City Dogs Cleveland

There is still about a week to go in our World Pup adoption promotion! Through June 30, you can adopt your new best teammate for just $21. The kennel remains quite full and Calvin, Rugby and Edison are just three of the 100+ dogs still looking for homes!

The $21 adoption fee includes spay/neuter, basic vaccinations, a microchip, county license and of course a lifetime of love. Our usual adoption procedures are still in place - so plan to bring the whole family to meet your new four-legged teammate. Our adoption counselors can help to find a great match!

Ready to score? You can visit www.tinyurl.com/meetacitydog to see all adoptable dogs, find our more about the adoption process, or schedule a meet!

Meet Finnegan! This friendly shepherd mix is ready to be your playful, active pal. He has a big charming smile, and little forehead wrinkles to let you know when he's concerned - such as when he's wondering when he will be adopted!

Finnegan is a smart, eager dog who likes to run, explore and keep busy. He loves to romp and play in our yards with his favorite toys, and he is a budding fetch pro. He likes to check in with his people to show off his favorite toys while bursting with wiggles. He also likes to take meandering walks where he can sniff to his heart's content, or he'll be down to join you for a run. He can be strong on leash so will certainly help you get your steps in. He is easy to get harnessed and attentive to his person. With those large ears of his, you can bet he's a good listener!

Once Finnegan has a chance to get some energy out, he shows his sweet side as well as his smarts. Finnegan likes to hang out with people, especially if he can get some head scritches or pets. He also already knows how to sit, and is working on down and stay, and he seems like he could be housebroken. With other dogs for his play group assessment, he was playfully social.

Finnegan is a bright pup who we think will thrive in a home where he can keep his mind and body active. The kennel is a pretty boring and frustrating place for a dog like him! He's ready to be your strapping sidekick. Finnegan is estimated to be around 2 years old and weighs 55 lbs. Visit www.tinyurl.com/meetacitydog to set up a meet!

And remember, adoption fees are just $21 through June 30!

Meet Pear! This plucky sweetheart is a lovely mix of smart, spunky and loving. She has a big personality and lets it shine! Pear lights up with attention from people and would love nothing more than a home of her own with people that want a loyal, loving companion to share their world.

It’s difficult to understand why Pear is the longest kennel resident. Despite being at the kennel so long, Pear greets every day with a bright smile and joyful demeanor. Estimated to be between 3-4 years young, Pear is charmingly engaging and can also be quite playful. She’s happy to crawl and wiggle around with her favorite toys and proudly show them off to everyone, and while she enjoys activity, she also seems content to simply hang out and she makes great company.

Pear has become a kennel favorite to accompany volunteers on outings, sleepovers and is a rockstar ambassador at City Dogs events. On an extended sleepover, Pear showed that she loves being in a home! She loves to snuggle and hangout with her favorite people. She is housebroken and already knows sit, is working on down, and she will proudly give her paw to everyone she meets. She would love to be part of a home where she can spend much of her time being a loyal companion to her favorite people. While she prefers companionship, with patience and time to learn trust and love, she can likely be left alone to self-entertain and chill with her toys. She has shown she is not destructive and minds her manners.

With other dogs in play group, Pear was sociable and got a little playful with time. However, she needs a home without cats.

When Miss Pear arrived at the kennel, she was underweight and had some patchy fur/itchy skin, but she is resilient and it hasn't diminished her spirit. She has been getting healthier and is ready to be spoiled and pampered like she deserves.

She is estimated to be around 3 or 4 years old and weighs 51 lbs. Visit www.tinyurl.com/meetacitydog to set up a meet!

Cliff's getaway! Cliff is a sweet, gentle soul who recently showed his smooshy side on a sleepover. Here's what his host had to say:

🥰He is so sweet and snuggly. He’ll curl up right in the nook of your legs and sleep soundly. He’ll gently climb onto your lap whenever you sit down. He will sort of jump up to you but it’s just to get some hugs and love. Cliff has the best sploot! While he likes to be close he also can chill out by himself really well.

🦴🎾Cliff takes treats very gently and briefly plays with toys. Nothing crazy, though he might get more active with time (and when he is done with his rest period from heartworm treatment!)

🦮 Cliff walks nicely in his harness on walks, he can pull a little bit but he is great at minding his own business and ignoring other dogs he passes. He had nice, calm body language towards the other dog in the house through gates/doors. (In play groups, he has been sociable with a gentler/soft play style.) He does want to chase little backyard critters.

💤 Cliff sleeps all night in the crate and goes in easily. He will fuss for a couple minutes but then settles nicely and sleeps about 7 hours.

🏡 He seems to be potty trained. He did have one accident on the first night but nothing in the house otherwise. Once he gets the routine, he should be good to go!

😟 Cliff is a sensitive guy and is still building his confidence. He was nervous of the car and needed help getting in. Sometimes loud, unexpected noises are scary. With a little patience and extra love Cliff has the potential to be someone’s best friend! He’s a sweet guy who loves to snuggle but does well when left on his own. He'd love to find a home on the quiet, calm side to settle in.

Overall, Cliff is low-key and easy to love. He is estimated to be around 3 years old and weighs 52 lbs. Visit www.tinyurl.com/meetacitydog to find out more and set up a meet!

The reviews are in: Fred is a very good boy! This sweet pup has earned many fans among volunteers for his gentle and easy-going personality, and he showed off some great manners on a recent extended sleepover.

Here is what we've learned about Fred:
-Affectionate and people-oriented once he gets to know you
-Loves praise and absolutely lights up when told he’s a good boy
-Enjoys being near his humans and likes to check in frequently
-Housebroken
-Has not been destructive in the home; not a fan of the crate but has been polite being left alone. Prefers having company, but settles in quickly on his own.
-Moderate energy level: enjoys his walks and does well on-leash, but also likes chilling on the couch
-Polite car passenger
-His favorite things include: chewing bones, playing with his pig, napping in a soft place (including curled up in your arms), cuddle time on the couch

Fred is a dog who makes a house feel like a home. His calm and loving presence make your heart full! He has a quiet sort of affectionate and bonds quickly to his people, becoming a light tan shadow. With other dogs in play group, Fred was social with a gentle/dainty play style.

Fred is estimated to be around 1.5 years old and weighs 52 lbs. Visit www.tinyurl.com/meetacitydog to set up a meet!

A message on behalf of dogs like Eleven, who is catching up on some R+R on a sleepover with a volunteer:

Adopting a new dog, or any animal, is an incredibly rewarding experience. You get to form a new bond, full of love and fun and gratitude, and you can know you helped give a deserving animal a second time. It is also something that can take a little time - and often, it can be all the sweeter for it.

During meet and greets, we spend a lot of time talking about the concept of decompression and how to set dogs up for success in a new environment. That is, a period of time to give dogs a chance to adjust, relax, and learn to trust and feel safe, where you don't ask too much of them. Some dogs may be restless or nervous, some dogs may seem a little aloof or independent, some dogs might need to catch up on sleep. The transition to a new home is a huge change for any animal, regardless of where they come from... but ESPECIALLY when coming from a stressful kennel. Most need some time to ease out of that stressed-out mode. It is important to keep in mind that the dog you see on day two is likely not how it will be forever.

Lately, we have had a number of adopted dogs returned to the kennel in a very short period of time. We do not share this in order to shame, but to make a plea: if you are planning to adopt, please give the new dog a chance to adjust. Not do we mean to say that adopting a shelter pet will always be a massive challenge - many dogs adjust quickly and go home already knowing quite a few things. But most just need a little peace and patience. There might be some hiccups - maybe some accidents, maybe some uncertainty. We are not trying to say someone should always hold onto a dog that is truly not a good fit for the household - but give them a chance to settle in and relax enough to respond to training, to learn a routine, and to show the companion that they can be.

When we are already so full, we desperately hope that adoptions will stick and be a success. Our adoption counselors spend one-on-one time with potential adopters to do our best to find a good match, and we try to supply plenty of resources to help set expectations and provide support along the way.

Ultimately, we hope to set up more dogs for success. Ultimately they need people to give them a chance - and we think most people who have adopted a best buddy will agree that it is worth the bit of time to get to know each other.

The World Pup adoption promotion continues this week! Adoption promotions are just $21 through June 30. And we are STILL bursting at the kennel with so many wonderful dogs. As quickly as we can get dogs adopted, more dogs come in. So the need is still great - if you've been thinking about adopting a new best friend, it's a great time!

Here are just a few pups in our line up who are ready to join your team... you can visit www.tinyurl.com/meetacitydog to see all adoptable dogs, find out more about adoption and set up a meet!

Here is this week's adoption update! Congratulations to Davy, Lisa Marie, Willie, Artie, Skye, Porter, Martha (a lucky foster fail!), Royal Donut, Lemonade, Vada, Malibu,
Soho, Bundy, Marina, Creamsicle, Cyrus, and Ghostie for finding their homes this week!

Thanks to our adopters for choosing a CITY DOG! And remember, our World Pup adoption promotion with $21 adoptions continues through June 30!

It's the Summer Solstice! And on this longest day of the day, we have a LOT of dogs who are very ready to enjoy the rest of the summer with a family. Here are just a few of them! From sunbathing to chilling on the deck to splashing in the pool to enjoying a frozen treat together - we have a City Dog to fit your summer vibe.

Visit www.tinyurl.com/meetacitydog to set up a meet!

And don't forget... $21 adoptions are still going through June 30!

We realized we missed National Dog Dad Day, so we're celebrating it a day late! Chico is here to say thanks to all the dog dads out there, especially those who have adopted CITY DOGS! (He would, by the way, love to find someone to toss the ball in the backyard with!)

If you know a great dog dad in your life, feel free to give a shout out in the comments! Or if you are a proud dog dad, share a pic of your pup in the comments too!