People With Pets Outreach Project

04/13/2025

They say it takes a village... and boy it sure does! Some of you may remember this little cutie, Gizmo. We've cared for him a couple of times when his dad needed to stay at the VA Hospital to get some medical care.

He's back with us again thanks to "the village". The ACO from City Dogs Cleveland that had picked him up from the VA hospital the last time we cared for him saw a post on Facebook asking for help finding his owner. She immediately recognized him and contacted us. She knew we had cared for him and she knew we had gotten him microchipped. He had his collar on, but had somehow lost his tags so that's what landed him in a post on Facebook asking for help finding his family!

We instantly started make some phone calls and contacting people that we were aware knew Gizmo and his owner to try to figure out the last time anyone may have seen them.

We contacted the good samaritan that had him in their care and picked Gizmo up and set him up in one of our foster homes. We then we reached out to the VA hospital and were so glad to hear that his owner was there, was safe and was getting the medical attention he needed.

Gizmo's owner had left him in the care of a neighbor, and somehow he got out and was running the streets. We can only imagine how scared he was! We are SO grateful to the good people that saved him from the street and posted trying to locate his family. He is now safe with us while we wait to hear if he can be reunited with his owner.

Our "village" consists of good samaritans, loving volunteers and foster homes, and kind-hearted and gracious donators that help us work our mission.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in volunteering or becoming a foster home partner you can find more info and apply here: https://peoplewithpetsoutreach.org/volunteer/

If you would like to make a donation you can do so online here: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/7ZA9NZ9CVM0T4/checkout/HG62AIG2XZSKS2ATAHGHYHF2

Stay tuned for updates to Gizmo's story!

03/16/2025

We LOVE happy endings💖 They help fill our hearts and lift us up to keep on keeping on when sometimes the outcome is sad. Unfortunately, there are times when a pet is not able to be reunited with their pet parent.
Stay tuned.....we'll soon be able to share another happy ending with you all!!!!!!!!!

10/20/2024

We recently had to say good-by to sweet Gomez😪
Gomez came into the People with Pets Outreach Project in January 2024. His pet parent was having ongoing medical issues. He had been the main caretaker of his mother which resulted in him not being able to seek the medical care that he needed. Gomez was his mom's cat and after her passing he took over the care of Gomez. Unfortunately, Gomez and his pet parent lost their home and was living in a car. In trying to address his medical issues Gomez's pet parent needed to find a foster for Gomez so that he could be admitted. We got Gomez into our foster program so that his pet parent could start to get healthy. His pet parent kept in contact and was looking forward to reuniting with Gomez at some point. Sadly, getting healthy was not in the direction that Gomez's pet parent went. Gomez was ours and we decided to make him part of the People with Pets Outreach Project family❤ He was happy in his foster home and due to his age he really wasn't a candidate to be adopted. His health started to decline and the hard and painful decision was made to help him cross over the Rainbow Bridge knowing that he was loved and very special to us. Run free at the Rainbow Bridge Gomez, we love you and are going to miss you🌈

09/22/2024

Charlie and Frankie are enjoying foster life. Charlie is the Chiweenie and Frankie is the Papillon. They know that they are well cared for, loved and are safe until their pet parents are feeling better and can be reunited with them🤗 They LOVE playing with toys and they love being outside and playing in the yard at their foster house❤
Their pet parents are currently seeking medical treatment again and are comforted by the fact that their precious pups are safe and happy. One of the key factors in them seeking medical care again was knowing that they didn't have to worry about their pups who are their world.

09/17/2024

Meet Sara and Susie. Despite all they have gone through these past couple of months they still have a smile on their faces. They are homeless and have been living in their car since July. They were living in their car with their two dogs Frankie and Charlie. In August due to chronic health issues that were flaring up due to their housing situation, they found themselves in the emergency room at a local hospital. They both needed medical attention and Susie chose to stay outside with the dogs seeing as though Sara was needing to be treated first. Their pups Frankie and Charlie are currently in foster care with us so that they can work on regaining their health and securing housing. They love their pups dearly and they are their world❤ They keep in contact with us daily and it is through our daily chats with them that we find out what their needs are because they trust us. We assure them that their dogs are safe and that they WILL be reunited with them when the time is right. Through our chats we found out that they are both insulin dependent. Learning how they got to this point in their life is heartbreaking. They keep on fighting the good fight because they desperately want to be reunited with their pups.

02/13/2024

Our foster families are a crucial asset that allow us to work our mission and save lives. The individuals that we work with are typically facing a health crisis and are in need of immediate medical care, yet they are willing to forego that care because they are worried about who will care for their furry friend in their absence.

The huge hearts of our foster homes allow us to provide shelter and care for these pets that would otherwise end up entering the animal welfare system. The shelters, as you may know, are already struggling with being overcrowded and even if they do have room there is no guarantee that these pets would be able to be reunited with their owners.

Our foster homes allow us to ensure that the pets and their owners are reunited once the crisis situation has been resolved or otherwise stabilized. We provide our fosters with everything to need to be successful: food, leashes/harnesses, crates, etc. so they can focus on providing a warm shelter, love and attention to the animal in their care.

Have you thought about fostering? We are always looking to add to our available foster list! If you would like to become an available foster for the People With Pets Outreach Project please send an email to: [email protected]

02/08/2024

In January we received a call from Mr. Tucker. He had reached out to numerous animal related organizations looking for help to temporarily foster his cat, Gomez, while he got back on his feet while recovering from a serious medical condition. When we heard of his predicament we knew we needed to step up and find a solution.

We were able to locate a foster home for Gomez. The foster home has a resident cat and Gomez became fast friends with him! It had been awhile since Gomez had been to the vet so we took him in for a senior checkup and everything checked out a-ok! We are looking forward to a happy reunion between Gomez and his owner! His owner has peace of mind knowing that Gomez is being cared for and loved while he focuses on the things he needs to get back on his feet.

It is because of the generous donations from the public and the open hearts of our foster homes that we are able to care for Gomez and all of the other pets that we have helped over the years! If you are interested in becoming a foster home please reach out to us via email at: [email protected]

Can’t foster, but want to make a donation to our cause? Visit our website (peoplewithpetsoutreach.org) and click the donate link on our main page. Every donation, no matter how big or how small, helps us to be able to provide vet care, food and other necessities to every animal that we help. Your support is GREATLY appreciated!

People with Pets Outreach Project cares for pets while their pet parent is hospitalized. We provide essential pet care so that the pet parent has peace of mind to seek medical treatment.

02/06/2024

In early December a member of our Board of Directors was contacted by a fellow social worker she knows from the VA Hospital. She had a patient in the Emergency Department that was there with his dog. He was having a cardiac crisis and needed immediate medical care. It was near 9:00pm, so we put a plan in place to get his dog, Gizmo, picked up and into a foster home early the next morning.

However, the next morning we found out Gizmo had been taken out of the Emergency Department by animal control and was taken to the City of Cleveland Kennel. A few phone calls were made and we arranged to get Gizmo out of the kennel and into his foster home. We made sure he got up to date vaccinations, a current dog license and a microchip.

He stayed in one of our amazing foster homes where he had canine friends to play with and the love and attention he needed in his owner's absence. His owner was able to receive the life-saving medical care he needed and just before the holidays Gizmo was reunited with his dad!

We are able to provide care, including vet care (vaccinations, exams, spay/neuter), general care (licenses, microchips, food), and fostering in these critical situations because of the generous donations we receive from people like you! Every dollar helps! If you would like to make a donation you can do so easily via our website: peoplewithpetsoutreach.org

Please feel free to share! We LOVE a happy ending and are so grateful to everyone involved that makes these happy endings possible!

12/09/2023

Hi, everyone! Executive Director Terry here with our newest pet care case. This is Gizmo in the photo with me. He is a sweet little boy whose pet parent landed in the emergency department of the VA hospital last night in need of some cardiac care. Gizmo was in need of someone to care for him while his owner gets the medical care that they need.

The social worker from the VA reached out to our Board of Directors member, Janice, as they had previously been work colleagues. Janice jumped into action to help and made some phone calls. This afternoon I was able to get Gizmo picked up and then arranged for him to be taken to his temporary foster home. He got to make a pit stop at Style Mutt Dog Boutique to get a new collar, yummy food, and a special treat. We're hopeful that Gizmo will have a happy ending and be reunited with his owner as soon as his owner is well enough to leave the hospital.

We wish we could help everyone that needs our help. Unfortunately, we don't have enough foster homes to turn to and sometimes we have to turn clients down because we're lacking the resources to help them. Our foster situations are usually short tern until the patient is well enough to return home. Sometimes it can be a long term foster due to the patient transferring to a rehab/nursing facility. People with Pets Outreach Project provides food, crates, and any other supplies needed to assure a positive fostering experience for our foster homes and to also help the canine foster succeed in their foster home. All dogs are also spayed/neutered and UTD on vaccinations and flea/tick treatment.

If you love dogs and are able to open up your heart and home to a dog in need to give a medical patient peace of mind please email me directly at: [email protected] and I can send you the appropriate paperwork that needs to be completed. Once you’re all set up you will be on our list of foster homes and we will contact you when we have a need for care! We want to help as many people as possible and you can be part of making that happen!

We wish we could help everyone that needs our help. Unfortunately, we don't have enough foster homes to turn to and sometimes we have to turn clients down because we're lacking the resources to help them.

If you love dogs, or know someone that loves dogs, and you want to help out we are in need of foster homes!

10/05/2023

The Story of Shirley Feeney

Feeney (originally spelled Phoenee) came to us in the summer of 2019. Her mom needed to obtain medical treatment and had no family or friends that could care for Feeney. She came to stay in our main foster home and had lots of other doggie friends to play with – which was great since she was suffering with a bit of separation anxiety being away from her mom.

What was originally supposed to be a 1-2 week stay ended up being much longer. Feeney’s mom called very frequently to check in on her and to make sure we told her she loved her and gave her a hug and kiss from her. Feeney eventually settled in nicely and got used to her new friends, temporary home and new routine.

Finally, in January of 2020, it seemed it was time for her mom to come home. We took Feeney up to the hospital to see her and ultimately go home with her, but unfortunately her mom’s medical team quickly realized she wasn’t quite able to go home on her own. By this time, all of the other dogs that had been at the foster home had gone home or been adopted. Feeney was very sad being by herself so she went to stay with the Executive Director of the People with Pets Outreach Project.

Feeney was excited to be at her new foster home – she had cat friends to play with, real kids to play with and someone was always home with her to keep her company. She settled in immediately! Her mom continued to call in almost daily to check on her and she was so thrilled to hear how much fun Feeney was having!

As you all know, Covid hit in March 2020 and Feeney’s mom found herself in an extended stay skilled nursing facility. As the days and weeks passed it became clear that Feeney’s mom was probably not going to be able to ever go home and be reunited with Feeney. In July of 2020 our Executive Director had a phone conversation with Feeney’s mom – and while they had never actually met in person, Feeney’s mom told her “If Feeney has to live the rest of her days with someone other than me, I want that person to be you.” Feeney’s mom knew that Feeney had been well taken care of and loved as if she were already part of the family.

In late July of 2020 Feeney was taken to see her original mom one last time. We gifted her mom with a little photo album containing pictures of Feeney throughout her foster stay and in her new home. It was surely a bittersweet ending for all.