14/05/2023
Very urgent!!! Friendly 1 yo pup needs to be rescud!!! !NY ACC want to kill him.
PLACED WITH HAPPY GO LUCKY MASTIFF RESCUE - PLEASE HONOR YOUR PLEDGES OR DONATE https://www.happygoluckymastiffrescue.com/
Free is a young boy who was dumped just a few days ago by his owner. He is only 17 months old, and looking for a new home! His owner can't afford him, and they have some of their own health issues. After 5 days, Free is fighting for his life! He is friendly and outgoing towards strangers. While around kids, he eventually warmed up to kids, but he doesn't play with them. During storms and fireworks, Free seeks comfort. He was described as affectionate, friendly, playful, pushy and attention seeking. Free likes balls, Frisbee, squeaky and chew toys. He likes playing chase, tug, and fetch. After only being there 5 days, he has allowed minimal handling. And he has given a soft body and tail wags when called. He has allowed handling for short walks. But that doesn't matter, the ACC wants to kill such a young boy! Free is young and he just wants to live. Why don't you make this handsome boy feel free and save his life before it's too late?
FREE 167742 STATEN ISLAND ACC
Estimated to be 1 years 5 mos old, 77 Lbs
UNALTERED MALE, LARGE MIXED BREED
OWNER SURR FROM NY, OWNER'S HEALTH
MEDICAL BEHAVIOR EVALUATION:
BEHAVIOR RATING: NH ONLY
INTAKE DATE 04/30/2023
PET PROFILE
Free is a 1 y.o. male large breed dog that the previous owner purchased from a breeder when he was a puppy but can no longer keep him due to financial and medical reasons.
Previously lived with:: adults
How is this dog around strangers?: Free is friendly and outgoing.
It was reported that he plays in a somewhat rough manner with adults.
How is this dog around children?: Free has interacted with a 7 y.o. child. He was reluctant at first but then he warmed up. He did not play with the child.
How is this dog around other dogs?: N/A
How is this dog around cats?: N/A
Resource guarding:: Previous owners stated that Free hard to control & destroys items indoors & outdoors. Free isn’t bothered by storms/fireworks – he may seek comfort from his human. Free isn’t bothered when his food or bowl is touched while eating. Free snaps when his treat or toy is taken from him
Spoke to client and they stated that he does not snap at people but will snap to try and take the item back
Free barks, growls & snaps when he is pushed or pulled off furniture or held/restrained. Free isn’t bothered by being disturbed from his sleep/rest. Free isn’t bothered by having baths, by having her coat brushed, or when having his nails trimmed/feet touched. Free barks & growls when an unfamiliar person approaches the home, yard, previous owner, or a family member.
Bite history:: No but is reported to be mouthy when playing.
Housetrained:: Yes
Energy level/descriptors:: High
Has this dog ever had any medical issues?: No
For a New Family to Know: Free is described as friendly, affectionate, excitable, pushy, and playful with a high activity level. When in the home, Free is the type to follow you around. Free likes balls, squeaky/chew toys, & frisbee. He likes to play fetch, chase, wrestling, tug, & alerting/barking. Free was kept mostly indoors and would sleep in his crate at night and in his bed during the day. He was fed Farmer’s Dog wet dog food. His favorite treats are Little Bones & Mother Hubbard Cookies.
According to previous owner, Free is house-trained and would rarely have any accidents. Free usually goes to the bathroom on the grass or on dirt. When left alone in the home, Free is in his crate. When left alone in the yard, Free would bark, digs, & destroy things. Free is crat-trained and will do well for 8 hours. Free knows commands sit, come, down, and stay. For exercise, he enjoyed slow on-leash walks with the previous owner & playing in the yard. On the leash, Free pulls very hard and when he would never be let off the leash.
Upon intake: Free had a neutral body. he smelled around the room but did not approach the staff and he began to tense up once the owners left
ASSESSMENT NOTES
Summary:: In the care center Free has shown high levels of fear, potential for resource guarding and a very low threshold for arousal. While in a very aroused state, he quickly escalated to jumping, growling and snapping towards handlers during a socialization session. He is not a candidate for a handling assessment.
Summary:: 5/3: Greet M LMB high tail, short wags, relaxed face. Offers a play bow then jumps up on gate vocalizing. He follows along the other side of the gate and pulls hard towards the other dog when being returned.
Summary (2):: 5/4: Free was easily leashed and rushed to the door. 2 staff members took him on a short walk. He pulled hard the entire time. He kept neutral body and was returned without issue.
5/3: Free is easily leashed and grabs a soft toy on the way out of the room. He pulls to the yard and is kept on leash. He engages with the toy for some time and alternates his attention between a few different balls in the yard. He is observed to pounce on the toys. The handler attempts to lure him away from the toys with treat, but he is not interested. He eventually does eat one treat up off the floor. Handler bends to pick up some HVT off the floor and Free jumps towards her but does not eat the treat. He begins to sniff her treat pouch standing up on his back two legs. She walks around with him, and he brings his attention back to toys.
A volunteer walks a M LMB to the gate and Free greets him with forward body posture, high wagging tail. He offers a play bow and then jumps up on the gate vocalizing. The other dog is walked into the lot and Free begins to head back towards the building. Free pulls hard toward the other dog so the handler begins to rush towards the building. As she picks up speed, he keeps his eyes on her. She immediately slows down and he returns without issue.
PM: Free was easily leashed and rushed out of kennel to the door. He was brought to the yard and kept on leash while being walked around. He remained neutral and approached handler with a wiggly body once called over. A drag leash was attached and as the slip lead was being removed,
Free became aroused and jumping up. Handlers went to secure him and with each attempt he would reverse and slip out of the loop. He began to jump up toward the rope, growling. All slip leads were being dragged by him and each time the staff went to pick one you he would quickly turn to sn**ch whatever they were reaching for making it very difficult to secure him. One handler was able to grab his drag leash and he lunged towards it. Free was straight armed and the lead held behind his head as he was walked around the yard briefly. He was walked back towards the building and while in a smaller space, the second handler secured him with her slip lead and removed the drag leash. He balked hard at kennel front for a moment then walked in.
Summary (3):: 5/2: Free is at kennel front upon approach. He is secured at first attempt and pulls to the door. He pulls hard in the halls and into the first yard. A drag leash is attached, and he explores on his own. He loosens up when toys are tossed and briefly engages. When staff touches his back his head whips and runs away. At the end of the session, Free runs from handlers. When attempting to secure him on the lead, he wiggles back and out of it. He repeats this behavior. He is not interested in treats offered through the loop. With multiple attempts he becomes aroused and begins to jump up towards the leads. His drag leash is used to feed through the loop and he briefly balks before entering his kennel on his own.
5/1: In the AM, Free drops to the ground when the lead is presented in his kennel. When attempting to lasso him, he retreats to his bed. His kennel door is opened wide with the loop ready to leash him. He remains on his bed. Staff leaves him and tries again later.
In PM Free comes forward in kennel but backs away with each attempt to leash. On 3rd attempt, the door is open wide and with a large loop, he is secured. He walks out slowly and the runs past neighboring dogs. He is brought out to the yard and walked around on leash. He drops in fear when the wind blows things around in the yard. A second staff member calls him over and he briefly gives wiggly body and tail wags. When being returned to kennel he refuses to enter. A second lead has to be put over him and he is placed back in kennel.
Date of intake:: 4/30/2023
Summary:: neutral body, became tense
Date of initial:: 4/30/2023
Summary:: tense/nervous
IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:: 5/3: Staff reported that Free growled in the yard while adjusting the slip lead around his neck.
BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only
Recommendations:: Place with a New Hope partner, No children (under 13)
Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Free has shown high level of fear and ability to become over aroused very quickly. We recommend he go to an adult only home.
Place with a New Hope partner: Due to concerning behavior seen in the care center, we recommend Free be placed with an experienced New Hope Rescue partner who can provide necessary training for Free.
Potential challenges: :
Resource guarding,
Low threshold for arousal,
Fearful,
Handling/touch sensitivity
,Leash-biting
Potential challenges comments::
Resource guarding: Owners reported that Free snaps when his treat or toy is taken from him. Nothing should ever be taken directly from Free. We recommend always trading for something of a higher value. In the care center Free was engaged with a toy and when handler went to pick up a treat, he turned his attention back towards the treat but did not eat it. This behavior will require careful management. Please see handout on Resource Guarding.
Handling/touch sensitivity: Free barks, growls & snaps when he is pushed or pulled off furniture or held/restrained. He has growled at staff for touching around his neck. However, Free has allowed some attention from handlers with a slow, considerate approach. All interactions should be at Free's own pace. Please see handout on Handling/Touch Sensitivity.
Fearful: When Free entered the shelter he showed a high level of fear. It took him over 24 hours to be removed from kennel. During his first interaction he remained shut down. The shelter is a very stressful environment; however, it will likely take him some time to adjust to any new environment.
Leash-biting: Free has shown to be leash aversive. He was initially avoiding the leash and retreating to the back of his kennel. Once he began to allow being leashed and removed from kennel, he did well when being kept on the leash. However, during socialization sessions when let off leash, he became difficult to secure again. He would retreat and shake free from the lead. After a few attempts to secure him, he began to jump up and bite the leash. He has repeated this behavior, escalating immediately after removing the slip lead in another instance. While on walks, he has not escalated to leash-biting however, this may be a behavior that arises. Please see handout on Leash Manners.
Low threshold for arousal: Free shown a low threshold for arousal in the care center. During a socialization session, he quickly escalated to jumping high, growling and snapping towards staff when attempting to secure him by grabbing his leash. Free should be interacted with in a calm manner to avoid him escalating to this aroused state. We have noticed the slip lead going over his head has been one trigger for this behavior however, there can be a variety of situations which can cause him to escalate which we are unaware of. Please see handout on Arousal.
Due to the detailed behavior issues, this animal is only available for foster/adoption through one of ACC's New Hope Partners. If you are interested in adopting or fostering, please fill out the pre-screener form. This animal is not directly available for adoption through ACC and is only available by completing the pre-screener form. Adoption inquiries sent directly to ACC will not receive a response.
Pre-Screener Form
Free is in need of emergency placement for behavior reasons. In the care center Free has shown high levels of fear, potential for resource guarding and a very low threshold for arousal. While in a very aroused state, he quickly escalated to jumping, growling and snapping towards handlers during a socialization session. He is only being handled minimally to avoid additional incident. Medically, he is a healthy dog.
Free was brought to the care center as an Owner Surrender. He has been very fearful and is having a difficult time adjusting. He has become easily over-aroused during socialization sessions and requires careful management from staff to avoid incident. Free has shown potential to be social with a slow considerate approach. He gives soft body and tail wags when called over. He is allowing some handling to go on short walks but requires placement out of the care center quickly.
His owners described his as friendly, affectionate, excitable, pushy, and playful with a high activity level. When in the home, Free is the type to follow you around. He likes balls, squeaky/chew toys, & frisbee. He likes to play fetch, chase & tug.
MEDICAL EXAM NOTES
4/30/2023
BARH
AMBx4
Very tense/nervous
EEN:WNL
UTD on vaccines
Starting on trazodone 150mg
Scheduled full dvm exam
5/3/2023
[DVM Intake]
DVM Intake Exam
Estimated age: 1.5 years
Microchip noted on Intake? scan negative
History: owner surrender
Subjective:
Observed Behavior - tense but allowed all handling
Is there evidence of Cruelty? no
Is there evidence of Neglect? no
Is there evidence of Trauma? no
Objective
BCS 5/9
EENT: Eyes clear, ears clean, no nasal or ocular discharge noted
Oral Exam: muzzled, no oral exam
PLN: No enlargements noted
H/L: NSR, NMA, CRT < 2, Lungs clear, eupneic
ABD: Non painful, no masses palpated
U/G: MI, 2 descended testicles
MSI: Ambulatory x 4, skin free of parasites, no masses noted, healthy hair coat
CNS: Mentation appropriate - no signs of neurologic abnormalities
Assessment
appears healthy
Prognosis: good
Plan:
SURGERY:
Okay for surgery
TO ADOPT DIRECTLY FROM THE SHELTER - please download the NYC ACC app from the App Store and fill out the adoption application there.
Dogs with NH ONLY rating cannot be adopted directly from the ACC, so please message our page for assistance .
TO ADOPT or FOSTER: If you cannot get to the shelter in person to adopt, or want to foster, please message our page (Must Love Dogs - Saving NYC) Must Love Dogs - Saving NYC Dogs)
OR email [email protected] for guidance and assistance.
PLEASE NOTE: To foster, you have to be within prescribed range of NYC ACC approved New Hope rescues you are applying with,
and to adopt you will have to be in the general NE US area; NY, NJ, CT, PA, DC, MD, DE, NH, RI, MA, VT & ME (some rescues will transport to VA).
Shelter contact information:
Phone number: 212-788-4000 (automated only)
Email: [email protected]
Manhattan Animal Care Center
326 East 110th Street
New York, NY 10029
Brooklyn Animal Care Center
2336 Linden Boulevard
Brooklyn, NY 11208
Staten Island Animal Care Center
3139 Veterans Road West
Staten Island, NY 10309
Adoption hours:
Monday through Friday: 12.00pm to 8.00pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10.00am to 6.00pm
(Closed on all Holidays and Training Days, as listed on their website www.nycacc.org)
Adoption fees depend on dog's age. Please email the ACC for more info. Fees include pre-adoption medical care and vaccines, deworming,
spay/neutering and one free follow-up visit to specific veterinarians.
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* NYC ACC RATING SYSTEM *
Level 1
Dogs with Level 1 determinations are suitable for the majority of homes.
Level 2
Dogs with Level 2 determinations will be suitable for adopters with some previous dog experience.
Level 3
Dogs with Level 3 determinations will need to go to homes with experienced adopters.
Level 4
Dogs with Level 4 determinations will need to go to homes with experienced adopters. The behavior challenges seen at Level 4 are seen at a much greater frequency and higher intensity than the other dogs in our care.
