Helpless Hounds

Ody & Penny: A Basset Package Deal
Yes, this is *another* set of bonded basset hounds!

Two hounds, one application. Ody and Penny are littermates- a brother and sister who came as a set and intend to stay that way.

They're around 14 months old, low to the ground, and built like the Basset blueprint- long ears, big paws, the works. At roughly 60 and 50 pounds respectively, they are a lot of dog without being a lot of height, which is a very specific and HIGHLY rated combination.

Personality wise, they split the work. Penny is the greeter- she loves everyone, has never met a stranger, and would like to be cuddled immediately and continuously. Ody is more of a chill guy. He's a little standoffish with new people at first, takes a sec to size things up, and then decides you're acceptable. Having his outgoing sister around helps him feel brave, which is part of why they make such a good pair.

Both are house trained, crate trained, good with young kids (ages 3 and 5), do great with other dogs, and reportedly have no beef with cats (!!!). Ody knows exactly one command, "spin," which he will perform with enthusiasm in exchange for food.

They're dreaming of a home with some room to snuffle around, people who are into couch time, and someone who understands that adopting one means adopting two.

adoptapet.com/pet/48347547
adoptapet.com/pet/48347548
helplesshounds.com/adoption-application

Brunch Bunch mama Frittata needs our help one more time.

She's the one who spent nearly two weeks hidden under a trailer keeping her puppies safe after the people squatting on the property packed up and left her behind. All of those puppies are adopted and are thriving in their new families! Now it's mama's turn, but she has one more hurdle.

Frittata is heartworm positive.

Before she can go anywhere, she has to get through treatment- a slow, careful process of medication and a whole lot of strict rest. It's not cheap, and it's not optional. It's the one thing standing between her and the rest of her life.

And the rest of her life is already spoken for.

Hundreds of miles away in Pennsylvania, there's a woman who lost her beloved Black and Tan Coonhound this past January- the dog she calls her soulmate. She's been approved to adopt Frittata, and when we explained the treatment timeline, she didn't blink. She'll wait out every last week of it for the chance to have this pair of hound eyes in her home. There is, quite literally, a couch waiting.

So this is the easy part of the story. No mystery, no scramble to find a foster, no "will she find someone"- she has a safe place to be for treatment and for the rest of her life. We just have to get her healthy enough to make the trip.

The same girl who used to bolt at the sight of a raised hand now gets excited for dinner, leans in for pets, and sings hound songs with the whole neighborhood. She decided to trust people anyway. The least we can do is get her well enough to go let somebody be good to her for the rest of her life.

Every dollar goes straight to her heartworm treatment. $1000 gets her cured, cleared, and on the road to Pennsylvania.

Please help us send this girl home. 💛

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givebutter.com/helplesshounds

Bill has spent his whole life with one family, and it shows.
He's confident and friendly- the kind of dog who walks into a new situation like he's been there before. He's good with other dogs, good with kids of all ages, and enthusiastic about pretty much everyone he meets. He's got the basics down- housetrained, crate trained, can be trusted home alone, and had obedience training as a puppy. He's not a project dog. He's just a good, solid Beagle who needs a new place to hang out.

A heads up on two things: he has a voice and he's not shy about using it, which is a Beagle's birthright. He also has some allergies that have been managed with veterinary support- nothing dramatic, just something a future adopter should know going in so it doesn't come as a surprise.

Bill is looking for a home with room to sniff, maybe some other dogs to pal around with, and people who are ready to be loved on aggressively and without warning. If that sounds like your house, we'd love to talk.

adoptapet.com/pet/48347546
helplesshounds.com/adoption-application

Frequently asked questions about Thunder, answered:

"But I live on the East Coast." He's in Green Brook, NJ. You're practically neighbors.

"But transport sounds complicated." No transport needed. He's already there.

"But beagles are so stubborn." His foster, who has been fostering dogs since 1989, called him the best dog they've ever had. We're going to defer to the expert.

"But what about the chicken thing?" If you don't have chickens, this is not your problem.

"But I have cats." Okay, that one's fair. Moving on. Don't ask about bunnies either.

"But someone else will probably adopt him." Will they though? WILL THEY?

Thunder is one year old, 30 pounds, house trained, and great with strangers, kids, and other dogs. He's been waiting almost 4 months for someone to choose him. The application takes less than ten minutes.

adoptapet.com/pet/47324384
helplesshounds.com/adoption-application

True Blue is ready to belong somewhere.

This 2 year old Bluetick Coonhound has lived a whole life already- found in rough shape on his own, spent some time recovering with a family on the move, and has discovered that the traveling life is just not for him. He is ready to trade it all in- The tour bus, the open road, the whole thing. He wants a porch. He wants a yard. He wants to know where his food bowl is going to be tomorrow.

True Blue is ready to put down roots, get a bandana with his name on it, and never look back.

Blue is good with dogs, great with kids of all ages, house trained, and fully vetted. He needs a foster home as soon as possible- but if you've already fallen in love, his adoption application is right here too.

The road gave him character. Now he just needs a place to hang his leash.

adoptapet.com/pet/48270720
helplesshounds.com/foster-application
helplesshounds.com/adoption-application

This is Billy Bob. He is 1 year old, 55 lbs, and has like, really good ears.

He also has speckles, a paintbrush tail that curls up at the end, exceptionally good manners, and nine months of being very loved under his belt. He expects that to continue.

He would like a home please.

adoptapet.com/pet/47983697
helplesshounds.com/foster-application
helplesshounds.com/adoption-application

If you've been following along lately, you know the content has been relentlessly heartwarming. Here I am again with another one, but this one's different, because I'm not asking you to support us- I'm asking you to take a fraction of the support you so generously give us and point it somewhere else.

Ruby D's Burger Joint in Downtown Tulsa was a recently a prize donor at our Basset Bingo Fundraiser- they handed us a stack of gift cards to help support our mission. Here's what I keep thinking about: they're a small plant-based spot having real growing pains right now, and they gave to us anyway, in a huge way, without hesitation.

Isn't that always how it goes? The ones who give are so often the ones with the least to spare- they just understand what it is to need help, so they help.

So now they need a big weekend, and we'd like to help be the reason they get one.

Go eat a great burger, tip well, and tell them the hounds sent you. Help us send Ruby D's back way more than they gave us.

If you’re not nearby- WE ARE! And we love Ruby D’s! If you want to email us a Ruby D’s gift card so we can order burgers on one of our late nights at the hound office, you’d be helping them, us, and whatever hound happens to joining us, and will share our French fries in the sense that they will likely steal from us.

rubydsburgerjoint.com/s/gift-cards
Our email is [email protected]

Okay. Last sappy post for at least 12 hours. Maybe. We’ll see. Depends on how many Ruby D's gift cards show up in our email, probably.

TRIBE 💔
We are really having some serious growing pains and need to have a really big weekend. So for this weekend only we are bringing back the Big Bacc 💥
-Double decker burger with two quarter pound patties, double cheddar, mayo, lettuce, pickles, diced onions & Bacc sauce

Also it’s Chicky Fried Steak day today starting at 4 and we have Burger punch cards so come stock up! 🙏🏼

When people read "needs a patient home" they sometimes picture a project.

That's not Chipmunk.

Here's what he actually needs:
- Another dog in the house. That's the big one. A dog friend does most of the heavy lifting for him- helps him feel safe, gives him something familiar to follow, makes the first few days manageable. He's gotten along beautifully with every dog he's met. We're talking dozens of dogs of all shapes, sizes, breeds, ages, and personalities. He loves everyone.
- An introduction that's low pressure. He's going to be cautious when he first arrives. He might bark. He might hang back. He's going to watch you from a safe distance and decide if you're okay. Give him that. Don't push. Offer some treats or a handful of kibble. Let him figure it out.

That's genuinely it.

On day two or three- usually sooner- something shifts. He gets closer. He asks for attention. He picks a spot on the couch. And then you've got a dog who is soft and snuggly and ridiculous and yours.

He's not a project. He's just a dog who needs a minute.

Chipmunk is a bloodhound/aussie mix, almost 9 months old. He's been DNA tested, he's crate and house trained, loves walks and swimming, he has intense beautiful eyes and fur that is shockingly soft. Chipmunk is ***CAT FRIENDLY!!*** and he needs at least one dog friend and a person who isn't going to rush him.

He's been with us since Valentine's Day and he is so ready to go home.

adoptapet.com/pet/48198193
helplesshounds.com/adoption-application

⚠️ GRAPHIC PHOTO WARNING: Yes, again. Don't click past the first couple photos if you're squeamish- but The Mass really is something to behold.

Remember Lilly?
We know we already gave you one update on her- but there is simply too much good news happening in that house to keep it to ourselves. Every single one of you had a hand in getting her there, so every single one of you gets to enjoy it.

Quick refresher: Lilly is the 13- year old who lost the only home she'd ever known. The one we weren't sure would make it to Saturday. The one who turned out to be quietly carrying an almost 7lb mass under her arm- more than 10% of her body weight- that nobody thought to let us know about. Y'all showed up for her twice: first to get her seen and safe, and again when her "routine" surgery turned into multiple nights in the hospital, bleeding complications, and a ride home with two drains. The money you raised toward her vet bills meant we could say yes to everything she needed without flinching.

Here is what your generosity bought:

Lilly is thriving- and she landed with people who treat that like the privilege it is.
She's a "different dog" now, in her mom's words- "sassy and opinionated 🤣" The girl who came to us just hoping for a quiet corner has settled in enough to get a little bit naughty, and we could not be happier about it. A senior dog only gets sassy when she finally feels safe.

She's got a canine brother named Scotty who watches over her like it's his job- the moment he sees her hovering by the back door, he goes and gets his mom so nobody keeps the old lady waiting.
And then there's Kevin. Kevin is the family cat, and Kevin is convinced he is a dog. He has decided Lilly is his, and the photo says it all- the two of them curled up together, doing something his family says he has never once done with any of their other dogs. Out of every animal in that house, he picked the old hound.

She turns 14 this Monday. She has medication that's actually being given, ears that are actually being treated, a mass that's gone, and a family who- after thirteen years- simply will not look the other way.

SHE ALSO HAS DNA RESULTS!! We were told she was basset/pyrenees, but there's lab in there too!

Oh- and for those of you with strong stomachs and a sense of humor: yes, we've included photos of The Mass itself. Click through the photos to see it. On the floor. In all its 7lb glory. We posted some surgical shots last time, but these are new, and we simply could not deprive you. Nearly seven pounds of "nothing to mention at intake," accidentally relocated to the linoleum with an audible splat.

Her foster-turned-adopter said it better than we ever could: "It's an honor to have Lilly in our lives."

No, ma'am. The honor is all ours. And it's all of yours, too. 🩷

Abigail is a sweet and silly six year old Bluetick Coonhound and she has opinions. About walks (good). About car rides (great). About kids (fun). About storms (bad). About cats (worse). About dog food (salmon). About whose couch is the best couch (hers. because every couch is hers).

She showed up at a rural shelter with nothing but her good looks and charmed everyone she met.

In foster, she quickly learned to ring the door bells to request outings. The bells on the back door mean she needs to go outside. The bells on the front door means she wants to go on a field trip. She was not taught this system- she just loves walks and car rides and figured out a way to ask for it.

Abigail does have a couple special needs.
-She needs someone with a secure fence- one she won't be able to climb.
-She needs to be an only dog OR be placed with someone experienced in managing dog interactions. She is very dog friendly until she isn't, and we have not yet been able to identify her trigger.

Abigail is in foster and is doing well as an only dog. We'd like to get her relocated from her foster to a home of her very own and into the soft life she's meant to be living.

She would like to come over. She will be on your couch. She will be asleep. She will be snoring. She will be adorable.

adoptapet.com/pet/48206218
helplesshounds.com/foster-application
helplesshounds.com/adoption-application