Must Love Dogs: Saving NYC Dogs 12/5/19

Aria
ID#78553
58lb, 2yo female pit bull (brindle) intact

Aggressive toward people and dogs. Failed out of foster home due to attacking person. Still available to 'rescue' only.

PLAYGROUP NOTES 
DOG TO DOG SUMMARIES: 10/14: Aria is reactive when attempting to introduce to the helper dog- lunges, growls, hard barks. She is not introduced off leash. 
 
Aria’s behavior has been changed to NHO due to the reaction she had to a person entering the home she was being fostered in. When the person walked in, she began lunging, growling, and snapping at him and continued this behavior the entire time he was in the home.

First line of listing on FB:

<3 Meet Young Aria <3 She’s wiggly, tail wagging wonderful, super sweet, & this girl just LOVES cheese! An excellent hiking companion, eager to explore, & a great car passenger to boot

Outcome
As of December 26, 2019, Aria had been sold to Second Chance Rescue NYC Dogs.  Their FB plea to followers for a foster volunteer includes zero mention of aggression:

On October 11th, 3 female pits were found abandoned after their “owner” was evicted, leaving them to fend for themselves. Two of the girls were placed with rescues/adopters, quickly, but Aria was not. She has been languishing in ACC, waiting for her family to find her. She is a beautiful brindle/ white female. She is sooo affectionate and playful, at just 2 years old, she has a lot of love and life left to give. Unfortunately, being cooped up in the shelter for over 2 months, has taken a toll on her emotionally and mentally. She is a favorite of the shelter staff and volunteers alike. They absolutely adore her. The shelter is an open admission Shelter, sadly when they run out of space hard decisions have to be made. Aria has been placed on the At Risk List, making everyone’s heart break. We were contacted by the rescue department, who asked if we can please try to help Aria. We don’t have a plan for her, but we went and met her. Oh boy, we can tell why she won the hearts of so many. This girl just wants to please. She was so sweet and affectionate with us. Takes treats gently, so happy to be outside in the fresh air, out of the small kennel she has had to call home for the last 2 1/2 months. It is sad, but this is the reality for so many dogs in municipal shelters across our country. Aria is a great dog, and we would love to try to save her life. However, we can’t do that without your help. We need a foster or adopter for Aria in order to save her. She is 2 years old and 58 pounds. She is medium energy level, and is good on leash. She needs a foster where she can decompress from her shelter stay. She needs someone to foster her or better yet, adopt. Aria came in with 2 other females who she lived with. 

Note the coded phrase that conceals the aggression history, and the fact that the city shelter aggressively sought to shift liability and responsibility for a dangerous dog rather than euthanize.

Kyra
#77960
62lb, 4yo female pit bull (black and white, spayed)

Aggressive toward dogs, rapidly arouses and hard mouths humans and is hard to refocus; 

PLAYGROUP NOTES - DOG TO DOG SUMMARIES: 10/6: Kyra is tense and hard barks at the gate when introduced to the greeter dog. No off leash is conducted. 10/7: Kyra remains tense and backs away. No off leash conducted due to stress level concerns.


EHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: NEW HOPE ONLY
Behavior Asilomar: TM - Treatable-Manageable
11/29/19. Kyra has been updated to New Hope Only due to recently displaying a low threshold for arousal with handlers and hard mouthiness, unable to refocus her attention or settle.

Recommendations: No children (under 13)
Recommendations comments: No children: Kyra is fearful at the care center and may be intimidated by children. She needs a slow approach and time to warm up. She should never be forced to interact with new people, and should be allowed to greet and initiate an interaction at her own pace. An adult-only home is recommended.

Potential challenges: Fearful/potential for defensive aggression
Potential challenges comments: Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: While Kyra appears social with handlers, she is fearful of her environment, pancaking on the ground while being walked at the care center. At times, she has growled while approached by handlers in her kennel. Please see handout on Fearful/potential for defensive aggression.

Staff saw pets jaw caught on bars of kennel door. Tried to use bite guard to free jaw but pet dislodged herself. Hard barking. Placed an additional 50 mg of Trazodone in kennl and 300 mg Gabapentin in food in kennel. (Trazodone 150mg give at intake today.) Requested Behavioral assessment. Placed privacy screen on kennel. 

Intake exam
Behavior - Hyperalert. Takes treats well. Whale eye and frozen body when muzzle placed and throughout exam.  

First line of FB listing:
Kyra is a lovely flower just waiting to bloom! Kyra loves to play, polite with passing dogs, and loves snacks! A little angel <3 

Outcome: 
"SAVED 12/10/19KYRA WAS PLACED WITH RESCUE DOGS RESCUE SOLDIERS."
http://www.rescuedogsrescuesoldiers.org/index.html


We train rescue dogs as service dogs for soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. We name the dogs in honor of fallen soldiers and carefully pair the dogs with veterans to allow a better life for both soldier and dog. We work with teens in a juvenile detention facility to train the dogs.

What better partner for a traumatized soldier than a terrified pit bull?  RDRS also operates a 'sanctuary' facility for unadoptable dogs; their website shows one in a solo pen with house.  In July 2019, one of their rescue 'pull' pit bulls was found dead on arrival at their Cherry Valley, NY facility, after being transported during a heat wave from NYC by the city shelter's people.

Blue 
ID#70494
50lb, 3yo male pit bull (black)

Bite history toward humans over food, failed out of foster home after biting foster's hand badly over spilled food. Borderline aggressive behavior toward dogs, even female, in situations where experienced handlers were watchful and controlled Blue and other dog fully - more casual situations seem very likely to result in outright aggression.


Bite history:
Blue growled, stiffened and bit foster's right hand (resulting in 2 puncture wounds, requiring 5 stitches) when she pulled him away from food that spilled in his crate.

 11/19: Blue returned to playgroup today after being returned. He initially seeks handler attention before noticing a novel female dog. Blue greets the female with a tense posture and his leash is held as a precaution. He wanders the pens, but when he sees the female he pulls hard towards her maintaining a tense face and short lip.


9/30: As a staff member gave food to the dog in the kennel next to Blue, he began growling, baring his teeth, and lunging at the kennel door. Another staff member attempted to distract him with treats, which he took, but then went back to baring his teeth and lunging at both staff members.

9/12: Blue was seen hovering over his food bowl, tense and low growling, when a handler approached his kennel. He lunged toward the handler when she got nearer and continued to hover over the bowl. He continued to eat once she moved away.

7/27: When off leash at the Care Center, Blue is introduced to a novel female dog. He is unable to readily focus once in the pens. He is conflicted when he seeks attention from handlers- he will lean his body into their but then move away when contact is attempted. Blue approaches the gate with a wiggly posture when he sees the female but does not greet her. His leash and the female's leash is held and the gate is opened. He walks by her and sniffs her genitals, but displays short freezes when the female is in close proximity. He shakes off and walks away.

8/2: Blue greets a novel female with a heightened posture but continues to freeze briefly when she greets him face to face. Blue places his chin over the female’s neck, but is interrupted by handlers.

INTAKE BEHAVIOR: Date of intake: 26-Jul-2019
Summary: Hard barking

First paragraph of  FB listing:

Update: Blue has a $1,000 stipend to the New Hope Partner that rescues him.

Blue Chooses YOU! Come Meet This Handsome Charcoal Pup! He’s full of life, full of joy, he's full of love. He’s happiness on 4 paws and he loves jump up hugs, sloppy kisses. He’s all in. Goofy silly and so darn sweet, BLUE would love to have an active, fun family who will include him in all their outdoor activities. There is simply not a bad bone in his whole beautiful body.  

Bardi
ID#80514
58lb, 3yo female pit bull (white)

Bite history with dog, fearful aggression toward people

INTAKE NOTES – DATE OF INTAKE, 11/2/2019: Upon intake Bardi was walking around but allowed limited handling. She started to growl and bark hard when the counselor attempted to put a leash on her. Counselor was unable to collar.


*Bite history:: 11/2/19: Finders reported Bardi to have had a recent bite incident with the resident nine month old puppy (King). King was reported to approach Bardi when she entered the home, displaying soft and loose body language and attempting to engage in play. Bardi was observed to growl, bare her teeth and rush forward before biting and holding King's left leg before shaking him. The finders were able to separate the two dogs and surrender Bardi to the care center. This bite incident resulted in three punctures to King's left leg.
 
11/8: Due to Bardi’s DOH status only a gate greet was conducted. She is introduced to a novel male and she greet him with a tense before walking away to seek attention from known handlers.

11/15: Bardi greeted a novel male with a softer posture today. But she kept to herself and ignored the male for the duration of the session. When the male approaches Bardi for a face to face greet, stiffens, but does not escalate. Bardi sought attention from known handlers.

INTAKE BEHAVIOR - Date of intake:: 11/2/2019
Summary:: Pacing; Allowed limited handling; Growled and hard barked when attempting to place rope on her

MEDICAL BEHAVIOR - Date of initial:: 11/2/2019
Summary:: Whale eyed, resisted handling; Muzzled; Limited handling performed

First line of FB listing: 
Beautiful Bardi has a big heart, a soft smile and a wagging tail. 

Pink
ID#81172
62lb, 5yo female pit bull (tan/white)

Bite history with people while redirecting in efforts to attack a dog

Bite history:: Yes, Pink bit a volunteer at the care center. Pink was being walked out of the kennel room and began reacting and cage fighting with a dog in a neighboring kennel. When the volunteer pulled her away, Pink redirected and bit the volunteer's thigh. The bite did not break skin, but ripped clothing and left bruising.

Pink is now Level 3 & publicly adoptable 

First line of adoption listing on FB:
CALM AND FRIENDLY WITH A WAGGY TAIL!! PINK IS A GENTLE GIRL JUST WAITING FOR A FAMILY TO LOVE!