surprise, happened again, is now the reason the dog is now being refused. our dog has worked very hard with a behavioralist, puppy classes, and happy visits to the vet to help ease his anxiety around these spaces and people. He is muzzle trained and takes his doggy Prozac. He is a sweet pup who loves snuggles and belly rubs, going for walks, and playing with all his bffs at doggy day care. He is a puppy who deserves to have a loving home that can meet his needs. He deserves to live and not be euthanized at a shelter because they have too many animals to care for. He deserves more than all of us have given him thus far. Now, having looked for private rehoming options, and other rescues, we have discovered that we are not the only ones who have had this happened. We were shocked by the amount of stories that people have shared with us about the politics of this business, and how they show up for animals vs. for profit. We trusted Second Hand Hounds. We trusted that they were doing all they could for their animals, helped families, and did the right thing. We are heartbroken to even have to consider Rehoming or surrendering, and we are now combining that deep sadness with so much disappointment. We hope that you choose to do better. We hope this message comes as a sign that there is room for growth, and or at least an updated contract, better vetting of adopters, and being openly communicative about an animals medical and past history. read more

Horrible communication and rude staff. They lie and run an awful, unprofessional, and corrupt organization. Was trying so hard to adopt the dog my dog was found with and they lied saying they didn't have them and then boom shows up on their website but already pending. Weeks of lying to me and not even considering my application and splitting up dogs, while giving special treatment to the foster parents. You know it's bad when they try to rebrand from Secondhand Hounds. As much as every animal deserves a home, I would be hard pressed to ever work with them again. read more

I have been a foster for Secondhand Hounds twice and I absolutely LOVE this organization! If you're looking to foster or adopt, their Facebook page and website are so helpful for finding a furry friend - they have the cutest photos & descriptions, and simple to navigate. The adoption process is usually quick, and their staff are so communicative and accommodating to those looking to add a dog or cat to their family. They receive dog/cat supplies donations and as fosters, we're provided with any requested materials we may need to care for the animal. I've had such a positive experience with Secondhand Hounds through fostering two dogs - Betsy & Loki - during separate occasions years apart. Anitra, Emily, and the rest of the staff are wonderful and so responsive to any questions people may have as they inquire about the adoption process! Their clinic is easy to find in a strip mall in Minnetonka. It's clean and spacious, and their veterinary services are right next-door to their main location. read more

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I loved when this place was Secondhand Hounds and you could call and get in with your pets right away but now they changed to The Bond Between and I can't get my dog in for at least a couple months because they only have 1 doctor and it's probably not the doctor who would see my dog. I'm bummed read more

We have had Mollie now for almost 5 years now. She is great and has become a great dog for me in my retirement. We have been to Second Hand Hounds with donations of Items they need. The staff is always friendly and thank full. We believe they do the best they can and are all caring people. Hard for me to believe any bad ratings... read more

The Bond Between - Mollie, our great little buddy from second hand hounds. She is 5 years old in this pick. Just hanging out thinking life is good. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Minnetonka, Minnesota

I can't recommend Secondhand Hounds enough! Recently adopted a kitten. I'd never adopted a pet through an organization, I was thoroughly impressed with the process from start to finish! Everyone involved was communicative, our coordinator Emily was organized and responsive, the well being of the animals to guarantee a successful adoption was a clear priority, and the overall experience was nothing but positive. read more

Unfortunately I can't give this rescue a good review, even though I wish I could give every rescue 5 stars. From my recent experience, it feels that this rescue wants to stereotype breeds of dogs as "known" for being bad with kids or pets. Even if you drive over an hour (one way) and truly have everything from a fenced in yard to a long-standing relationship with a national award winning trainer, they can say everything on your application was a dealbreaker and they should have "saved you the trip" in the first place.. super disheartening for a rescue to reject you, especially when meeting/choosing the right family one at a time .. when they just think the breed (not the puppy) isn't safe around younger kids or other animals in general. Instincts and characteristics are important to note and consider, but they don't define a dog. And that's something that I think is unfair to the dogs trying to be placed in the right home, as well as the families/people looking for a dog to add to their family. read more

I've fostered for several organizations and SHH is my favorite. It's hard work and they do it with a high degree of professionalism and compassion. I wouldn't hesitate to adopt from them ewhen we are ready, knowing animals are vetted and cared for. any volunteer organization is going to have trouble satisfying everyone's expectations I feel their strong skilled commitment to their volunteers as much as to animals. There is a reason they are one of the largest foster networks in the Twin Cities. If you can't foster but want to support an animal or the cause there are lots of ways to help with time or money. We're blessed to have so many good animal welfare groups here. You can find one you like. For me, it's SHH. read more

Best group to work with finding dogs for freind. Many dogs to choose from. Great info regarding adoption questions and adopting process.

I have worked with SHH for only a very short time but they seem to be a very organized, educated rescue. My very first and one and only dog passed away on December 8th. That also happened to be my birthday. The experience left me absolutely gutted and I said I did not think I could ever adopt again. It was recommended to me to at least foster a dog and see if I was ready to adopt again. After a bit of persuading I caved and decided to see what fostering was all about. SHH requires a home visit before they let you become a foster parent to a dog or cat. I absolutely agree that this is an excellent idea. NO one wants to see a puppy in a crack house! After I emailed in my application they had a volunteer come out and inspect every nook and cranny of the home I wanted to foster a dog in. I passed with flying colors. The next step was to wait for an animal to come along that may fit my family. I joined their foster page on Facebook and the wait began. You can choose which animal you would like to foster. You can decide on breed, size, gender, etc. Just a few short weeks later a puppy from Texas popped up that needed a foster. I was lucky enough to be chosen as her foster mom. Her name was Pebbles and she was a cattle dog/terrier mix. When you pick up an animal from SHH to foster they give you absolutely everything you may need to care for that animal. Food, treats, toys, collar, leashes, kennel, etc. You are not excepted to pay a dime of your own money. You are, however, expected to show that animal absolute complete care and compassion and understanding. My experience as a foster parent lasted only 15 days but I was satisfied in every step of the way. When I emailed my foster coordinator with questions regarding my dog I was replied to in a very short time. I had control in who was allowed to meet the foster dog. I was able to do the home visit for the family that wanted to adopt my foster dog. After everything was said and done I completely recommend this rescue group to anyone who is looking to add a dog or cat to their family. Forever. Pets are family, not objects. Adopt do not shop. read more

The Bond Between - Pebbles. My first foster dog with SHH. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Minnetonka, Minnesota

YOU have the worst page I ever had!!! I tried getting an application for dogs it won't let me finish. I had a dog picked out. And now the dog is gone!! Thanks a lot! read more

UPDATE: I am updating this review as a SHH foster who has gone through the process three times now. Not much has changed and I am still so happy to work with this organization! All three dogs that have been members of our home are sweet girls who stole our hearts immediately. Staff at SHH were great about answering my questions on the process and when our second foster had a sore on her paw I was able to get her into the vet within the week, also had one foster who was spayed and treated for a minor skin irritation. All issues were easy to care for! I know we haven't been involved in the process for years but as of yet, only a good experience! read more

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I just adopted my second dog from SHH, adopted my first in 2011. Even during the Covid-19 crisis, this rescue remains to be extremely professional, timely and responsive. During both adoption processes, I applied for dogs with other rescues, I never heard back on those dogs/applications. SHH has excellent processes, excels in communicating and explaining the process. SHH has exceeded my expectations! read more

We just adopted a dog through Secondhand Hounds. It was a great experience! from applying to meeting the potential dogs to adoption day, things went well. I appreciate how the fosters write a bit about the dog on the initial "bio" as it helps you know a bit more. Each of the fosters seemed so caring for their dogs! and everyone wants you to know what you're getting into and to make things work well. Highly recommend them! read more

A wonderful rescue organization that places dogs of all breeds, cats, and small animals (rabbits, mostly) with foster homes around the metro area until they are adopted. I especially love that they place dogs of ALL breeds - so many places discriminate! Easy to work with, with great staff, and a very thorough process to match animals to prospective owners. The adoption process moves quite efficiently, which is surprising considering how thorough it is (application, visiting the animal, home visit for the adopter). They are very strict about their principles of animal welfare, particularly that all pets should be fixed (to prevent larger problems of overpopulation), that cats should not be de-clawed, and pets should be indoor companion animals (as opposed to outdoor guard dogs). They will not let you adopt a pet if you have other pets who are de-clawed, not fixed, or not up to date on shots, except for medical reasons. Pets who are adopted get all standard vaccinations and spayed or neutered before they're given to their adopted family. All in all, this is a very well-run rescue organization that I would highly recommend! read more

Don't let your children get excited about adopting a dog from this group. We applied to adopt a dog and never heard back from them. I am only posting now because I know others who have had the same experience. There should have been no issue with our application as we have foster dogs for years and met all their requirements. Six weeks later, I noticed the dog was still posted, so I emailed back asking why we were ignored. Well, we got some lame excuse about some sort of email mix up, even though they had read and passed along our application. Then I find out the dog's foster parent "maybe didn't want to give up the dog" ...which is fine, but take down the dog's posting from the websites. When I replied back, they suddenly changed the criteria regarding this particular dog and since we were not living within fifteen miles of the foster parent we were black balled....lame. After some correspondence with this group it is my opinion that some of their foster parents are just trying out dogs until they find one they want to keep or they seem to be animal hoarders. I think they may even just post pictures of animals that will never move out of their foster homes, just to get donations. I applaud groups that place unwanted dogs with families, but this group needs to clean up how they go about the business of finding families for dogs. I know a family that just gave up and bought their dog from the pet store because no one would even get back in touch with them.... sad for the dogs that need homes and sad for the families trying to do the right thing and adopt from a rescue. read more

My husband and I planned to adopt through SHH and luckily a mistake on THEIR part helped us to choose a different rescue. The dog we saw was cute and sweet but the foster thought she had caught kennel cough. She was supposed to go into the vet and meanwhile the rescue was going to have us do our home visit. The shelter emailed me about our vet info. They asked under only my LAST name rather than my full name and received out of date information (I realize this is partly the vet's fault, but you would think that they'd ask for both first and last name. Looking under my last name actually pulls up my EX-husband and the current info for both my dogs is under mine and my new husband's name). Meanwhile, it was found that the dog is actually more sick than they originally first thought. I received an email before I could ever respond about the out of date vet information, basically writing me off and saying they couldn't adopt to us because our pets weren't up to date on vaccinations (untrue) and oh, by the way, the dog you wanted to adopt is really sick. Um, how about rather than judge me until you get the full story you take a look at how you're taking care of this sick puppy. We've since begun working with a different rescue that is SO much better at communication. Pick up the slack SHH and quit assuming things before you get the full story. Oh and this is still a business, don't be so rude to your CUSTOMERS. read more

I am a foster for secondhand hounds going on 2 years. One of my second fosters i ended up adopting. Secondhand hounds works with high kill shelters around the country as well as pulls from many local impounds in the twin cities. They also do owner surrenders. They do monthly preventative on their dogs heartworm and flea and tick. They also offer training programs. Running a rescue is not easy by any means. They rely mostly on the good will of volunteers. Most of their proceeds goes toward veterinary expenses and they are one of the few rescues in the twin cities that actually has an office with office hours. They have a training area as well. read more

We fostered for them once. The foster application went very smoothly, their foster coordinator for our breed department was very sweet and responsive- we really enjoyed working with her. Ultimately, we ended up deciding to not foster with them again, and to move our attention to a smaller, breed-focused rescue. Finally, I want to mention that our dog (a herding breed) was adopted as a 6 mo old from SHH. She came to SHH as a very young puppy with no prior experience with trauma. She was placed in a foster home with way too many other dogs (mostly herding breeds) in a small house, with a very small yard. We have had to spend SO MUCH time, money and energy working through her shy-fearful behavior. This could have been easily corrected, or at the very least alleviated, by making sure that dogs (especially herding breeds!) are placed in fosters homes that are suitable to their personality needs and will provide them with the necessary socialization to live healthy, successful lives. I debated for a LONG time about writing this review- as SHH does good work, and rescues a ton of dogs from high kill shelters and dangerous situations (you can't argue with that!) But I think that if you're looking at adopting a sensitive, high-energy breed like a herding breed, you may benefit from looking a breed-specific rescues, who put a lot of attention into making sure their dogs fosters are a good match for the dogs coming in, not just an emergency stopping point. read more

My wife and I submitted an application a month ago for a kitten that was available. We had our multiple animal permit already in the works and were simply awaiting our final license number. I received a response that we needed our final permit number and I said that we would have it within the week. First off the responses from the adoption coordinator were short and she didn't seem to care that we wanted to give this kitten a home. Second, once I received my final permit number from the city the coordinator made me reapply for the kitten even though literally nothing was changed on my already submitted application. All I was told was that I needed the permit number and proceeded to get that to them as soon as the city responded to me. After providing our approval I was then told I needed to reapply (I did it within minutes of receiving the email to reapply) it was days before I received a response. Apparently by this time they already received more applications and one was approved and they didn't even let me know until another 4 days later. We were so saddened because we were expecting that we would be hearing from the foster for a meeting. I did nothing but constantly communicate with the coordinator and received spotty and short responses. Don't adopt with this rescue if you want to actually get the pet you have your heart set on. We have a more than fit home and a loving family and we're just wanting to add to it. We've now been in contact with another rescue who has responded within 12-24 hours of each email, has been very attentive and timely. They are also very friendly! So maybe try to work with a rescue that actually wants to help you adopt rather that I being a rat race of who gets to the finish line to adopting a pet first. Adopting shouldn't be a competition. But this place sure makes it out to be one. I won't be working with this rescue ever again. I heard many warnings from people who used to work for this rescue and from friends and disregarded. Now I wish I would have listened to them. read more

This is one of the best shelters I could have gone to. They cared for the various animals like their own. I'm so happy I could find them to get my dog molly. read more

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We adopted our sweet little cockapoo from SHH a year ago this month are so thankful for her. We had applied for quite a few pups, but people love SHH so much they were adopted before we ever set up meeting times. But lucky for us Posey ended up being our dream girl! Her foster was so wonderful and was so flexible with her time for us to do our meet and greet. They are honest about how much information they have on each animal, and it really felt like the fosters and staff were matching dogs and adopters based on their experience and lifestyles. Thank you so much to everyone at SHH! read more

Without Secondhand Hounds we would not have our little girl. When we adopted our puppy in October of 2017 we were still reeling from the loss of our last fur baby. The adoption process was designed so that we were sure she was a good fit for our family but that we were a good fit for her! They do amazing work and to be part of that is truly an amazing experience! I recommend them to all our Friends and family! read more

Secondhand Hounds came strongly recommended by numerous friends. I am disabled but love animals and wanted to find a place to volunteer. They have volunteer training programs for each area that they use volunteers. This helped alleviate my anxiety. I'm unable to lift more than 20 lbs and they have done a great job working around that. One area that works for me is driving the smaller animals from one location/foster to vets/events. Started my New Year off right by having the privilege of driving Miss Winnie, cute little Shih Tzu, from one vet in Coon Rapids down to a vet in Eden Prairie. March 18, helped a foster get her animal to an adoption event. Again an adorable little Shih Tzu, this time black and white, named Rhino. Every bit as sweet as he is cute. When his foster first got him, he hid under her bed for the first two days. At the event he was alert, curious and interacted with people of all ages. He even let the big ones hold him and snuggle. My own Shih Tzu, Snickerdoodle and I help with the Secondhand Hope Program. We go to a local Old Folks Home and Visit. We visit the Grandmas and Grandpas and help them get their 'dose of dog.' Secondhand Hounds is an excellent Animal Rescue that goes above and beyond to help dogs and cats find their furever homes. Their fosters do a great job helping the animals get used to being in a home setting. The volunteers who do 'home visits' make sure the home and it's people are a good match for a lifetime placement. Secondhand Hounds even takes the difficult medical cases and get them the surgery or other medical adaptations they need to thrive. A famous case is 'Quasi The Great', a German Shepard, born with a rare disorder causing a shortened spine. He was rescued from being killed, received the health care necessary and is now greatly loved by all. And he even has his own faceBook page. I recommend Secondhand Hounds, as an excellent, respectful place to volunteer. I recommend it as a wonderful place to find an animal to join your family and your life. Animals are not kept at the office unless necessary. They are kept with fosters. Information is available by phone but working through their web site is the best way to get rapid responses and accurate information. read more

Especially during this crazy time, Secondhand Hounds was incredibly transparent and quick with the adoption process.

We had a horrible experience with Secondhand Hounds and I am completely disgusted with this so called rescue. My husband and I adopted a kitten on March 19th, who we were told was 'perfectly healthy' and he did seem like it to a normal person, until I brought him to my regular vet. We brought him in to our vet and immediately they found that he was severely anemic, due to pale gums. After a basic blood test, the dr. found that he had non-regenerative anemia and his red blood cells were at 20% when they should be at least 40% along with a high number of white blood cells (double what they should be). This was to a point where the Dr. was concerned about him crashing if his red blood cells dropped any more. During all of this, our adult cat got very sick at home within 4 days of us bringing the kitten home (They were separated, but we did have the kitten out a few times to get his smell in the house for our adult cat to get use to. This was before we found out either of them were sick.) Our adult cat started throwing up, had diarrhea and was not eating or drinking. We had him at the vet for 3 days, and racked up quite an expensive bill. They are not sure what he got, as they don't know what the kitten had, but to me it seems like he got it from the kitten. Some of the things that they were concerned about the kitten having were life threatening diseases, like FIP or FELV that is in the bone marrow. I contacted the cat coordinator after we found out that the kitten was very sick. She said that he was 'perfectly healthy' in the foster, when in fact he was not. The level of anemia that he had doesn't just come on in a few days. It takes some time for the anemia to be that bad. She said if we wanted we could return the cat to them and we decided that was the best option. My husband and I lost our other young cat due to cardiomyopathy earlier in March and we could not go through that again so soon. We thought we were getting a 'healthy' cat, not a sick one. We obviously understand that health is not guaranteed, but when a cat is this sick and seemingly contagious, this is not right. When we dropped him off (which was completely heartbreaking), the Cat coordinator assured us up and down that we could email and check in to how he is doing and that they would let us know what they find out from their vet, especially since our cat at home got very sick. After a couple days, I inquired to see how he was as I was worried about him and wanted to see what they found out so I could figure out what my adult cat got sick with. The coordinator said he was 'fabulous' and back with the other kittens in the foster and that he had been into their vet and they had no pressing concerns. This struck me as extremely odd, as blood work does not lie and something underlying is causing his anemia. I had sent over all the records and blood work from my vet before dropping him off, so they had the history. I then asked some follow up questions about what they thought about the non-regenerative anemia, if they did more blood work, if they thought it was contagious and if there is conflicting information, I would like to see the results to know what is really going on. She responded that they did not want to divulge any more information regarding his blood work or vetting and "Best of luck on your search for another kitten." This infuriated me, as they originally told me they would keep me updated. I guess they will say anything to shut up a person who is crying over a sick kitten. They really seem to be hiding something. If they didn't have anything to hide, they would just tell me what I am asking and not be so shady about it. That is all I wanted in the first place, was to know what they found out and they refused to tell me and didn't even email me back. I have no idea who they go through to get these animals checked out and they do not list any veterinary clinic names on the records. The only record of where anything was done is Kindest Cut, where he got neutered and all the rescues go through KC. Looking back, that strikes me as very shady as you would think it wouldn't be a problem to list where the care was from. I still don't know what they found out with him or if he is even still alive. I would not recommend adopting a pet through this rescue. They may look good on their website and social media, but they are not. The vet care these animals get are sub par and I do not trust anything they say. They don't seem to care about the animals and just see dollar signs. They brag about how much money they get in donations, but it almost seems like that goes to filling up the directors pockets and not going where it should. read more

I've worked with several rescues in multiple states and this is definitely the most run organization. They take a holistic approach to saving animals, by not only taking in individual animals but also doing low cost wellness and spay/neuter clinics, education and outreach and working to share resources with other smaller rescues. They are very community focused and actively engage with many groups in the metro. Very inclusive and welcoming to everyone. I highly recommend volunteering with this organization. You can also count on all adoptable animals to be vetted and to have been in foster homes acclimating to life as a pampered pet, so it's a great place to find your next family member too. read more

I have been rescuing stray cats...many of them pregnant or injured...for a number of years in my town. SHH has been kind enough to take them all in and help find them wonderful homes! Many of those who took one of the kitties I rescued still keep in touch and I get updates and photos. It's wonderful that these cats who once lived on the streets are now happy and loved in their new, indoor homes. Jen is busy, but easy to work with and always does what she can to assist. People need to keep in mind, there are SO MANY strays and homeless animals, and SO FEW No-Kill Shelters to help. I believe SHH does what they can to provide a safe-haven and the best circumstances they can for the animals they take in. Those people saying, 'they only care about the money'...are you kidding? Do you have any idea how much it costs to vet and spay/neuter a cat or a dog vs. the actual adoption fee? They get a discount, yes. But vets aren't assisting them for free. They still need to get paid, run the facility, etc. etc. Also keep in mind, most of the staff are actually volunteers helping out of the goodness of their heart, not as a job to make money. Please cut them some slack. They are doing the best they can, and IMHO - Their best is pretty darn good! SHH has taken stray cats from me in the double digits now, and I am very thankful for every single kitty they help save! If it weren't for SHH, I would never be able to do what I do. They are a blessing! read more

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I have adopted dogs from 5 different shelters, and have fostered dogs from 2. We have fostered 11 dogs from Secondhand Hounds. Several were breeder dogs that would have been put down had SHH not stepped in, one was a dog that was a survivor of the Joplin, MN tornado and many others. Never once has SHH refused to have a foster in our possession looked at by a qualified vet if we had ANY concern. We personally do all of our own home visits, and SHH will NOT place a dog if the foster feels it is not the right home. Also, they require that any adopter who changed their mind MUST return the dog to SHH. This is the most dedicated staff. They drive to several other states at the drop of a hat to save dogs who are literally hours away from euthanization. I have seen them spend literally THOUSANDS of dollars on surgeries to correct deformed limbs, to fix beaten and abused animals, and stay up all night hand feeding starving puppies. There is a special place waiting in heaven for all these SHH people. I hope to be privileged to one day join them there. Steve Doolittle read more

This rescue only cares about making money and not the actual dogs. They do not vet the animals at all to determine what kind of home they need. My story: I paid $350 to adopt a cute puppy that I was told was a perfect fit for my home: no fenced yard and no other dogs (our last dog passed away from cancer earlier this year). This dog was incredibly shy, but we were told that he just needed a calm home environment with no other animals. I spent a month with the dog and he only became more and more depressed and reclusive, making no improvements in his shy behavior. I was in constant contact with the foster asking for advice, and I even attended SecondHand's shy dog seminar!!! I was actively trying to make this dog comfortable and happy but nothing was working. Come to find out this dog just needed another companion dog. It was like a night and day difference in his happiness and behavior. This dog just felt comfortable and needed another dog to follow behaviorally. Well the foster only had him for a week and never noticed this because she had 7 dogs. Secondhand hounds took my dog back to place him in a better home and they have refused to respond to my requests for another rescue dog or in the alternative a refund of my money. They only care that they can make another $350 adopting this dog out to another person again. And heres the WORST part: They didn't even include the fact that this dog MUST be in a home with another dog to be happy and thrive on their ad when they relisted him the day after they took him from me!!!! Never using a rescue group again and certainly not this one that doesn't even care about the dogs health and well being. read more

We fostered for this rescue for a short time. I found the adoption coordinator to be a bit of a flake. They also don't do much vetting on the dogs. They bring large quanitites of dogs up from Missouri. Those dogs are seen by the shelter vet there. Once they get here they are only given boosters, if needed. We ended up adopting one of our three SHH fosters. She just came due for her vaccinations so we brought her in to the vet. They found she tested positive for ehrlichiosis and has a luxating patella. Both of these things should have been discovered by the rescue had they done a proper vetting job. Considering the amount they want for adoption fees, I would expect the dogs to be vetted. read more

I'd pretty much echo what Mike P says. I felt like they were putting me off for days at a time, never could find a time to meet, foster never updated the dog's profile with any notes. No replies for days then, no that date won't work how about next week. We checked this dog's profile every day, there was no "pending adoption" I just waited for 4 days for a response about when can we meet, and was told by the director that the dog had been adopted. Very frustrating. Just an observation, most (not all) 5 star reviews here are from people who volunteer for them. read more