KOALA – 14788
Safe - 12-4-2017 Manhattan
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SAFE 12/04/17
Koala
Hello, my name is Koala. My animal id is #14788. I am a female brown dog at the Manhattan Animal Care Center. The shelter thinks I am about 1 years old.
I came into the shelter as a stray on 28-Nov-2017.
Sorry, this pet is for new hope partners only.
Koala is at risk due to behavior, New Hope Only determination. Koala is very fearful in the care center and will need placement that will allow a very slow approach in order for her to acclimate. There are no medical concerns for Koala at this time.
Let’s get to know each other a bit more…
A volunteer writes: Our first reindeer (see pictures) of the year has arrived from Australia. Her name is Koala. She is pretty, petite and all ready for the end of the year’s festivities. Koala rubs her body and cheeks at her door. Her begging eyes are all yours. Her tail is wagging. A silent but clear message: please, please, please, take me out; I love to be in company. And she does, really. Walking the hallway and even the streets reveals itself to be harder than I thought. She sees potential friends every where. We MUST stop so she can be hugged and kissed. Koala does walk well on the leash, and although we can not guarantee that she is housetrained, she did her business during each of our outings. Koala is very sweet and friendly, wants to play and bounce, does not mind to be outfitted with a seasonal coat, sits beautifully on command and for treats, and hops on the bench upon request. She is a little timid in playgroups with her peers, and together with another gal, takes refuge on a bench, away from rowdy boys. Koala might appear as outgoing and daring, but she is quite shy, too, gets overwhelmed quickly, and loves a gentle approach and handling. She is barely out of puppyhood and certainly looks and acts like a “young one”. Koala would love to be your friend, for ever. Come and bring her the most wonderful present…a collar, a leash, maybe a coat, and mostly, your love for the rest of her life. Koala is at the Manhattan Care Center. Another volunteer writes: So shy, so sweet, so tiny, so beautiful and so easy to love. Koala is a little peanut, ready to shyly make friends, but not sure of how her overtures of friendship will be received. Show her some affection and she’s all kisses, low tail wags and sweet, soft hugs. And we also know this about Koala, she’s a good sport! In the spirit of the Holidays I put a festive dress on her, and my colleague the day before put a reindeer suit on her. She’s fine with it all, and if invited to a children’s tea party she’ll dress up for the occasion. Koala is nervous with dogs as well, allowing approach but not engaging. We can only imagine what Miss Koala endured in her past to make her so sensitive and shy, but we’re now looking forward to her future filled with love and understanding. She’s all love and sweetness and simply needs a quiet and calm person/home to allow her to find her way at her own pace. Her little face and sweet, shy personality begs for attention and love. She’s so worth the time.
My medical notes are…
Weight: 36 lbs
BARH scan negative female intact allowed handling appx 8 months old clean EENT clean coat BCS 5/9 NOSF
[DVM Intake] DVM Intake Exam Estimated age:1y Microchip noted on Intake?n History : stray Subjective: Observed Behavior -very social, wags tail, licks Evidence of Cruelty seen -n Evidence of Trauma seen -n Objective T = P =80 R =pant BCS 5/9 EENT: Eyes clear, ears clean, no nasal or ocular discharge noted Oral Exam: clean teeth PLN: No enlargements noted H/L: NSR, NMA, CRT < 2, Lungs clear, eupnic ABD: Non painful, no masses palpated U/G: no SS MSI: Ambulatory x 4, skin free of parasites, no masses noted, healthy hair coat CNS: Mentation appropriate – no signs of neurologic abnormalities Assessment: healthy Prognosis: excellent Plan:ohe SURGERY: Okay for surgery
Details on my behavior are…
Behavior Condition: 1. Green
Date of intake:: 11/28/2017
Spay/Neuter status:: No
Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray
Date of assessment:: 11/30/2017
Look:: 2. Dog’s eyes are averted, body posture is stiff and fearful, tail is low and not moving. Dog allows head to be held loosely in Assessor’s cupped hands.
Sensitivity:: 2. Dog stands still and accepts the touch, eyes are averted, tail is between legs, body stiff, mouth closed, lip long, ears likely back, may lip lick.
Tag:: 4. Dog panics with vocalization combined with tail tuck, yelping and repeatedly trying to exit.
Paw squeeze 1:: 3. Dog yelps repeatedly or screams.
Paw squeeze 2:: 3. Dog yelps repeatedly or screams.
Flank squeeze 1:: Item not conducted
Flank squeeze 2:: Item not conducted
Toy:: 1. Minimal interest in toy, dog may smell or lick, then turns away.
Summary:: Koala ran up to the assessor in the assessment room and then quickly ran away and was reluctant to re approach. She was tense for handling and panicked during tag, yelping and spinning towards the assessor.
Summary (1):: 11/28: When introduced off leash to a male dog, Koala allows approach but is fearful and does not move.
Summary (2):: 11/29: Koala allows approach from male and female dogs but does not move.
Date of initial:: 11/28/2017
Summary:: Koala allowed handling.
ENERGY LEVEL:: We have no history on Koala so we cannot be certain of her behavior in a home environment. However,he is a young, enthusiastic dog who will need daily mental and physical activity to keep her engaged and exercised. We recommend long-lasting chews, food puzzles, and hide-and-seek games, in additional to physical exercise, to positively direct her energy and enthusiasm.
IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:: Koala has allowed some handling in the care center though has been observed to easily startle; when uncomfortable Koala will make all attempts to increase distance. She continues to be fearful of novice items and people, but will engage after a slow introduction.
BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: NEW HOPE ONLY
Behavior Asilomar: TM – Treatable-Manageable
Recommendations:: Place with a New Hope partner
Recommendations comments:: Place with a New Hope partner: Due to Koala’s extremely fearful behavior at the care center, we recommend placement with a New Hope partner who can provide any necessary behavior modification (force-free, positive reinforcement-based) and re-evaluate behavior in a stable home environment before placement into a permanent home.
Potential challenges: : Fearful
Potential challenges comments:: Fearful: Koala is very fearful at the care center. While she is at times social with handler, at other times she will spin away from handlers and yelp when touched. She is also fearful of walking into some areas on leash. It is important to always go slow and give Koala the option to walk away from any social interaction. Koala should never be forced to approach anything that she is uncomfortable with or to submit to petting or handling. It should always be Koala’s choice to approach a new person or thing. Koala would do best in an initially calm and quiet home environment and should be given time to acclimate to her new surroundings. Guidance from a professional positive reinforcement trainer/behaviorist is recommended.
You may know me from such films as…
For more information on adopting from the NYC AC&C, or to find a rescue to assist, please read the following: http://urgentpodr.org/adoption-info-and-list-of-rescues. If you are local to the Tri-State, New England, and the general Northeast United States area, and you are SERIOUS about adopting or fostering one of the animals at NYC ACC, please read our MUST READ section for instructions, or email [email protected]. Our experienced volunteers will do their best to guide you through the process. * We highly discourage everyone from trusting strangers that send them Facebook messages, offering help, for it has ended in truly tragic events.* For more info on behavior codes and ratings, please click here: http://information.urgentpodr.org/acc-placement-status-descriptions. For answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please see: http://information.urgentpodr.org/category/frequently-asked-questions/. You can call (212) 788-4000 for automated instructions.
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