forever loved
hospice foster program
In the spring of 2015, Secondhand Hounds started to receive multiple requests for elderly, un-adoptable dogs in shelters. Unfortunately, our program is adoption-based, and that is how we guarantee the survival of our program. But, we could not let these senior and terminally-ill dogs live out their final days in a cold, lonely shelter. So, we started the Forever Loved Hospice Program.
This program relies on hospice foster homes to open their hearts to dogs who will not ever leave. They will not be able to find a wonderful adoptive family, they will not watch their foster dog transform into a healthy pet, they will never say “see you later,” but rather “goodbye.” As you can imagine, it takes a very selfless, compassionate, and strong foster to do this. Essentially, they are taking these dogs in as their own, and loving them fiercely until it is their time to pass.
A little goes a long way with these amazing animals. Sponsor a hospice animal for a week for $50, two weeks for $100 or a month for $200. We do our absolute best to ensure our hospice fosters cross the rainbow bridge peacefully, and many times this means keeping them at home with their doting foster families. You can provide this comfort by sponsoring an in-home euthanasia for $425. All donations, no matter the size, keep these incredible animals comfortable.
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Please consider donating using the form below, or send cash or checks to our office at 5959 Baker Road, Suite 390, Minnetonka, MN 55345
Hospice Foster Animals currently in our program
Bernard - 12 y/o
Bernard loves all the good things in life - snoozes, snuggles, scratches, and snacks! The little man loves to motor around the house, inspecting all new shoes and bags. Any sweatshirts left out he considers to be a new napping cushion for him. We are thankful to the SHH vet experts for their care of his heart, lungs, eyes, and mobility conditions. We are honored to have this silly boy in our home, to help him live his most comfortable life.
Birdie - 7 y/o
Birdie is loving life with her forever family!
Blueberry - 8 y/o
Blueberry's future is uncertain, and his past is a mystery, but what we do know is that Blue loves everyone he meets. Dogs, cats, people. His tail is always wagging, so you'd never know he's had multiple tumors removed.
Cantina - 8 y/o
Cantina is a sweet Beagle/Basset mix who at age 8 is suspected of bladder cancer. She is living comfortably with her amazing forever foster who has been through all of the appointments, plan of action, and now palliative care in her final chapter. She is a very happy girl and loves her food.
Carhartt- 10 y/o
Carhartt is a Secondhand Hounds hospice foster who has energy galore even though his back legs sometimes fail him. He's 74 pounds of love and enthusiasm for life!
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Click here to see Carhartt's wishlist
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Cooper - 4 y/o
Cooper was rescued as a stray in Virginia, and is one of only 30 dogs worldwide living with Short Spine Syndrome. His adventures are chronicled on his Facebook Page - Short on Spine, Big on Love!
Diego Pawtoya -
12 y/o
Hello my name is Diego Pawtoya and I'm from Texas. That means I LOVE taking naps in the sun. I also love rolling around in the yard and scratching my back on tree trunks like a bear. I spend most of my day taking naps (and snoring sweetly), chewing on soft toys and asking my foster parents for pets. In fact, when they forget to keep petting me, I like to tap them with my paw to remind them I'd like them to keep going. I especially love it when they give me belly rubs. I'm a very sweet & quiet dog. My foster parents completely adore me. I would love a quiet loving home to live out my last chapter. Ideally one without a lot of stairs. I've been working on my stamina but I struggle with a full flight of stairs and prefer not to do them at all.
Eli - 7 y/o
Eli is a gentle giant who loves nothing more than to lay in the sun and have her belly rubbed. Medically, we had to name her a hospice foster, but she's loving life with her forever foster family.
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Etta James - 8 y/o
Etta loves to be outdoors, exploring and sniffing and taking walks. She loves fetch and tug o war with soft toys. She's great on car rides and she seems like she just loves adventure, exploring, and finding new things.
Ezekiel - 14 y/o
Ezekiel aka Zeke is a spunky and spry 14 years young Chihuahua who has quickly taken over the hearts of everyone he meets. He loves to follow his humans around the house or snooze away the day while burrowed under blankets. He has the cutest little hopping bark when he wants attention or to get up on the couch. He is living a well deserved, spoiled life for the remainder of his days.
Franklin- 14 y/o
Franklin is a spunky, sweet, full of young energy grandpa. He loves his big plush toys - his teddy, lamb, and moose are at the top of his list! He's slow moving but still loves to explore the yard and take his time sniffing and peeing in every spot he deems worthy. He gets excited when his humans return and it warms the heart to see him trying to wiggle his butt in fast excitement - then falls over because his balance isn't the best. Every day Franklin is eating more and more and its helping him gain his lost weight and muscle. Like every Lab out there, he LOVES his food! Franklin sure isn't letting any of his many medical issues hold him back from living his best life, and we aren't either! Lots of love, head pats, ear and butt scratches, and many treats happening every day for our sweet grandpa Franklin!
Gunther - 12 y/o
Gunther is a BloodHound to the very bone. A 13 year old Heartworm positive, blind, bump filled, constaint ear infected, skin issued boy who has a heart of gold and a nose that DOES NOT FAIL HIM. He is a very curious and determined sweet boy who despite being completely blind, navigates every inch of his surroundings. Many creative brain toys and options to help his foster keep her sanity is on his wishlist below.
Honey Boo - 15 y/o
Honey Boo is a sweet, quiet, gentle senior girl. She is very patient with her foster sister who insists on snugging Honey Boo as a pillow/chair. Honey Boo was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and will have thyroidectomy. Following the surgery she will be able to have a dental a few weeks later.
Jerry Lee - 12 y/o
Jerry Lee has a plethora of medical issues, but he doesn’t let that stop him from stealing his younger rescue brother’s toys and doing laps around the living room! At a whopping 6 pounds, and estimated to be about 12 years old, this tiny little senior has more love to give than you would think he could fit in his tiny little body. He gets along well with his two rescue brothers, and even snuggles up and naps next to his blind senior brother, who’s about the same age as him, and more his speed! He’s such an easy guy to love and will be getting spoiled every day in his forever foster home while we work through his medical issues.
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Isabela(Izzy)-16 y/o
Izzy is almost 17 years old. She loves to snuggle and sleep. Chicken is her favorite food and she still enjoys prancing around outside. She is living her last chapter with a loving forever foster that loves her dearly.
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Lillian - 15 y/o
Lillian is a 15 year old sweet 4 pound Yorkie who was an owner surrender to a shelter in KY. She was covered in matts and severely underweight. Though she has anemia, multiple mammary masses, kidney disease, and a few other medial issues, she still loves to cuddle, eat, and sleep in cozy places. Since she has no body mass, she often uses potty pads and loves her cozy den beds. She will have endless food, cuddles, and love for however long she chooses. She is now living her last chapter as a part of our family forever.
Lulu - 12 y/o
Lulu is loving life with her forever family! ​
Macaroon - 10 y/o
Macaroon or “Mac” is an 8-pound bundle of sweetness and spice. He took just a day or two to get comfortable in our home following his long journey from KY. He behaves well in the house, getting along with the resident dog, no chewing, etc. It seems he’s grown to like us very quickly. He allows us to pet him, cuddle him, carry him, without any problem. Though he has very few teeth he loves to gnaw on a bullystick and coos with pleasure as he does. He’s a happy little guy. We’re working on Mac’s health and comfort. He requires a regimen of 3 drugs twice daily to manage the pain of arthritis and his slightly enlarged heart. His vision isn’t great but can navigate the house with ease. He will let you know with a snap of his teeth if he’s not feeling well. I think our attention to his care is making a difference for Mac.
Popeye - 14 y/o
Popeye was surrendered to the local shelter when his owner could no longer care for him. He was in pretty rough shape when he first moved to his foster home, but after receiving excellent vet care, good food, and some time to settle in, he has turned out to be quite the spunky old man! Even though he still has several health concerns, he doesn’t let that slow him down. He has a major case of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and will follow around all of the dogs and people in the house so he doesn’t miss anything exciting. He always has a toy in his mouth and is always looking for a party. His forever foster family is absolutely smitten by him!
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Rufus - 14 y/o
Rufus is a sweet old man who has a list of old man issues and suffers severe ear infections affecting his quality of lie. He has been doing wonderful with his care and treatments with the focus to give him comfort and love in his last chapter. He has settled into his loving forever home as they focus to make the most of his days with daily car rides and short walks on dry trails. He doesn’t let his very limited vision or hearing stop him, he’s a trooper.
Sammie - 8 y/o
Sammie's SHH story begins when she was surrendered to Minneapolis Animal Care and Control (MACC) from a local owner. Sammie has Diabetes and we are working to manage that. Sammie loves snuggles and pets, meal time with her puzzle bowls, chicken chunks and frozen bone broth biscuit treats in her kong toys, meandering around the yard, smelling all the smells, visiting doggie and people friends, car ride adventures and barking at the front door. By far what Sammie loves the most is being loved and I am very happy to report that she is.
Sophia - 13 y/o
Hi! My name is Sophia and I am a 13-years young Min Pin. I may be a hospice pup, but don't let that fool you, I am a feisty little gal. I have a number of health issues that the great vet team at SHH are working to treat, but I have a fighting spirit and I don't let much get me down. My mom says that her family feels complete with me as a part of it, and my rescue brother and sister seem to agree. The three of us love to lounge around with mom in the living room. I may not see well, but I do love to eat and am quick to grab anything that falls on the floor. This means mom needs to be extra careful because I am heavier than I should be, but no less lovable! I like to follow my mom around and she says she loves to hear the little "click, click, click" of my nails on the wood floor. She also says that being a hospice foster is super rewarding because everyone (human or animal) needs a little extra help sometimes.
Tigerlily - 5 y/o
Hi! My name is Lily and I'm the sweetest, squishiest pittie you'll ever meet! When I first arrived at SHH, everyone knew I was sick, but we just didn't know how sick until we learned the masses were mast cell tumors. Because of how quick the cancer spread and that I'll likely have a very short life span, I officially became a hospice foster. But even though everyone calls me a hospice foster, mom and dad always tell me I'm the happiest girl! I have doggy siblings , I get to go to work with mom everyday and I have so many people that love me! My mom and dad made me a bucket list where I get to do really fun stuff that I've never done before, and so far I've just been loving life. If you ever see me out and about, feel free to say hi! I LOVE making new friends!
Love, Lily and her Furever Family
Tina Turner - 4 y/o
Tina Turner is spunky, sassy, bossy and amazingly sweet. Unfortunately she has an untreatable heart condition, and a knee condition that we cannot operate on due to her heart. We're giving her the best life possible, for as long as possible.
Tippy - 11 y/o
Tippy is the sweetest girl! She is blind, but she quickly learned to navigate the house and find all the best beds and blankets to sleep in. She loves to snuggle in and take naps., especially where she can find sunshine. Tilly sometimes tries to snuggle in with her senior foster brother, when he allows it! Recently, she has even played a couple times with her foster sister! She loves being outdoors on a nice day, either exploring the yard or lying down and enjoying the breeze. She is a friend to everyone and just enjoys being part of the family!
Trixie Lady- 14 y/o
Trixie Lady may be 14 years old but she doesn’t show it! She has loved being outside from the moment she arrived in Minnesota from Kentucky in December. When there was snow she made snow angels. Now that the snow is gone she’s out hunting for chipmunks whenever she can. Inside she is happy to be wherever anyone else is.
Wendy - 4 y/o
Wendy was rescued from living on the streets of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and after many training attempts and medications, it was decided she would live her life with her foster family as a behavioral hospice. She has dental issues and is on prescription diet for allergies, along with anxiety medication. Wendy is being pampered and is loved immensely by her forever family and doggie siblings!
William - 15 y/o
William is a wonderful, cheerful senior. At age 15 he has some controlled health concerns, mostly kidney disease. But that doesn't stop him from enjoying his walks and frequent naps. He follows me EVERYWHERE!! He loves to beg for human foods, and gets "select" bits that his little body can handle. His favorite is popcorn. He almost gets in my face to beg for them when I'm laying in bed. He hangs out in my bed occasionally, but prefers his own bed or the couch I have covered in dog blankets.
Wishbone - 15 y/o
Wishbone is the snuggliest boy ever, and follows his forever foster everywhere they go! He has lots of energy for being 15, but mostly likes to spend his days snoozing and snuggling! As he should!
Yoshi - 16 y/o
Yoshi is loving life with his forever family!
In Memoriam
Those who have comfortably crossed the rainbow bridge with compassion thanks to your support. Until we meet again.
