Cleveland, OHADOPTED! September 17, 2014
April is a year old pitbull mix. She is loveable, playful, loves toys and fetching. She arrived from Richland County Animal Shelter where she was a staff and volunteer favorite for months. Time was running out and cage space was limited so Secondhand Mutts had her evaluated for our program. She passed her dog test for reactivity and drive and we agreed to take her and find her a forever home. Thanks to the transport volunteers she was driven to our door step ready to make new friends.
April did great in the grooming salon where she got a much needed bath. She then proceeded to our quarantine space for the night to decompress and get some much needed rest. She has now been slowly introduced to our pack in small doses since her arrival. April is spayed and ready to move into a forever home. April has a funny underbite and a two toned cooring that may indicate she’s mixed with English Bull Dog lineage. April has short hair, she’s about 30 pounds, up to date on vaccines and ready to fined a home.
April is not a dog who can handle a large pack of dogs in a daycare or dog park setting — this may come in time but it may not. April has come a long, long way since arriving at our door step through patience, consistency and training. We are dedicated to her training and will make sure whomever adopts her gets complimentary training to insure she has a successful life ahead of her. She was placed in a foster home in July.
Foster Home Report
April has been with me about two months now and has much more confidence than she did when she first arrived. She was scared of me, my apartment, the noises, and of not getting enough food, but her loving personality has been revealed.
April gets so excited when I come home from work, wagging her whole body in excitement! She can go 9-10 hours home alone by herself (I don’t typically crate her, but do sometimes on shorter trips so she doesn’t think it’s a bad thing) without having an accident. She has her bones that she chews on and just hangs out (not destroying things, good Apes)! I feed her 1.5 cups of food twice a day, and instead of charging me when she gets fed, she knows to sit and wait, then give me a shake and drooly kiss as “Thank you!”
We go on walks a few times a day and she has her favorite spots to do her business. Walking her is typically very easy-going as she prefers to stick close to you, so not much tugging or pulling. There are some cats on our path that must have made fun of her for being on a leash, because she remembers where they live and wants to get closer to them. We are working with a dog trainer on not lunging after them and being calmer around them. A quick tug usually distracts her, and she’ll sit down and look at them, and then we continue on. She’s met many children out on walks and doesn’t seem to mind sitting and letting them pet her, giving them some kisses when it’s time to keep going.
April loves to go to grassy areas and roll around or army crawl towards you if you tell her to sit. She’ll also lay down and stay as you walk away, turn around and crouch down , and she’ll come at you like a laser! She’s great at tracking down tennis balls that you throw, but won’t always bring them back if she finds something else more interesting to sniff. But, boy do they keep her attention. She’s a very smart and athletic dog!
She’s met some of my friends’ dogs and does well with them individually. On walks, she is ok meeting other dogs, but take it slow. She’ll occasionally meet other dogs that she doesn’t get along with for some reason. When we went to the Hingetown Market in August, she was happy meeting other people, but didn’t like sitting there as other dogs walked by (yet when we walked around she was more open to them). Her best friend is another SHM named Bernie! She’d probably prefer to be your only pet, depending on the type of dog you have, or have Secondhand Mutts match her up with a dog she likes and adopt two!
At night April loves to cuddle on the couch or chair when invited (if you don’t want her up, she’ll stay down). She’s also really into watching tv, and will usually sit there wondering what is going on. She’s got no problem just laying around, chewing on a bone, and relaxing with you. If she’s getting too amped up (by the tv show you’re watching), just tell her “No no” and she’ll lay down. April will sometimes sleep on my bed if I invite her up, but just as often she’ll sleep in her crate, or on a loveseat / couch. It’s funny when my alarm goes off in the AM, and I roll over and see her eyes staring up at me from the floor, and then giving me morning-kisses for the day.
April is such a loving, smart, and playful girl. She’s a beautiful pit-mix who is eager to learn how to better please you. She’s come a long way with her trust, so don’t be afraid to take it slow, but she’ll love and respect you soon!
We are not a traditional shelter, we are a cage-free facility. All dogs are temperament tested and must get along with other dogs to stay here. Appointments must be made in advance to meet our Secondhand Mutts. Please call 216-664-9660 or email rescue@secondhandmutts.org to set up a time. We are closed on Sundays. We prefer to adopt to local families but will consider long distance adoptions.
Adoption Fee $200
