Lost Animals
One in three dogs and cats become missing in their lifetime. Secondhand Hounds Lost Animal Prevention Program is here to support animal owners as they learn how to avoid a lost animal and know what to do in the event that their pet is lost.
Secondhand Hounds is not able to provide in-the-moment support for lost owned animals. If you are an adopter or animal owner, please see our Lost Dog Action Plan below. This resource is intended to give you additional support in the event that your pup goes missing. It contains search strategies, doggie behavior information, and recommendations for two phenomenal dog retrieval organizations who can help if your pup is missing from Minnesota.
Have questions or a non emergency? Please reach out to lost@secondhandhounds.org
Are you a current SHH FOSTER whose foster animal has gone missing? Call 952-373-1386 IMMEDIATELY for assistance!
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How long does one typically foster a dog or cat before it finds a forever home?It is very hard to give an average time an animal is in foster care. Many puppies and kitties are adopted within a month or two, while some adult dogs have been in foster care for years! Most of the time, our animals are adopted relatively quickly, but we cannot make any guarantee as to how long they will be in your home. We ask that you commit to the animal you are fostering until a forever family is found.
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Can I choose what dog/cat I want to foster?Yes! All of our animals needing a foster home are posted on our Secondhand Hounds Fosters Needed Facebook page. If you find a dog or cat who interests you, contact the Foster Coordinator and he/she will ensure the animal will be a good fit for your household. You can also give us criteria for the type of dog or cat you want to foster. After you let us know your criteria (i.e. age, size, gender), we will do our best to match you with the perfect foster animal.
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What is the role of my Foster Support Specialist?Foster Support Specialists are the main resource and support system for all of our fosters. If you have a question about your foster animal, you should talk with you Foster Support Specialist. If it is a question they cannot answer, they will delegate that question to someone who has the answer.
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Where do the dogs/cats come from?Our animals are rescued from high-kill shelters all around the Midwest. We have volunteers who regularly visit these facilities and look for animals that need our help. We have developed great relationships with shelter workers who contact us when they have animals in danger of being euthanized. If you are interested in more information about your specific foster, we will do our best to tell you where he/she comes from, and his/her background story, if possible. We also receive some of our animals from owner surrenders – owners who can no longer provide care for their animals, but who want to ensure the best possible new home is found for them.
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Am I putting my personal pets in danger by agreeing to foster?Because our dogs and cats come from shelter situations, they have unknown histories and it’s quite possible they haven’t had their medical needs properly met. They sometimes have kennel cough (the equivalent of a human cold) and worms, among other possibilities. Before we bring the dogs/puppies and cats/kittens into a foster situation, we de-worm them, vaccinate them, and give them Frontline or other flea/tick preventatives. We highly recommend your resident animals are on Frontline or another flea/tick preventatives prior to fostering.