Cleveland, OHWilbur and Orville, two 2-3 year old Shepherd mixes have not been given a fair shake in life. Arriving from Meigs County, Ohio in late October 2014 this pair has been living as homeless dogs under the shelter of The Mutt Hutt and care of Secondhand Mutts. Prior to arriving at our door step the pair lived a life of fear, in a hoarding home, that they were removed from only to be taken to a shelter and living caged among dozens of other rescue dogs for four months before transferring to our adoption center. They have had some temporary, weekend foster homes over the last 8 months but nevertheless it’s been too long for any dog to live in “the system”. They have attended countless adoption events at Pet People in Rocky River meeting dozens of families but until recently they hadn’t met one that wanted to give them a try.
We have gone The Extra Mile to insure these two very special dogs end up in a loving, forever home, no matter how long it takes.
We have never given up on the boys and we are so elated to share the news that Wilbur moved into a foster home in Parma, Ohio. Orville is currently still waiting for someone to take him in and give him a chance. He recently spent two weeks with a couple in their home and the transition was difficult for Orville having to be crated in the apartment. Sadly, his foster family returned him today as he was not a match and would need more of a house setting with a yard to get comfortable like his brother Wilbur has in his foster home. We are currently seeking a committed family to help Orville with his journey to find a forever home.
Wilbur has caught the heart of longtime staff member of The Mutt Hutt, Jessica, who is currently off this summer as she prepares to head to nursing school at Baldwin Wallace this fall. She and her family have adopted a Secondhand Mutt in the past, are currently without a dog and have a quiet home with a fenced yard and time to help Wilbur become what we’ve always wanted him to be: a dog that is loved. We are so very thankful to the Fitzsimmons family for opening their home to Wilbur and taking the necessary approach to building trust and getting him ready for a future adoption.
It’s only been short of a week but we felt the foster report Jessica has provided is honest and share worthy:
Wilbur’s Foster Home Report:
Wilbur is starting to settle in. He’s been glued to my side the entire time I’m at home and always wants to be near me, and be far enough away from my family to feel safe but still keep an eye on them, but he has recently let them pet him when he’s laying down. He does engage in fear barking towards my family members and I’m trying to work on that and on getting him feeling comfortable – he’s in no way aggressive, just scared. He was additionally barking just from hearing people walking around or in and out of the house, but with some positive conditioning it’s lessened tremendously.
He is essentially housebroken, but did have an accident in the house twice. He naturally wants to go outside.
When he’s outside, he shows no interest in jumping the fence or broaching it whatsoever (he’s a pretty bad at jumping actually – he has had a lot of trouble even making it up onto my decently high bed). He loves to play with the tennis ball and roll around in the grass or sit by me and look up at me. He seems pretty happy to be outside.
Wilbur is a very social dog and doesn’t like to be alone. He doesn’t like being put in the crate. The first time I put him in there, he somehow managed to get out of the crate and was on my bed when I got home. The second time, I watched him secretly and he seemed pretty anxious and was trying hard to get out. I decided not to use the crate with him because he does so well out on his own and mostly just chills out on my bed. So far, he hasn’t had accidents or chewed anything he wasn’t supposed to while alone (he did literally nibble at my book, but redirected easily).
Also, he is GREAT on walks. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s using the halter now, or because he’s in a much calmer suburb, but he barely ever pulls on the leash, and when he does, it’s quite lightly, and he actually seems to really enjoy his walks. He seems like a more confident dog with his tail up and curled, inquisitive and sniffing, and never barks at people or dogs. He does go out of his way to avoid people on walks but doesn’t seem overly scared like he does in the house.
When Wilbur gets past his fear, he is such a gentle soul. No aggression over toys or food, will try to gently play with you, lay near you and on you, and lightly lick your toes or nudge your hand, and takes treats very sweetly. I’ve never met a more gentle dog. He’s such a good pup and would make an excellent companion once bonded and trustful of his owner.
I will keep on with positively condition him so that he accepts my family members, or at least stops feeling the need to bark at them. It’s only been three days but I’m already seeing progress.
We are proud of the work we do and thankful for the many volunteers who have helped make our rescue and each dog who they while they are with us – no matter how long or short that time is before they are placed. Special thanks to the many volunteer dog walkers and chaperones who have taken these boys on walks exposing them to the city, sidewalks, grass, leash, and humans. If it weren’t for the time you’ve given them their progress wouldn’t be where it is today.
Fostering “difficult” dogs is not an easy task for anyone but the reward felt in your heart when you see a dog transform is genuine and nothing short of filling your spirit with goodness. If you are interested in fostering a Secondhand Mutt please email our volunteers at foster_coordinators@secondhandmutts.org for information about our program and the commitment required.
