rutcus

Breed:

About rutcus: Rutcus ACCT-A-207151 is currently considered urgent and at risk of euthanasia due to behavioral concerns. Rutcus must have confirmed placement with a RESCUE PARTNER by FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH at 10AM. Should Rutcus? medical or behavioral status change, his urgency and timeline for placement may also change. Rutcus is a shy and sensitive dog who needs a calm and understanding home to help him feel safe. He came into the shelter on November 15th and was likely a stray for at least a few weeks. Throughout his time at the shelter, Rutcus has been reactive in his kennel. On walks, he starts off uncertain but soon relaxes and walks calmly by your side. He takes treats gently and appreciates a slow, steady approach. Rutcus flinches at touch and sounds and prefers quiet moments, often curling up to observe his surroundings. He has not shown improvement in his behavior and is at risk of further decline in the shelter setting. Rutcus will thrive in a peaceful home with someone willing to help him build confidence at his own pace. Due to his behavioral concerns, Rutcus is urgently seeking placement with a rescue partner. BEHAVIOR: Per staff 11/26: Rutcus was reactive in kennel. When staff member went to greet him he lifted his tail into a high position, hard barked, and snapped at the bars. Per volunteer 11/24: Rutcus was easy to leash and take out of his kennel. I also had no issue returning him to his kennel. When I first took Rutcus out, he would lightly pull in all directions, not walking with me. Soon after he got out, he went to the bathroom. Rutcus would become tense after hearing sudden, loud sounds. The longer I had him out, the more relaxed he seemed. He started to walk along side of me, not pulling away. Rutcus gently took treats. But Rutcus wasn't very interactive. He would take a treat and walk away, sniffing elsewhere until I offered him more treats. I did not attempt to pet Rutcus. Per Volunteer 11/19: Rutcus is a big boy but he was very easy to leash and calmly walked out with me. He pulled slightly on leash, but responds well to leash pressure directing him. Took treats super gently out of my hand - he is definitely a little hesitant around me, but body language was pretty loose when taking treats. Very good it?s sniffing out treats! He sniffed out all the hotdog pieces that I had dropped in the play yard for the last few dogs I had out. Doesn?t seem interested in any handling so I didn?t try any pets. He seemed to be interested in toys, but never ran after them- just watched them and stayed where he was. Definitely a hesitant boy. I picked up the end of the leash but it was wrapped around his leg - I put my hand closer to his chest to pull it up between his legs and he ended up barking at me. He remained pretty tense after that so I called a staff member to supervise us going back in. He allowed her to pick the leash up and allowed me to walk him back into his kennel. No issues returning using clip method - dropped him some treats but still no tail wags - poor scared boy! Per staff 11/19: An experienced volunteer called for some help with Rutcus out in the play yard today. When I got out there she was standing on the opposite side of the yard from Rutcus, turning her body away from him. Rutcus was slowly strolling around the yard, and the volunteer told me that he hard barked at her when she tried to pick up and adjust the leash. I approached Rutcus with a sideways body and crouched down, slowly picking up the leash. He had gotten it between his two front legs, and gave some hard side eye when I tried to adjust it. We walked around together on leash around the yard until I was able to get the leash out from under him. The volunteer was able to return him to kennel without issue, and I walked with her to make sure. Per staff 11/19: We brought Rutcus out for some activity time today. The divider was lowered for cleaning. When the handler approached he was standing by the door with a neutral body. He allowed the handler to place the leash over his head. He was calm in the room and while timid he was more confident and walked around exploring. He would still flinch at sudden handling but eased into it a lot quicker than previously. He was tolerant to petting and took treats gently in the room! We were able to get him checked in medically as well. He did not need any restraint and was frozen and very tolerant for everything! Making available to experienced adopters 11/17 BEHAVIOR EVALUATION: KNOWN HISTORY: Stray - APO pick up KENNEL PRESENTATION: Rutcus was very nervous in kennel on approach. I lowered the divider right away and he was curled up towards the back and began to growl at me and give hard eye contact. When I opened he turned away from me to retreat and then laid down. I touched his back lightly with the leash to gauge his reaction and he growled but did not react further and then curled up. I was able to reach in and easily lasso him with the leash. He needed some coaxing and small leash tugs to get him out of kennel. Once out he walked slowly on leash, no issues returning LEASH SKILLS: Pulls minimally, vigilant on leash HANDLING: In the yard Rutcus was very nervous and unsure of his surroundings. Once out in the yard he climbed onto his bench and curled up, trying to make himself smaller and avoid any confrontation or interaction. He gave some semi hard eye contact and was vigilant but allowed me to sit near him on the bench. I sat with my back to him giving him space and he sniffed at me but remained curled up. The first time I lightly touched his head he gave me whale eye so I gave him space. I sat on the other end of the bench away from his head and spoke to the other handlers for a few minutes before attempting light handling again. He tolerated me touching his back but would flinch and remain uncomfortable. I took things very slow and as time went on he eased into handling more relaxing and closing his eyes slightly. He remained nervous but tolerant and warmed up slowly with time. PLAY: No interest TOYS: No interest Per staff 11/16: Staff asked us to help him get Rutcus checked in as he was concerned about Rutcus' kennel presence and his size. When I approached he was curled up in the back of his kennel, so I lowered the divider and went around. When I called him he would growl and refuse to turn his head towards me, very avoidant. I tried to toss him some cheese and when I opened the door he hard stared and continued to growl. Due to his size and behavior I did not feel comfortable taking him out and pushing his limits. I put in a trazodone check and will try to stop by with more high value treats to see if behavior improves. Per staff 11/16: Unable to check in due to behavior. Dog has whale eyes with low growls. No interest in interacting. Per staff 11/15: This dog is very scared but very sweet. MEDICAL: On 11/21, Rutcus was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection (URI) or "doggy cold" and started on medication. He tested negative for pneumovirus. Per an exam on 11/19: Rutcus was found to be in good general health other than dirty ears, some staining on his teeth and some tartar along his gum line. Staff noted him to be ?quiet and scared?. On 11/16, Rutcus was shutdown and growling in kennel, and reluctant to take high value foods. Fear, anxiety, and stress in shelter. Prescribed a course of Trazodone and Gabapentin. VIDEOS: Rutcus and Rose Petal meet: https://youtube.com/shorts/XLSJi8ptig0?feature=share Rutcus takes treats gently: https://youtu.be/sUn7aWbitGA 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.