Category Archives: Dog Updates

Where do we begin? For all Clifford the Doberman Pinscher has been through since the start of 2020 his personality continues to shine bright. This grateful dog with loads of love to give to his future family or companion for life will never be forgotten or lost again.

We are especially thankful for the dedication of the volunteers and founder of Remi’s Pet Recovery. Without the efforts of their volunteers along side the many nameless neighbors and animal advocates caught up in the search for “Leo the Lost Doberman” Clifford may not be here today.

Remi’s Pet Recovery mission is to help alleviate the stray dog population by providing safe and humane capture, rehabilitation, medical care, behavioral support and safe placement. Remi’s Pet Recovery helps lost pets find their way back home by providing experienced hands-on advice, direct communication, surveillance that is monitored, traps/bait lead by our dedicated and passionate fonder Vanessa Petrosky.  Remi’s Pet Recovery is a registered nonprofit 501(c)3 based out of Cleveland, Ohio.

Leo, who we have since renamed Clifford, found himself running  away from the only home he knew after getting away from his owner on new years day.  He spent six long weeks traveling the cold and busy streets of the Cleveland Heights mainly in the Forest Hills community. Neighbors reported sightings of Leo along the way and made multiple attempts of catching him but he was too scared and resorted to a primal instinct of fleeing as many lost dogs do while running loose. Efforts increased and  social media assisted with playing a role in his remarkable recovery story when eventually Vanessa was contacted to provide guidance and on-the-ground assistance for his capture. Leading up to the glorious day Leo would finally be safe thankfully one local resident had seen and reported multiple sightings in a wooded area behind her property where wildlife tend to graze and relax. Some paw prints in the snow and dog feces were both clear indicators this is exactly where a humane trap filled with tasty vittles was  to be set up to hopefully lure Leo in.

On February 10, 2020 at 10:00 AM the trap was set up and by 2:00 PM Leo was safe in the confines of a wire trap lined with a fleece blanket.

His owners were immediately contacted by phone and much to their surprise given the news by phone which was received with shock. There were immediate concerns for his health, including severe weight loss, a possible injury to his back end all of which were relayed to his owners before heading to a veterinary clinic for a necessary medical assessment. Unable to care for his medical needs the volunteers  encouraged his owners to ’respect the dog’ and surrender him so he gets the medical attention he needs along with a home equipped to take care of him regardless of his injuries and condition after his recovery. They agreed it was the best decision under the circumstances.

Leo was rushed to Gateway Animal Clinic and while in route we were contacted asking for our assistance to step up for his care. Without hesitation we agreed and met Leo for the first time a couple of hours later. His initial medical assessment determined he was extremely underweight and Xrays confirmed a broken pelvis. Dr. Liz believes the injury happened roughly four weeks prior as healing properties were present with an estimated additional four weeks of healing time to go. Our assumption is Leo must have been hit by a car during his travels further spiraling his mental condition to “flight mode” as he scavenged the streets for food avoiding people along the way. This dog is truly a survivor.

Using funds from The Extra Mile’s On The Mend funds we will see to it Clifford gets any additional care he needs including examination by a specialist if that is what is determined is best for him. In the meantime, he is taking it all in a wobbly stride acting as though nothing is wrong. Long term we are unable to make any confirmations about his future needs related to his broken pelvis. Once we have additional information what we do learn about his needs we will share and pass along. Donations collected for Clifford’s care through The Extra Mile program will be set aside for Clifford and future dogs who are in our care, on the mend and in need of our services. Donations for Clifford are welcome in any amount. Click here to make a donation today. 

Although a verbal surrender was given to Remi’s from his former owners to release Leo into our care after many attempts to reach the family for their signature on the surrender agreement sadly our attempts were ignored. Now named Clifford he was held in legal limbo for a ten-day owner hold period to pass until we could share his story insuring we have followed the law leading us to today with the warm welcome and introduction he is officially a Secondhand Mutt. Welcome home Clifford!

The partnership Remi’s Pet Recovery shares with the local animal rescue community are vital to their work when there are unfortunate circumstances that leave a dog without an owner for whatever those reasons may be.  After sharing a picture of Clifford on our social media outlets asking for donations of Bil-Jac frozen dog food to supplement his diet with an enriched food and strict meal plan to help him safely gain weight we were overwhelmed with donations. We are so very grateful to everyone who heard his story and followed his story which lead him to Secondhand Mutts. If you would like to directly support Remi’s Pet Recovery click here to make a donation.

Clifford had a short respite with our founder and director in her home last weekend enjoying an overnight in the comfort of a home adorned with other dogs, warm blankets, a soft pink sweater (who says boys can’t wear pink?) and a big soft bed. In the morning he met and headed to the place he’ll call home for awhile with one of our dedicated foster providers where he will gain weight, socialize with other dogs, enjoy being spoiled and be safe.

We are in no rush to place Clifford however we are reviewing applications we have on file with the hopes of finding a wonderful match to place him into a home when the time is right and the right person or family can be chosen to be there for him forever. Each applicant will be screened and made aware of his possible medical challenges and budget that accompanies carrying for a dog who may have lifelong special needs.

Clifford is to date on his vaccines, he has a microchip and when he is up to 60# or so we will neuter him.

FOSTER HOME REPORT:

On October 4, 2019 Secondhand Mutts reached out to assist one of our rescue partners, the Cleveland Animal Protective League, to assist them with some of the 84 Chihuahuas seized in September during a humane investigations case. Some of the dogs taken in are available for adoption while others were networked as they required special handling.

The Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter lent a hand taking in a handful of the dogs who are ready to transition into new homes. Some of those pups have some special needs and the normal adoption procedure will be altered for these dogs.

We welcome 6 female Chihuahua’s. The dogs have been named after members of the band The Go Go’s: Jane, Charlotte, Margo, Paula, Belinda and Gina. 

We are grateful to be working along side two local animal rescue agencies to assist and continue our mission to ‘respect the dog’. Often times it’s dogs like these that can be the hardest to place because of the sudden transition they have made from the only life they knew to where they are today. The six dogs that we took in needed special handling due to their behavior or medical issues. Rescues like ours with the foster provider homes and patience to provide them with unlimited time and space to flourish often times thrive when they transition to their forever home. A formerly acquired and now adopted Chihuahua named Tiny we took in from a hoarding situation two years ago is one example the patience pays off. He was later adopted by our Founder and Director Becca. 

Becca who is an animal lover of all breeds has had an affinity for helping the Doberman breed over the years fell fast for the Chihuahua breed after spending lots of time with Tiny Tito.  The experience of learning from him, gaining his trust and having a better understanding of what it takes to rejuvenate a rescue Chihuahua has allowed us to provide our newest arrivals with the best care possible. It goes without saying she was up for the task of taking in the 6 knowing there would be a team of help and support for this rescue mission. 

We are going to go The Extra Mile for these six dogs. 
We will respect them. We will care for them. 
We will do right by them. 
Respect the dog™

The 6-pack, all girls, landed in our care on October 4 and despite the semi-traumatizing additional transition they  have been adjusting in our relaxing decompression space equipped with 24/7 meditation sound, mood lighting, safe place hiding spaces, comfortable blankets and a designated wee-wee area (which they have all taken to with no accidents outside of this area). While they are not quite ready for visitors and some of the girls have yet to gain Becca’s trust to be petted lots of progress has been made in two weeks. 

This video was taken, the dogs in our care less than a week, on October 10th. Charlotte is welcoming some pets while Margo looks on beside her. 

The process of delicately socializing shut down, fearful, anxious dogs is time consuming. It requires a lot of patience, an understanding of dog behavior, the willingness to get bit, urinated or defecated on and lots of cheese. Yes, cheese. These Chihuahuas, like most dogs, love cheese. 

The staff at The Mutt Hutt along side designated and experienced volunteers have helped with making appearances in the dogs decompression space allowing them to understand the do not need to feel threatened. Pens and gates allow the dogs to feel safe. Dog visitors of their own size and kind have also helped acclimate them to a future transition. They have enjoyed the company of “Tiny” Tito who they have welcomed. Perhaps in their own language he’s let them know they have hit the lottery!

After a week in our care the dogs were yet again carefully transported to see our friends at Gateway Animal Clinic for necessary vaccines and health examinations. Kudos to our volunteer transporters and chaperones Melanie and Alysse along side the amazingly dedicated Dr. Liz and Emily for their special handling and care of all six dogs. While it was not an easy feat (and some poop and more poop and a change of clothes) for the team at Gateway Animal Clinic they got the tasks accomplished.

After returning from their trip to Gateway Animal Clinic the dogs once again hunkered down together. Hours later, huddled together in the late evening hours of the night the girls welcomed petting from Becca before she head home for the night. 

The girls are now set up for their spay surgeries which will take place later this month. All but two will be spayed: Charlotte and Margo. We have learned both of the girls are expecting puppies adding another element of surprise to Team Chihuahua’s plan. We are preparing and need your help. 

In addition to needing general donations for the dogs care as they stay with us and transition into foster provider homes we need a supply of items for caring for Margo and Charlotte as they prepare for and give birth to their puppies in the days (Charlotte) and weeks (Margo) to come. We are rapidly getting a private quarantine space set up for the moms-to-be equipped with “mama-cams” which will be set up this weekend. 

If you would like to contribute to their care and help us go The Extra Mile please consider making a donation of goods or a financial contribution. We are currently seeking the following item listed below. Links for online shopping are included to make things easier; however we encourage everyone to support your local pet and general supply stores and drop your donations off in person at 2603 Scranton Road in Cleveland Ohio. 

Team Chihuahua Supply Wish List

• Purina Pro Plan Small Breed Formula puppy food for Charlotte and Margo while they are expecting and nursing
• Purina Pro Plan Small Breed Formula adult dog food for the adult dogs
• Velvetta Cheese. We welcome donors to chop the cheese up in bite size cubes stored in air tight containers. 
• DONATED! THANK YOU! (1) Collapsible Dog Pools: These will be used for whelping boxes to keep the puppies contained. Size Medium. 
• (1) Collapsible Dog Pools: These will be used for whelping boxes to keep the puppies contained. Size Medium.
• Unscented Baby Wipes: This link is for a case but any quantity works. 
• Training Pads: We are desperate for these and need lots! Locally these training pads are available and priced the lowest at Marc’s.
• Fleece blankets and towels: We are always in need!

Monetary donations are always welcome. Your donations are also welcomed by mail or over the phone with a credit card by calling 216-664-9660…please note we will arrange a call back for phone donations so be sure to leave us a message with the best time to reach you.  

We will continue to take each day one day at a time and look forward to learning more about each of the girls as individuals. Knowing the dogs while they are here and as they transition to their foster provider homes will give us the insight our Dog Adoption Committee members will need as we carefully screen and place the dogs into their forever homes. We are accepting applications for the dogs placement however we will not be processing applications until the dogs are near-ready for adoption. Our volunteers will stay in touch with applicants as we approach the placement date. The puppies, however many are bestowed upon us, will be ready for homes at the start of the new year. 

Again, thank you so much for your kindness, support and for believing in our mission. We are inspired each day by the dogs who give us purpose and those who welcome them into their homes.

And never forget: Chihuahuas love cheese! Especially Jane. 

Respect the dog™

Very happy or proud; jubilant; in high spirits

We are elated to share this news. We are elated the day has come. We are elated for our friend Krinkle who we always believed in and never gave up on.

He has found his person. He has a forever home. Right here in Cleveland close enough that we may get a visit from our good friend from time to time. 

Respect the dog.™ 

We must give thanks to Krinkle’s number one dog walker volunteer and long time Dog Handler at The Mutt Hutt: Dave. Krinkle spent 144 nights at our facility and most of those nights he spent without a single complaint, barely a bark and never an accident. Not only did Dave walk Krinkle, not once but twice nearly every day the two were in the facility together, Dave came in to walk him on his only day off. Dave taught Krinkle structure, he showed him love, he taught him how to sit, heel and behave like a gentleman on a leash. Krinkle may have gobbled up a few chicken bones along the way but he always allowed Dave to take them right out his mouth. We are pretty sure he did consume a half eaten sandwich on one of his walks. Krinkle enjoyed that day. 

Respect the dog.™ 

We are thankful to Alexa who is one of our long time volunteers, a chair on our Foster Provider Committee, a supporter and a constant and committed foster provider. Her kindness and compassion and for her commitment to being a foster provider for our special dogs in need has helped so many of our dogs (Magic Mike, Big Bud, and Pepper to name a few) when the need was there and we asked. Alexa, who conveniently lives across the street from us, and conveniently does not have any pets but loves having dog company has been Krinkle’s companion since the early days. They too enjoyed walks to the park, romps in the rain and along the way during one of their most recent overnights Alexa unexpectedly shared a bucket of Trader Joe’s cookies with Krinkle. No worries….he left none to share and no belly ache after the incident. Just a sad faced (and semi-panicked) foster mom.  Don’t worry  because as you know you’ll have one more chance for some time with Mr. Krinkle and this time hide Santa’s cookies while you are watching him over the holidays when his dad is traveling. Thank you, Alexa!

Early on we learned so much in a short amount of time starting from a young couple in Madison who were drawn to Krinkle as they were searching for a dog mate for their Doberman mix female dog at home. Sadly, their dog was not taking to the new relationship nor were the cats or the farm chickens but the horses didn’t seem to skip a beat. This is when we learned a life with other animals may not be suitable for Krinkle. Perhaps this was the start of our mission to be patient and find him a person who can accept him as a solo dog and a dog that isn’t much into socializing much with other animals…including dogs. Thank you Nick and Laura for the time you gave our friend.

By now Krinkle had been with us three months, waiting patiently while living in a home-like atmosphere at our facility in the company of his favorite human friends, when one of our local rescue partners who work specifically with Krinkle’s breed reached out to us with a potential home match. We are thankful to Doberman Underground for believing in our mission, sharing his story and for giving Krinkle an opportunity. Although this one didn’t work out just as the previous trial home we learned even more about our fair friend. Acceptance. It was in this home, located nearly 4 hours away in Pennsylvania, that Krinkle got comfortable and so did his perspective new owners. After recently losing a once troubled then weak Doberman member of their family Roy and Diane were ready to open their hearts to a Doberman in need. They met, we met and off they went. Just shy of a week living comfortably in their home Krinkle was galloping up their carpeted steps and slipped backwards. Instinctively and without pause Diane reached for his rear end to assist the slip forgetting in that moment of Krinkle’s sensitivity on his back end (not to mention he also had recently had his neuter surgery). Startled and frightened Krinkle jerked back his head and bit her on the leg.  The mental trauma from losing one dog who had behavior issues compounded with the incident with Krinkle weighed heavily on Roy and Diane and together we determined a trip back to Ohio was in order. Without a hesitation when their phone rang with our plea for help long time adopters (Jack, Mya and Bob the Bloodhound) our friends who lived just over the Pennsylvania border in East Palestine Ohio dropped what they were doing and drove to pick up Krinkle and deliver him back to Cleveland. Thank you Roy, Diane and Vicky and Doug for believing in Krinkle. We know how important it was to you that we stick with him and find him a home. This incident was serious and as an organization we are committed to making the right and best decisions for our dogs always putting the public first.

It was months later when we met a young man, a recent transplant from the country to the city, who was searching for a dog to adopt to keep him company and build a life with. Shortly after meeting Krinkle an abscess that had been bugging Krinkle in the past showed back up on his paw located between his toes causing discomfort and pain. Luckily for us the tentative adopter had no other pets and was open to giving Krinkle a quiet place to recover after a medical procedure we opted for to remove one toe to stop the growth from returning. Unfortunately, the accommodations were met with challenges Krinkle was not physically or mentally prepared for: going up/down long flights of steps because for whatever reason Krinkle had a fear of the building elevator despite our attempts at providing him all the positive reinforcement we could to get in and ride it. Thank you Evan for giving Krinkle a chance and for giving him a place to rest for the short time you had him.

We are thankful to our friends at Gateway Animal Clinic: Every. Single. Person. We are grateful our long relationship and for the care our dogs receive when they are with the Veterinary staff and their support team. Mega thanks to Krinkle’s favorite vet, Dr. Liz, and his favorite assistant (and a Secondhand Mutts board member) Emily. We know Krinkle’s foot surgery was not exactly fun and his recovery was even less than fun. From our daily visits for bandage changes, to his whimpering and whining and ability to put the brakes on when he was outside and out of time and being lead back inside to his overnight kennel. Thank you for your texts and your messages while he was in your care and we worried about and missed him. Your abilities to read a dogs behavior and make sure you are safe, your dedication, compassion and ability to work through the worst of the days to get to the best days inspire us to continue doing what we do in animal care and rescue.

There are just a few more to give thanks to this holiday season. The first to step up and foster our Krinkle is Pete. Taking in an emaciated dog with trust issues and hormones is a challenge in itself. We know our time with Krinkle was short and you certainly felt the connection of his soul. Thank you for believing in us and for believing in Krinkle.

We are thankful to the team at The Mutt Hutt for whom without their dedication, belief in our mission and ongoing commitment and dedication our work may be impossible. Special thanks to Bre for crushing her doubts and rising up to challenges she faced ending up in a love for the breed (and one day hopeful adopter of a Secondhand Mutt Doberman). If not impossible it would certainly be more of a challenge. Each day Krinkle greeted those special people he’d come to trust and love. From the arrival administrative team member and Secondhand Mutts sole employee Leah who continually fosters the relationships with our long time homeless guests she got to witness a lot of Krinkle sleeping, she gave away a ton of “on demand” treats upon her arrival each day,  caught candid pictures of his yoga poses, took him out to her garden for a day trip and watched at least a dozen times her trash can get raided after leaving her office unoccupied making it available for trash stealing.

Founder and Executive Director

We at Secondhand Mutts never shy away from the hard cases. We respect the dog. We welcome dogs with everything from basic house training issues to mange cases, heartworm positive dogs to those sick and quarantined with pneumonia, dogs with broken legs and occasionally those who need focused and more intense behavior modification. We go The Extra Mile.

We’ve made no exceptions for Stella.

Stella came to us from South Carolina underweight, with a progressed case of heartworm Disease, at the young age of two. Stella’s heartworm case is one of the worst our veterinarian team has seen. She is riddled with worms and started taking antibiotics and steroids leading up to her first treatment she received in late May. After her first injection Stella had a severely painful response and hard time with her recovery. Over the two weeks following the injection her cough continued (allowing the worms to move out and about) and had one incident when she briefly collapsed and regained her composure. Due to concerns about her ability to survive the next round of treatments, Dr. Liz at Gateway Animal Clinic recommended Stella receive an echo cardiogram to evaluate the health of her heart.

Last week our Director, Becca, accompanied Stella’s foster provider, Julie, for her appointment with Dr. Boddy, a cardiologist at MedVet Emergency Clinic, and determined that Stella’s heart should be strong enough to undergo the last two rounds of treatment for Heartworm disease. Due to the severity of the progression of her disease, Stella will most likely again have adverse reactions to the treatment, which she will undergo two days in a row. We will are hoping for a smooth a speedy recovery.

Stella will be receiving her injections this Thursday and Friday under the care of Dr. Liz and her team at Gateway Animal Clinic.

Please send this happy-go-lucky, goofy girl all of your positive and healing thoughts. With her sweet spirit, Stella is truly a lover of life. We can’t wait until she is free of disease, so she can run and play as she would so desperately like to do.

Support our cause and donate to The Extra Mile fund to help Stella and other dogs like Stella who arrive at our doorstep in need of heartworm treatment.

Heart of Gold Sponsor: Sponsorship helps alleviate the very high cost of treatment for a heartworm positive dog. The overall cost to alleviate heartworms in one dog, including hospitalization, medications, x-rays, blood work and office visits office visits most often exceeds $700…for just one dog.

$25: Four months of Heartgard treatment for a heartworm positive dog
$50: Average cost of one heart x-ray
$100: Covers one heart x-ray and the average cost of oral antibiotics taken (usually for at least one month) along with one month of Heartgard
$150: 1 CBC and one month Heartgard
$250: Cost of one average-sized dose of Immiticide, two months of Heartgard treatment, anesthetic, pain meds and one night of hospitalization

Make your donation today!