Secondhand Hounds

On Adoptions: My experience with Secondhand Hounds has been incredibly supportive and professional in many ways. I adopted both my two dogs from SHH over the past 3+ years (1 in 2015 and the other in 2017). Both processes were thorough, as I would expect, helpful, and overall positive.

On Volunteering: Because of my adoption experiences, I chose to also volunteer with SHH. As a volunteer I have come to see that SHH is also well run on most aspects as well as very supportive to volunteers. They’re dedicated to their mission and it shows in everything they do. It’s a dedicated group of volunteers and staff and they take feedback very seriously.

On Resources: One of the biggest things I think about when looking into rescues either to adopt from, donate to, volunteer with, or generally support otherwise, is how they use their resources. What’s special about SHH, is that they’re well connected and supported not only by individuals, but by businesses as well which is incredibly smart. Because of that, they’re able to do a lot that other rescues might not be able to do.

On Financial Health of the Organization: Furthermore, I more recently looked into SHH’s publicly available financial information and reporting. I found that they are very good at ensuring that donations, adoption fees, and etc. are spent on the program and the animals they rescue. Also, SHH’s very hardworking and relatively small paid staff aren’t taking in large salaries at all. I was actually shocked how little money was spent on staff. SHH is mostly, majorly, volunteer-based and that certainly helps, but it’s still very impressive. I can only expect the organization to continue to be even more efficient and effective at saving animals in the future.

I adopted my dog from Secondhand Hounds and also volunteer with them. They are incredibly responsive and organized and their facility is designed with dog welfare and safety in mind. Highly recommend adopting and donating to them - they are amazing!

We adopted our corgi from SHH in 2015 and it was a very good experience. Then in 2016 we started volunteering. SHH has hundreds of very dedicated volunteers who have helped save thousands of dogs and cats. Staff members are very professional. We consider SHH as family now.

We rescued our baby about a year ago and could not be more thankful for all the work SHH did for our pup! He was sick and they covered all expenses for hunch to get better! Sara was so helpful in the transition for his to get better! He went from 2 to 32 pounds now! He just turned 1 and I still talk about how great the SHH team was! Defiantly recommend to help volunteer if possible, donate, or adopt a fur baby like we did and do!

We adopted our sweet little cockapoo, Posey, from Secondhand Hounds a year ago and are so thankful for her every day. 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!

When our family decided to foster dogs and cats, we didn't take the decision lightly. We talked to others, did our research and decided on Secondhand Hounds. We have never once regretted that decision! SHH has been there for us every step of the way! They are incredible at helping fosters and adopters succeed and the dedication to all of their programs come through in all they do! We have also adopted three times and have to say they have the whole process down to an art. They say yes when others would say no like with our 15 year old dog we adopted! Who else would say yes to bringing a senior with medical issues all the way up to Minnesota?! But bring her up they did and we were thrilled to adopt her and get two wonderful years with her! Our whole family is so proud to support the work of Secondhand Hounds!

I have adopted two little ones from this rescue. This rescue is amazing !! It is so important that these dogs and cats go to foster homes where they can learn to trust and love and just be around people. My first little one was named Hailey, I was only to have her for a little more than 2yrs, she had a heart condition. In those 2yrs she learned how to walk on a leash with her head held high. She loved walks and Kids and she very much wanted to be around all people. A short time after Hailey passed I found another little angel. Her name is Princess Ruby, she is also learning to be social and she kinda likes it. She is so sweet and we are learning things all the time. Little miss Ruby also has a heart condition but we are making every day an adventure. I am so grateful that I can make a difference in their lives I know they do mine. Mary Milleker

I lost my dog Casey last January. That's when I started volunteering at Second Hand Hounds. It took me three months before I was ready to adopt again! I adopted Izzy and she has filled my heart! I continue to volunteer as I love this organization!

I am a volunteer for Secondhand Hounds, and the way they run this organization, treat their clients and volunteers, and treat the animals is like no other organization that I’ve volunteered for. They are fabulous, caring, and work so hard to give every animal a chance at living the best life possible. The staff are great, the volunteers are great, and the animals are GREAT! This is hands down my favorite organization to volunteer for.

Love the work they do, the animals they help love them also

The whole organization is amazing! They not only find forever homes for pets, they reach out to the community in several ways. Their caring spans the whole community regardless if the individual has 2 or 4 legs, hair or fur or beautifully bald.

This is without a doubt THE best non-profit that’s ive been involved with!!! The people that run this rescue eat, breathe, and sleep rescue and helping animals.

I NEVER question donating to them because I know that my money is being well spent. What really impressed me about them is how they walk the walk. For example, the font “dog discriminate”; they will rescue old dogs or dogs needing medical attention that a lot of rescues would put down. They even have a program called the Hospice Program that is specifically for elderly or terminally ill dogs to ensure that the rest of their days on earth are filled with happiness and love.

We fostered dogs, transport dogs, and do intake for SHH. We even ended up adopting one of our fosters from Shh :)

I really can’t say enough about them. I’ve gone to other rescues seeking help and provided them with guidance based on the ways Shh operates because they do things well.

The picture is of our adopted dog :)

I adopted a dog from Secondhand Hounds in March 2016. They are such a great organization that I wanted to participate so now I volunteer doing home visits. I am impressed across the board by the level of quality and commitment demonstrated by SHH.

I love the passion and professionalism that I have experienced with Secondhand Hounds! I am thrilled that I have decided to join them as a volunteer. Everything is coordinated nicely and you can tell that customer service is very important to them. I would highly recommend SHH to volunteer at, donate to, foster from or adopt from. Paws down!

All of the employees and thousands of volunteers go above and beyond every single day to save lives. It changes the lives not only for those pets, but for each of them and the families they are able to complete with the animals they've rescued.

Our family has volunteered with Secondhand Hounds for over six years. It has been an amazing experience for our whole family. We have foster over 100 dogs and cats including four litters of dogs and one of cats born at our house for SHH. This has beeb a great learning experience for our daughters. SHH has provided for all of the physical and medical needs for the animals. We have been supported by SHH in our concerns for the animals as well as decisions we have made regarding the adoption of the animals. We have adopted two dogs through SHH. SHH made sure that the dogs were healthy, up to date on shots, neutered, and microchipped at adoption. Great agency to foster, adopt, and volunteer with!

I'm experienced with rescue dogs. I've owned four rescue dogs and have never had a negative experience outside of challenging behaviors. I've fostered for Second Hand Hounds since June and have had 3 different foster pups. Initially, it was such an awesome and rewarding experience The second foster I got came to me with an ear infection, obvious skin wounds, and allergies. My third foster came home with horrible diarrhea and appeared underweight. I reported this to SHH and instead of having me bring him to the vet, they had me pick up meds for him. Within a few days, my own dog was sick with diarrhea and when I asked SHH's "vet" about this, they ignored me. I made the mistake of bringing my own dog to SHH's vet, Burnsville Parkway Vet, and they did not answer my questions about possible contagious disease or provide a diagnosis for my dog, though I paid $250 for her treatment and she is better now. Recently I requested that since I have to bring my foster in for a neuter, that SHH bring his preventative treatments so that I don't have to drive 30 minutes to pick them up, which is the usual practice. The staff were incredibly rude in their response to this request and complained that it would cost them $2 to send it. With the amount of time I've taken off from work, driving to and from vet appointments, to and from spay and an upcoming neuter appointment, picking up a midnight foster animals, shoes that have been chewed up, my own dog ill, driving to and from meet and greets and adoptions, I was stunned by their response. I asked them for information about their "non-profit" and staff pay as I have seen one too many "non-profits" that are really paying themselves hefty salaries, while relying on the charity of others. I called them "rude", "lacking in communication skills", and "stingy". They responded by calling me "combative" and threatening to remove my foster via animal control, the police, bringing me to court. My foster is due to be adopted next week. I will never foster or adopt from this organization again and I am so saddened by what was once a very positive experience turned very negative.
SHH sent two of their henchmen here to try to remove my foster. They banged on my door and windows and stood in my driveway staring into my windows trying to intimidate me. I told them repeatedly that they were trespassing and I was going to call the police. When the police arrived, they stood on my sidewalk and told me that they weren't leaving until I gave them the dog. I've violated no foster agreements other than questioning the organization's practices. I will not back down to intimidation and harassment.

I've been a volunteer and foster for this truly amazing organization for 4 years now. I've watched this rescue grow leaps and bounds and I'm so excited for what's to come. The work they do is second to none.

SHH is the most well organized rescue I have ever worked with. It runs like a well oiled machine thanks to their staffs tireless hard work and dedicated volunteers. The facilities are spotless! Every effort and precaution is taken to ensure all animals have the best care, fosters and adoption possible! I am honored to be able to volunteer for Secondhand Hounds!

The people are almost as awesome as the animals they rescue. They make adopting a thorough but easy process. The animals come from very diverse backgrounds, but are all treated like family the second they come in.

My family has been volunteering and fostering with shh for about 5 years! We've had about 30 dogs and puppies go through our home and the rescue has been amazing with all their help. Can't tell you how many people they have helped let alone the 10,000 plus dogs and cats! We've foster failed on 2 dogs, Spanky (pitbull/whippet) and Bentley a special needs bulldog/beagle mix....I'd include a picture but I don't have any small enough!

I have been involved as a volunteer with Secondhand Hounds for the last year and a half. I help staff the office, support intake of animals, and do animal photography for their adoptable animals. The organization is amazing! They save animals in even the most dire of situations and have the most amazing staff....typically working their SHH role on top of other full time work. I can't say enough about the community of rescue they have created....saying yes as much as they possibly can! They have definitely changed my life for the better based on my involvement!! Kudos SHH!!

I'm a volunteer for SHH and adopted one of my dogs there. My experience on both sides has been amazing. The staff and volunteers are dedicated, organized, and provide great service. Fosters take amazing care of their animals and ensure a good match with adopters. I'd highly recommend adopting from this rescue and becoming involved as a volunteer!

I've been working with SHH for about five years. The way that the different programs work, and the amount of organization that comes from each coordinator is amazing. I've adopted and fostered and it's become a lifestyle

I have been working with SHH since Rachel founded it in 2009. The amount of support and growth we have seen is incredible, and we are literally saving animals from being euthanized. There are so many ways to get involved. I have met so many amazing people through rescue that I now call my friends :)

I have NEVER met a group that is more passionate about their animals and finding them proper care, love and "furever" homes!! They put the Can-DO in everything they touch. The workers are well- guided and so caring. It's Clean, It's organized, and they get a lot of things done!! I totally support them!!!

I started fostering with Secondhand Hounds a little over two years ago. When I started, I thought I would just try it and save one dog. Well Secondhand Hounds made the experience SO easy and enjoyable that I have fostered 12 dogs and 9 kittens so far. I'm so happy that I can make a difference for these deserving animals. It certainly takes a village to make it happen! Lots of volunteer opportunities- I would recommend this organization to any animal lover that is looking for an opportunity to get involved in the rescue community!

I am a Home Visit Volunteer for Secondhand Hounds. I love having a role in the adoption process, completing the final step for approval. I truly enjoy meeting families committed to welcoming rescued animals into their lives.
Secondhand Hounds has continued to build an organization that answers many needs. Over time, I have seen SHH rally forces on behalf of urgent medical cases, special needs categories, foster recruitment and so much more.

Just one example of what the Secondhand Hounds community is capable of....

The effort to raise big $$$$ to buy bulldogs at auction last year was truly amazing. Getting the word out, scrambling to put the logistics in place in a very short time -- so many caring people at the edge of our seats as we waited for updates on facebook. Folks invested in any way they could - a giant network of prayer, support, donations - to see those angels brought to safety and into a loving, healing life.

My volunteerism with SHH has opened me to new, bigger dreams and goals for my own future. Advocacy is my purpose.

I have adopted one dog through Secondhand Hounds. Our dog had some medical issues which we were aware of prior to adoption. The dog has blossomed into a wonderful family pet. The adoption process was thorough and efficient. The dog arrived fully vetted and SHH was able to answer all questions regarding our dog. I would not hesitate to adopt from SHH and have recommended SHH to many others.

Secondhand Hounds (SHH) is foster based animal rescue that is very well run. I'm a current foster and volunteer and love SHH. All vetting and supplies are provided by SHH to care for the fosters, making the process super smooth. There are also soooo many excellent people involved that are always willing to help troubleshoot any situations. End goal is always to find the best match for the animal and their furever home!

Secondhand Hounds regularly goes above and beyond for animals that would otherwise not have a chance, from rescuing misunderstood breeds, animals that have come from abusive or neglectful situations, and animals with serious medical needs that other rescues might not be willing or able to accept. Its network of volunteers works tirelessly to provide the best veterinary care and foster homes, and to re-home each animal in a loving adoptive home. The organization also goes out of its way to ensure each animal that comes through the rescue is cared for for life, allowing adopters to return SHH animals if they are no longer able to care for them. This is something that I believe makes Secondhand Hounds truly unique and special in the rescue community.

I believe and stand by the work that Secondhand Hounds does, which has saved over 6,000 animals to date. It is not an easy process or job, but as a volunteer I have seen the heart of the staff, volunteers, fosters, and supports. They are trying to do the best they can to find each animal a great home. SHH has a process that ensures no rush decisions are made and that the foster homes decide which is the best home as they know the animal best out of anyone, even though as a foster I can say it is not always easy to say no to one family when you have a choice to make. There is no magic equation or guidebook to making this decision, but it is one made out of love and compassion for the animal that was saved.

I'm convinced the work SHH is doing to save the lives of animals is to be honored and applauded however we found the process to adopt a dog to be huge disappointment. We had been researching breeders for a specific type of dog and stumbled upon the SHH website where there was a new adoptable dog that was exactly what we were looking for. We applied and contacted the foster family immediately to schedule a meet and greet. A full week and 60 miles later we met with them at their home, and made an immediate connection with both the foster family and the dog. We learned there were four other families being interviewed and the criteria for making a decision was solely in their hands based on what they feel is best. In the end, the dog was awarded to another family and we were left wondering why we were not selected. I wonder how a foster family is so confident in knowing what is best for a dog they have only had for less than two weeks. I cannot imagine the thought of being interviewed over and over again for our ability to provide a loving home for an animal that needs one. I would not recommend Secondhand Hounds or this process to anyone looking for a companion unless you’re willing to make many attempts to adopt and can live with this type of disenchantment.