03/22/2025
❤️His name is BOBBY. ❤️
He is a Labrador Retriever/Black Mouth Cur mix who arrived as a stray at the Humane Society of the North Bay in July 2022. He was only 2 then, found wandering through a quiet neighborhood in West Vallejo. No one came to claim him. This year, he'll turn 5. Although we plan to throw him a birthday party at the shelter, we hope we don't have to. He deserves to have a home by then. A real home, with a forever family who loves him even more than we do.
No one knows Bobby's origin story. So the staff and volunteers at HSNB try to learn from him and create his narrative as we go.
First, his nicknames: We call him “Slobby Bobby” for the extraordinary amount of spit he generates during play that has a way of ending up on the top of his head, his body, his play buddies' heads and bodies, and — if he shakes his jowls into the breeze just right — your own hair and face. 🤣 We also call him "Bobby Doodle," "BobBAY!" And for some reason, and I think this one is only me: "Bobby B***y." It's a nonsense name, but when I call him that, he drops to his back and exposes his tummy for a belly rub while giving me lots of sloppy kisses in return. So I call him that, a lot. 🥰
Bobby has been at the Humane Society of the North Bay for nearly three years through no fault of his own. Bobby is simply a big dog who has likely never had the benefit of consistent positive reinforcement training. He is 82 pounds and stands tall. He is lithe but strong and when he wants to pull, he can pull hard. For some reason, he does not like parking lots. Flocks of birds make him stop in his tracks. Loud noises can send him into an immediate cower. Was he abused in his past life? Left to fend for himself? We don't know.
But we do know that Bobby loves to sniff flowers 🌺 and explore all the exciting nooks and novelties on Mare Island. He loves to breathe in the salty air at the Vallejo waterfront and, from a comfy distance, stops to check out people departing to and from their travels at the Vallejo Ferry Terminal. He loves getting a full body rub on a sunny day in the big HSNB play yard and he loves playing and romping with his canine shelter buddies, too. Often, when you are giving Bobby some scritches or pats, he will look at you with his big brown puppy eyes and lock into your own as if he's searching for something — an answer perhaps? Why am I still here? Why has no one come to adopt me?
The staff and volunteers give Bobby good care and as much love and recreation as we have time for every day. But Bobby's a "red dog." Because of his power and size and because he's never truly been given the chance to acclimate to life outside the shelter, he can be wary of new people. At times, he has been reactive to others on leash and he has also shown some resource guarding around food. There is work to be done to ensure Bobby lives a good life and becomes an ideal companion to his forever person. But as a volunteer who cannot wait for each weekend when I can go to HSNB to spend my time with Bobby, I can assure you: He is worth it. 🥰
Bobby's person, or people, are out there, somewhere. I have faith that we will find them. Until then, I'm stepping up to help Bobby step out and find his people. Will you please share his story, too?
