Chuck & Don's Pet Wellness Center

10/26/2023

All donations are wonderful but some are ✨magical✨

This morning we found this delightful cat tunnel in our donation bin. We don’t know who dropped it off but it’s nice to imagine the kind soul who wanted a stranger’s cat to be happy. If that kind soul is reading this message now, know that we are grateful to you. Know also that volunteer Lindsey is working tonight and she is going to flip when she sees this; Lindsey loves whimsy almost as much as she loves cats.

10/17/2023

This “unicorn” is here to remind you of our pet costume sale happening this Saturday, 21 Oct!

2501 Minnehaha Ave; 9:30-2:30.

Costumes - new $6, used $3
Coats - new $8, used $4
Sweaters - new $6, used $3
All proceeds going to the pet food shelf.

See you there!

10/11/2023

Rosie has just been awarded the title of Best Dog of the Day by our friends at Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program. Golf claps only, please; this little nugget just got out of surgery and is a little loopy.

MN SNAP is a tremendous partner to us and the community. We love hosting them on Wednesdays. They’re a big part of what makes the Wellness Center so special.

10/03/2023

Details here!

https://www.facebook.com/events/339426515200090/?ref=newsfeed

09/24/2023

No crystal ball necessary! Today, we have a front row seat to watch the future of veterinary medicine, happening at the Wellness Center!

VeTouch is a group of U of M vet students who are as committed to the community as they are to animals. These future veterinarians have been bustling all morning, providing medical exams, vaccinations, and advice. It’s tremendous to see not just what VeTouch is doing today, but also to imagine all the good that these students will do over the course of their careers. The future is bright!

09/17/2023

Our wonderful friends at Chuck & Don's Pet Wellness Center organized a donation drive that resulted in more than 26,000 cans of cat food. To say we’re grateful is an understatement 🥰

As a special treat, several of their team members came out to help sort them into parcels that we’ll distribute at the food shelf.

To everyone at all the Minnesota Chuck and Don’s stores who got the word out and to all the shoppers who contributed: Thank You! We expect your generosity to help feed 900 cats in need!

09/11/2023

What's new at CDPWC? Glad you asked!

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hosting Four Winds Dog Training for the first of their classes on Fostering Healing. Check out more of the details below!

It's a privilege to work with organizations that believe in the importance of working with animals, even the difficult ones. Especially the difficult ones.

09/07/2023

Are you excited? We’re excited.

Stay tuned!

We didn't buy a sanctuary... yet.

We have been teasing a big announcement over the last few weeks and I know many of you probably think I went out, bought a farm, and saved some donkeys. 😂

Although that sounds like a dream, I would never do such a thing without the support of our community. But... this announcement is arguably bigger than buying a farm and we cannot wait to tell you on Friday!✨

Secondhand Hounds is constantly growing and evolving, shining a spotlight on the bond between animals and their people.

This announcement will allow us to double down on all the cool projects and programs we are working on. It will celebrate the relationship we have with our animals and hopefully inspire our community.

I know I am being vague... but Friday night, after it is announced at our gala, it will be crystal clear. In the meantime, go hug your animals. Oh, and maybe show me your animals in the comments - because that truly makes my day!😍🐾

With love and excitement,
Rachel ❤

09/01/2023

It might still be summer vacation but we at the food shelf got an excellent lesson about pet-centered holidays from donors Madeleine and Stephanie.

There are so many things to love about this: developing researching skills, honoring the animals in our lives, and helping care for our neighbors in need.

Thank you, Madeleine and Stephanie, for helping us learn about holidays and about how to be a good person.

08/23/2023

We’re all smiles here at CDPWC!

Peanut joined her human at work today when a surprise delivery of Natural Pet Food for Dogs and Cats showed up at the door! (Well, it’s more of a loading bay but you get it.)

With the heat being so intense lately, our food shelf has been flying through wet food . It makes sense: wet food is more hydrating. It's such a gift to be able to offer what our clients need to keep their pets happy and healthy.

08/19/2023

When we say we're a “multi-use space”, we mean it!

Secondhand Hounds is joining forces with Minnesota Roller Derby to create a fundraiser calendar and we thought you’d want a sneak peek at last week's photoshoot.

One of the goals of the photoshoot was to highlight as many parts of roller derby and as many parts of Secondhand Hounds as possible. To that end, the calendar will feature athletes, officials, medical team, and support crew. The calendar will also show adoptable cats and dogs, Hope animal ambassadors, and hospice fosters like H***h!

As part of Forever Loved: Secondhand Hospice, H***h will live every day surrounded by comfort and love. In his case, this includes making new friends and modeling his gorgeous silver snout. We'd say he's a natural!

08/16/2023

It’s been quite the journey for Freya and Ryker and the best is yet to come!

Along with their siblings, these two came to Secondhand Hounds from a Tribal Partnership Clinic. Given their age, they went straight into neonatal care. This happens to be a specialty of our Inventory Coordinator and why Freya and Ryker got to spend so much time at CDPWC!

After countless hours bottle feeding, transitioning to puppy food, and now play time as they got older a stronger, the day is here. These pups - and so many more! - are ready to find their Forever Home. Check them all out at https://www.secondhandhounds.org/dogs-for-adoption

08/10/2023

When you're donation-based as we are, one thing that is kinda difficult to get used to is that the building never looks the same two days in a row. It's a dynamic environment and, if you don't see a donor drop things off, it's as though things just appear.

To our very kind donor who made these wonderful cat toys "just appear", thank you. Our food shelf clients have been asking about catnip toys lately so your timing is perfect. Also perfect: the toy that says "so loved". It's clear that love went into creating these and we know our clients are going to love providing these for their furry family members.

08/05/2023

We love getting pet stuff at the pet food shelf. Without getting it in, how else could we get it out to families who need it? That said, sometimes it can be a lot to manage.

That's why we also love our volunteers! We recently had a team from Lakeside Partners in to help us (again!) and, wow, did they get to work. Gear was stored, food was sorted, bays were tidied. Let me tell you, the CDPWC warehouse got one heck of a glow-up.

If you - or a group of you - are interested in volunteering at CDPWC, drop us a line at [email protected].

08/01/2023

The CDPWC is a multi-use space. There's the food shelf, the lobby, a conference room, and the warehouse. There's also the center room and, by design, it's largely empty. In the center room we host all kinds of activities that support the human-animal bond. This weekend, we were thrilled to have our friends at Street Dog Coalition! These fine folks volunteered their Sunday, providing vet care for cuties like this kitty here.

These events are huge for folks in need and, as you might imagine, they are very popular. Clients will line up early in the morning, coffee in hand and pets in tow. With a small army of veterinarians, vet techs, and volunteers, over 60 animals were cared for!

Well done, Street Dog Team! Y'all are amazing and we appreciate you and your work!

07/29/2023

“Oh my gosh! This was her favorite toy when she was a puppy! Can I have it for her?”

Of course we said Yes; this excited food shelf client was absolutely the best pet parent to have this toy.

Does your pet have a favorite toy? Show us a photo in the comments!

07/26/2023

With the temperatures climbing up, up, up, we’re happy to have gear to help our clients’ pups beat the heat.

Are cooling bandanas what you’d expect to find at a pet food shelf? Maybe not but we’re in the business of helping owners keep their animals happy, healthy, and safe. A cooling bandana ticks all those boxes! And besides, dogs in bandanas are always adorable; that’s just a fact.

07/19/2023

Most dogs will eat most anything but cats are a whole different matter. If you have a cat, chances are good that you have a picky eater. That’s just how cats are.

And it’s the same situation for our food shelf clients. This often makes for difficulties on our end: we want the kitties to have the food they like but sometimes we just don’t have it. That is why we are extra excited to have this food from Feeding Furry Friends. It’s a van load of our most requested: canned cat food in seafood flavor, chunks-and-gravy style.

Is that bizarrely specific? Kinda, but so are cats.

With the help of Greater Good Charities and Meow Mix, we’re able to give the fish-loving felines a delicious dinner. We’re pretty pumped about that.

If you’re interested in helping us feed cats, we always need and appreciate the help. Drop any food - wet or dry - in our blue donation bin in the parking lot at 2501 Minnehaha Ave. We’d love some chicken-flavored food to balance things out.

07/12/2023

Friends, this sucker is big, HEAVY, and it is going to make a beefy dog so happy.

And that makes the food shelf team happy! It truly is the best feeling to get a client exactly what their household needs, especially if it’s for an animal that’s difficult to shop for.

I hope I’m around when this gets distributed 😊

07/01/2023

Do you remember hearing about our Tribal Partnership team’s trip up to Red Lake? We have an update of sorts!

The Tribal Partnership team came back with a litter of week-old puppies, two of whom are being cared for by the Food Shelf Inventory Coordinator.

Formally referred to as Puppies 5 and 9 - but you can call them Freya and Ryker - these pups require a lot of care, including medication and bottle feeding. The diligence is paying off: they are wiggy, happy, and full-bellied.

Freya and Ryker visited CDPWC for the afternoon, charming absolutely everyone. We’ll keep you posted on their progress!

06/28/2023

Did you know that the weekend of the Fourth of July is a major risk factor in dogs and cats going missing? Help keep them safely at home with these tips.

To help pups deal with the scariness of fireworks, we’ve been offering anti-anxiety jackets to our food shelf clients. We’re hopeful it helps the dogs and their humans feel more comfortable during a scary time of year.

06/22/2023

The Secondhand Hounds Tribal Partnership program is headquartered out of the CDPWC, with bins of medication, tarps, and all the necessary supplies needed to hold pop-up animal wellness clinics on Tribal lands. Those bins are currently out of CDPWC and up on the Red Lake reservation, with Natives in VetMed, SIRVS, CARE Givers Circle, and Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program with all of us hosted by Aaloved.org.

Did you know that veterinary medicine is one of the least diverse fields in America? It’s a rare treat to be able to work with so many Native people in the veterinary field. Representation matters and - given all the young animal lovers around - it makes you wonder who was inspired by the people caring for their furry family members.

If you want to learn more about it, check out this piece by MPR. To learn more about some of our Tribal partners, give Natives in VetMed, SIRVS, CARE, and Awesiinyag are Loved a follow so you can hear their stories directly.

Members of Natives in Vet Med volunteered at a pet clinic in Ponemah on the Red Lake Reservation this week. It was an important part of the organization’s campaign to get more Indigenous people working in the veterinary field.

06/20/2023

One of the food shelf clients gifted us a flag commemorating Juneteenth. We are honored to display it and will continue to do so throughout the year.

06/17/2023

🌈 Happy Pride from all of us at CDPWC! We know our food shelf and training clients love their animals and we cherish that emotion. Love - in all its forms - is worth celebrating.

On a lighter note: we have the purr-fect toy for the right kitty.

06/08/2023

“Wow. Where do you get all this stuff?”

We have some wonderful major donors, we have some expected windfalls but a large part of what our food shelf distributes comes from regular people. Often, this is when a beloved family member has passed. Bringing toys and beds to the food shelf so they can find use in other homes is part of the grieving process.

You can always tell when someone comes in for a grieving donation: it’s in the set of the shoulders and the way they make eye contact. We offer hugs and a space for people to talk about their furry friend. Now, thanks to our friends at Dog's Day Out - Minneapolis and Downtown Dogs, Dog Daycare and Boarding, we can offer this book as well. We talk a lot about helping our clients and their animals but it’s important to help our donors, too.

06/03/2023

We have a donation bin in our parking lot and, by and large, it’s great. We love that folks have the option of donating whenever it suits their schedule. But the one bummer about our donation bin is that it makes it almost impossible to connect with people directly.

Almost impossible, but not completely impossible. Sometimes the donations come with notes and, let me tell ya, it’s great to have that little connection to our donors. To this family who donated robust dog toys: thank you. They’re perfect and just what we needed.

To everyone who’s ever used our donation bin, we notice and appreciate you. Thank you for thinking of us as a resource; we simply couldn’t do it without your support.

For anyone who wants to know more about our donation bin: it’s in the parking lot at 2501 Minnehaha Ave. We take new and gently used pet supplies and pet food. You can leave us a note if you want.

05/26/2023

It ain’t bragging if it’s true!

We are beyond proud to say that our resident trainer, Barb at Dog Talk Training MN, was voted as one of the best trainers in Minnesota.

And what’s not to love? She is a fierce advocate of science-based positive-reinforcement methods. If your goal is to create a loving bond with an animal that responds to you, this is exactly what you want.

Way to go, Barb! We’re thrilled but we’re not surprised. You absolutely earned it.

05/23/2023

We’re starting the week off right with a giant donation of treats from Wellness Natural Pet Food for Dogs and Cats! This donation was so generous that we needed the big van to collect it.

We can’t wait to offer our clients tasty, healthy treats for their dogs. Yum!

05/21/2023

Sweet little Pansy got a ramp, a fierce dino costume, and about a thousand toys (that she totally deserves).

If your animal deserves about a thousand toys, c’mon down!

05/20/2023

Our friends at Pet Evolution are here and ready to freshen up your pup!

05/20/2023

It’s 11:18 and we’re ready for tomorrow. See you soon!

05/17/2023

Your animal is up for anything but are they ready for it?

Hit up our Pet Supply Sale! going 10:00-5:00 on Saturday and Sunday. You’ll find gear for puppy’s first hike, kitty’s outdoor adventure, and fun stuff for your favorite furry homebody, too.

All proceeds go to our pet food shelf, helping neighbors provide for their fur family during rough times. Supporting families is something we’re all up for.

05/15/2023

Breaking news! The pet supply sale will now include a special guest.

Our friends at Pet Evolution will be on hand Saturday from 12:00-3:00 to provide nail trims and tooth brushing (for dogs; humans, you're on your own). Swing on by the sale, let your puppers pick out some sweet new gear, and get 'em polished up. It's a great way to support a great cause.

05/13/2023

We’re getting ready for our super amazing pet supply sale and that brought up a quandary: should the shark life jacket go into the costume section or the outdoor adventure section 🤔

We’ll have all kinds of gear for all kinds of pets with 100% of the proceeds going to the pet food shelf. The fun happens next Saturday and Sunday, 10:00-5:00. See you there!

05/03/2023

Impromptu cuddle session? Yes, please!

This cutie came by the food shelf the other day. While her owner was inside shopping, one of our team members got to sneak in some snuggles with her outside. Not a bad way to take a break, if you ask us!

04/28/2023

😲 Can you believe what we get to offer our clients?!

Some fortunate feline will be sleeping in style. It’s important to provide pet parents what their animals need but it’s fun to provide thing that are, well, fun!

Thanks to the donor who dropped this off for the food shelf clients. We take all kinds and of new and gently-used pet supplies, including whimsical cat beds.

04/21/2023

We had a delightful crew of volunteers in yesterday and Jonsey was the delightful-est.

There’s a lot of good to be done and we always need help. Whether you’re into sorting pet bowls like Jonsey, working the food shelf, or helping us prep for the upcoming spring fundraiser, there’s something for everyone!

Interested? Start here:
https://www.secondhandhounds.org/volunteer

04/15/2023

We are HUGE fans of positive reenforcement training methods because they're effective and they enhance the bond between human and animal. Clicker training is one such method: it relies on using a clicking device to communicate the exact moment that the animal did what you wanted them to do. You can use clicker training to teach animals to basic commands like "Sit" and also more advanced skills like putting their toys in a basket or grabbing a frosty beverage from the fridge.

A standard clicker is a little plastic box with a flexible metal tab that makes - you guessed it - a clicking sound when you press it. It's a slick little gadget that can work wonders. But what do you do if you want to clicker train a deaf animal? If you're creative and committed to positive reinforcement like our trainers, you devise a clicker that lights up! Now, instead of relying on communication via sound, you can communicate via light.

Now that's what we call a bright idea.

04/13/2023

One of the most fun things to do when volunteering at the pet food shelf is being able to give the clients exactly what they’re looking for. It feels like being a fairy godparent.

The Twin Cities Obedience Training Club (TCOTC) hosted a drive for the pet food shelf that collected toys, treats, seasonally appropriate p**p scoops, and all kinds of goodies. We can’t wait to get all this great gear out to the families that need these things.

Do you want to get in on this fairy godparent action, let us know! We’re always looking for new volunteers 💕

04/07/2023

You know that feeling when you meet someone new and you immediately think, "Oh yeah, we're definitely gonna be friends"? That's what it was like meeting the fine folks at Downtown Dogs, Dog Daycare and Boarding and Dog's Day Out - Minneapolis. They love animals, they love helping people, they're truly invested in making the world a little bit better. Who wouldn't want to be friends with people like that?

Downtown Dogs and Dog's Day Out are currently hosting a major drive for our pet food shelf, including collecting pet gear and food. We went to their gorgeous facilities to empty the donation bins and we must have said, "Oh, thank goodness, we needed this so badly" at least a thousand times.

We are so grateful to them and we truly hope this is the start of a lovely friendship 🤞