Free to Be Dog Haven

Free to Be Dog Haven A home for dogs in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. Just dogs being dogs.

Our sanctuary is a home for dogs who experience the world through their own, unique perspectives. We believe every dog is an individual who deserves to enjoy life on their own terms. We work exclusively with shelters and other rescue groups, taking in dogs that they have difficulty adopting out through routine means. While we would like to find the perfect adopters for each dog, the dogs are always home with us.

I’m familiar with 6 of the 10, and I agree. I’ll check out the others, for sure.
12/22/2024

I’m familiar with 6 of the 10, and I agree. I’ll check out the others, for sure.

These dog trainers take to social media to help you raise our dog to be the best they can be. Follow these Instagram dog trainers for expert advice.

Celebrated the winter solstice with my buddy Billy! 💙
12/22/2024

Celebrated the winter solstice with my buddy Billy! 💙

12/18/2024

12/07/2024

*confirmed rescue

Tilly ACCT-A-207876 is currently considered urgent and at risk of euthanasia due to behavioral concerns. Tilly must have confirmed placement with a RESCUE PARTNER or EXPERIENCED ADOPTER by MONDAY, DECEMBER 9TH at 10AM. Should Tilly’s medical or behavioral status change, her urgency and timeline for placement may also change.

Tilly is a beautiful shepherd mix who was found running as a stray in Philadelphia. Tilly is a sensitive and shy girl who finds herself quite overwhelmed in the shelter environment. She has shown her sweet side and gives tail wags when she's one-on-one with a kind human. She's hoping for a rescue or breed experienced adopter to show her what a safe and happy life looks like. Tilly is becoming more reactive in kennel throughout her time here, growling, barking, and jumping up as people pass by. Because of her stress, remaining in the shelter puts her at higher risk of behavioral decline. Due to her behavioral concerns, Tilly is urgently seeking placement with a rescue partner or breed experienced adopter.

BEHAVIOR:
Per staff 12/5: Got Tilly out to stretch her legs again today. She was very reactive in kennel earlier in the day, but when I approached this evening she was laying near the door, and stood up quietly when she saw me. She did some leash dodging at first, and then put her head right through my loop and came out. Int he room she was a little more loose than she has been int he past. She even solicited for the first time today! Unfortunately she's still a little conflicted, and even though she rubbed her face against me and leaned into me with a low wagging tail, she would head whip with a tight mouth when I pet down her body. She did really well for face pets, and would lean in for face and neck pets. She would even push her head back under my hand when I would stop to solicit more! She took hot dogs from me gently and showed me her beautiful "sit" as well. Overall, Tilly is opening up a bit outside, but is still conflicted and nervous. She will need an experienced adopter that is versed in dog body language, and that will give her the time to truly decompress before pushing her.

Per staff 12/5: Tilly remains very stressed in kennel. Throughout the day today I have observed her on several occasions up on the bars growling, barking, screaming at people and other dogs passing by.

Per staff 12/3: Got Tilly out today since she has been very stressed in kennel the last few days. In kennel Tilly was initially reactive but calmed down quickly when she saw the leash. She allowed for easy leashing and exited without any issues. In the room she was timid but warmed up quickly and allowed all handling. She still gets overwhelmed with too much handling and would give whale eye or head whip a bit but never escalated and was fairly tolerant for the most part. At times she would lean in and solicit nudging me with her head.

Per staff 12/3: Tilly has been very stressed in kennel the last two days and has been noted by multiple staff members to be reactive in kennel- jumping at the bars, growling and barking.

Per staff 12/2: I took Tilly out for the photoshoot yesterday and she did pretty well, all things considered! She was hopping on the kennel door when I went to get her, and it took me a minute to leash her due to her excitement. She came out and let me pet her a few times but she was clearly very stressed. We went into the foster/volunteer office to see if we could put PJs on her, or at least a bandana, but she was too stressed, nervous, and active for that to happen. There were a fair amount of people in that office. She wasn't aggressive or anything, but she did keep dodging the bandana and running either behind me or towards the door, sometimes pawing at it. In the room for pictures, she took a second to settle down. She stayed relatively still but was still too stressed to really register some of the pets. However, after a minute, she gestured for me to pet her and settled into my lap with some excitement. Putting her back into the kennel was no issue; in fact, she seemed somewhat eager to get in even if out of nervousness. She's a sweet girl, just needs patience, encouragement and attention!

Per volunteer 12/1: Housetrained. Not interactive with me, mostly circled and sniffed her environment.

Per staff 11/30: A little difficult to leash, but friendly.

Per staff 11/28: Tilly came out for activity time today. Tilly was growling at the handler and then began low wagging. The handler tried to leash her and began wiggling but the retreated. For leashing, she kept dodging and trying to push out. She loves baby talk and will give some sweet wags. When another handler came in, she liked to approach them and sniff. She is very curious. She needs lots of encouragement, but she does solicit with low small wags.

Per volunteer 11/27: Tilly was laying down on her bed when I approached her kennel. I threw a few treats in and she stayed laying down a few lick lips but then gave me a few tail wags and seemed pretty loose. Easily leashed her while still laying down then she hopped right out of the kennel. Shy girl- outside she didn’t initiate contact so not any petting but she gave some tail wags and got more comfortable with treats and baby talk. Allowed 2 other volunteers to come into the play yard. Was aloof but no concerning behavior - Just scared! No issues returning to her kennel and she seemed relieved to go back to her bed.

Per staff 11/27: Was able to give vaccines when behavior team had Tilly out for eval. She did start to get nippy when I was checking her teeth, and was resistant to exam after that. Placed leather muzzle for vaccines and chip, P was somewhat resistant, but we were able to place chip without issue.

11/27 BEHAVIOR EVALUATION:
KNOWN HISTORY:
Stray
KENNEL PRESENTATION:
Tilly was standing on her bed and looked a bit nervous but gave some tucked low wags. She sat upright and when the handler opened the kennel door she began growling and baring teeth. The handler threw in the leash and he continued with some hard stared. The handler lasso’d her and once secured she came out easily.
LEASH SKILLS:
Pulled minimally
HANDLING:
In the room, Tilly gave some low wags but stiffened when the handler tried to greet her. She allowed some light handling while staring and being very still. She came up to another handler and gave some sniffs and then gave a hard stare and walked away. She’s conflicted and started enjoying some pets and then whipped around so – light handling. She sniffed the handler and gave some sweet wags but continued to maintain harder eye contact.
PLAY:
No interest
TOYS:
Really likes squeaky toys – perked up to the sound

Per staff 11/26: Unable to complete intake due to behavior. Did physical but upon attempting restraint for vaccines started snapping, p**ping, and gator rolling. Scheduled for trazodone.

Per officer 11/26: A little shy was calm in the car.

MEDICAL:
On 12/5, Tilly received a vet exam to see if Trazodone was helping her. It was a visual exam in cage, but she was very reactive, jumping/growling/barking at everyone passing by. Her gabapentin was increased and she was also prescribed gabapentin.

On 11/27, Tilly was able to receive her vaccines and microchip.

During her intake exam on 11/26, Tilly was not tolerant of vaccines or getting a microchip, so only received a physical exam. Tilly’s eyes and nose were clear and her ears were a little waxy. Her teeth had moderate staining and her gums were pink and moist. Her coat and skin were clean but damp all over. No lameness noted. She was bright, alert, and responsive, a little shy at first and very reactive to restraint specifically muzzling.

VIDEOS:
Tilly and Star Bright: https://youtube.com/shorts/ufZajPeO4FU?feature=share

Due to being significantly overcapacity with animals and higher than usual intake, extensions are unlikely to be granted. If you are interested in an animal please contact ACCT Philly immediately. Due to limited space, timestamps may also be proceeded with early so it is imperative to let us know if you are considering adopting or tagging an animal.

ACCT Philly is located at 111 West Hunting Park Ave in Philadelphia. We are open for adoptions 7 days a week. Please visit www.acctphilly.org/adopt for details.

If you are a rescue interested in pulling this animal, please email our lifesaving team, or visit here if you are not currently a rescue partner: https://acctphilly.org/acct-philly-love-local-partnership-program/

Confirmed placement is considered a confirmation of an actual rescue pull. Possible placement, interested parties, and other "TBD" statuses are not considered confirmed and do not indicate an animal is no longer urgent.

All animals at ACCT Philly are from Philadelphia, as the only open-intake animal shelter in Philadelphia, we are not able to accept animals from outside of Philadelphia. ACCT Philly's Pennsylvania kennel license number is 08313.

Gentle giant at ACCT Philly
12/03/2024

Gentle giant at ACCT Philly

*long term foster thru ACCT

Kane A ACCT-A-207495 is currently considered urgent and at risk of euthanasia due to length of stay and lack of space for incoming dogs. Kane A must have confirmed placement with an ADOPTER, FOSTER, or RESCUE PARTNER by Saturday, December 7th by 10:00 am. Should Kane A’s medical or behavioral status change, his urgency and timeline for placement may also change.

Due to being significantly overcapacity with animals and higher than usual intake, extensions are unlikely to be granted. If you are interested in an animal please contact ACCT Philly immediately. Due to limited space, timestamps may also be proceeded with early so it is imperative to let us know if you are considering adopting or tagging an animal.

Meet Kane A. This gentle giant is a big boy with an even bigger heart. He greets everyone with soft eyes and tail wags, ready to win you over with his calm, sweet demeanor. Leashing him is a breeze—he’s cooperative and easygoing from the start. Kane’s personality blossoms once he is outside. He loves leaning in close for pets and asking for attention from anyone nearby. Kane is incredibly polite and takes treats with gentle manners.

Kane’s leash skills are as impressive as his cuddles; he pulls minimally and stays focused, making him an ideal walking companion. And while he’s mostly laid-back, don’t be surprised if he gets a case of the zoomies when he’s feeling extra happy! Kane is looking for a home preferably that is adult only. At the shelter, he has had good meets with other dogs. If you’re looking for a kind, well-mannered pup with a touch of playful charm, Kane is your guy. He’s ready to find someone to share all the love and snuggles he has to give.

MEDICAL NOTES:

On 12/1 per exam: Diagnosed with a doggy cold and prescribed antibiotics. PCR test taken, awaiting results.

On 11/27 per exam: Foster noted a hot spot under Kane's front left arm. Assessment: Pyoderma - r/o bacterial, yeast, fungal, other vs contact irritation vs other. Prescribed antibiotics.

On 11/23 per exam: straining to p**p, liquid diarrhea yesterday per staff. No diarrhea noted in the kennel today, Kane is BAR and eating well. Prescribed fortiflora.

On 11/21 per intake exam: Noted to have reddish eyes, slightly dirty ears, and allowed all handling without any restraint. “just a super sweet friendly giant”

BEHAVIORAL NOTES:

Per day trip 11/30: No way around it, Kane A is a big boy. But he could not be sweeter or more gentle, and is incredibly easy to handle for his size. When he first got outside, he would freeze every minute or so, just to look around and take it all in. After a few moments of looking around, he would go right back to trotting on his own (which is good because it's tough to move a big guy like Kane A when he doesn't want to). The freezes also got much less frequent as the day went on and he got more comfortable. After a little bit of sniffing he hopped right into the backseat of my car and we were off to Valley Forge.

He is an excellent backseat passenger, and enjoyed sticking his head out the window whenever we decided to brave the cold air for a few minutes. Even sitting down in the backseat his head was higher than mine, but he is so gentle and calm, this isn't the least bit concerning. He even gave a couple of kisses from the backseat as a thank you for the trip out of the shelter. When we got to the park, he hopped right out and the adventure was on. He has terrific manners on the leash: barely pulls at all, extremely responsive and checks back in when his name is called. Stepped aside for people and dogs on the narrow trail, and seemed interested but did not pull, lunge, bark or do anything other than look and sniff from afar. He trots at a comfortable pace and seems like he could keep up with a jogger pretty easily given how long his stride is. And with his big paws he can handle all sorts of terrain, so definitely a hiking partner in training.

He'll also occasionally come in for some pets - he's a leaner for sure so keep your stance wide. He didn't want to leave when the day was over, but climbed back into the car with a little encouragement. On the drive back, he seemed even more comfortable in the car, lying down and relaxing in the backseat. Very sweet boy, and a great adventure buddy waiting to be snatched up.

On 11/30/24 per volunteer: This boy literally could not be sweeter. He is so gentle and loving and just wants to snuggle with a side of fetch. He’s a BIG boy and very strong so will need an owner who can handle his size but he’s definitely a stereotypical gentle giant. Looks like he ended up at acct when his owner passed away. You can meet Kane at the shelter every day from 10-6!!!

11/27/24 short-term foster notes: Kane was an absolute angel for our overnight. He was a bit shy at first, but he warmed up relatively quickly. He was easy to walk and was responsive to commands and motions. He would pull slightly if he was scared/nervous due to loud noises, but otherwise, he was very manageable to walk. He was hesitant of some people that were coming towards us and would stop on the side of the sidewalk to wait for them to pass. He seemed a bit more hesitant around men than women.

Inside he was a big baby, snuggling up on the bed or couch. He did whine at first if he wasn’t constantly receiving pets, and he did bark when delivery people came. He followed me around almost everywhere I went and sought attention. He was playful both indoors and out, and did exhibit light play biting. He’s a big, sweet boy that I think is unaware of his size, and on many occasions he tried to lay on my lap.

Overall, Kane was a joy to spend some time with, and he garnered a ton of attention on our walks. I would recommend someone with experience owning large dogs, though, so they fully understand his capabilities, needs, and the commitment (time-wise, space-wise, and financially)

On 11/26/24 per staff: Kane is the sweetest giant ever! He allows all handling and is so sweet he sticks to his person and leans on me for reassurance throughout our walk. (Literally leans on me like full body on my knee lol) he is stressed here in the shelter but outside he likes to explore smells. He also passed by cats in the hallway in a feral den and looked but did not care for them. He passed dogs as well and also did not care about them being present. Overall he is a 10/10 boy.

On 11/23/24 per volunteer: He had a steady bark going in his kennel for attention as I walked by, but sat quietly when I approached and was easy to leash. Big clumsy friendly strong boy who could pull way harder than he does.

He relaxed after a minute or two, but was leery of tight spaces like b/t cars and fenced in areas connecting the yards. Skittish w/ noises, quick movements and the wind. After around 15 minutes, reactions were much less frequent. He was very playful in the yard responding to my play bows with his own bows as well as some mini zoomies in response to some light clapping to call him over to me.

On several occasions he came to me in the yard unsolicited and leaned on me for pets as we watched other dogs and people in the parking lot. Some lip licking and whale eye, but generally solicited and welcomed pets all over. Another volunteer walked up to us in the parking lot. Kane immediately went to her, sat sideways on his own and leaned against her for pets.

On 11/22 per staff: Kane A came out for activity time today. He came in like a firecracker, super wiggly and super friendly. He is a very sweet and social boy, allowing all handling and playing with everyone. He is the most crazy boy, catapulting his entire big body onto us. He loves a ball and is super goofy while he plays, jumping all around it and smacking it with both paws. He seems house trained as his kennel was clean and he went to the bathroom for awhile in the room.

On 11/21 per staff: Did not want to return to the kennel and needed a second handler to loop his belly.

On 11/20 per staff: BEHAVIOR EVALUATION

KNOWN HISTORY:
Owner was found deceased in the home with him

KENNEL PRESENTATION:
Kane was sitting by the front of his kennel with soft eyes, low wags and was patient for leashing. He allowed the handler to just reach in and leash him without issue.

LEASH SKILLS:
Pulls minimally

HANDLING:
In the room Kane was very wiggly and sweet with all handlers. He was a bit timid at first, but warmed up quickly and would solicit attention and lean in close to us for pets. He was a gentle giant and was so well mannered- no jumping, mouthing, or any issues with handling. He took treats gently as well and was so gentle and would sit nicely for them. When a new handler entered he was shy but greeted her as well with low wags and soft eyes and then got some zoomies!

PLAY:
Engaged in play

TOYS:
Interest but no possession

COLOR LEVEL & ANY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Gold

On 11/19 per staff: Kane is a giant baby. He’s understandably very confused and nervous having been taken from his home, but he’s very sweet and allowed all handling. Allowed me to leash and was very hesitant to enter the building and his kennel. Very overwhelmed by the shelter so I put him in TTA. truly a gentle giant.

VIDEOS:

Kane enjoys a walk in the Wiss: https://youtu.be/0pLnsJ8aWA8?feature=shared

Kane A loves his pets!: https://youtube.com/shorts/WhUc_NBGDJY?feature=share

Kane A - A207495 - Yard Play: https://youtu.be/c2BHLDzU52w?si=udCbb72UkAV6ME1d

Kane A and Skips meet: https://youtube.com/shorts/W3M8yY0PAA0?feature=share

Clyde and Kane A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNEp4jDchww

Clyde and Kane A drop leash 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4nvzRbk_Nw

Clyde and Kane A drop leash 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5E24wujdOw

ACCT Philly is located at 111 West Hunting Park Ave in Philadelphia. We are open for adoptions 7 days a week. Please visit www.acctphilly.org/adopt for details.

If you are a rescue interested in pulling this animal, please email our lifesaving team, or visit here if you are not currently a rescue partner: https://acctphilly.org/acct-philly-love-local-partnership-program/

Confirmed placement is considered confirmation of an actual rescue pull. Possible placement, interested parties, and other "TBD" statuses are not considered confirmed and do not indicate an animal is no longer urgent

All animals at ACCT Philly are from Philadelphia, as the only open intake animal shelter in Philadelphia, we are not able to accept animals from outside of Philadelphia. ACCT Philly’s Pennsylvania kennel license number is 08313

Address

PO Box 773
Landenberg, PA
19350

Telephone

+14847208153

Website

https://i69066.wixsite.com/freetobedogs

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