MELLA – A1119912

Manhattan Center

My name is MELLA. My Animal ID # is A1119912.
I am a spayed female tan pit bull mix. The shelter thinks I am about 2 YEARS

I came in the shelter as a STRAY on 07/26/2017 from NY 10454, owner surrender reason stated was PETS CONFL.

07/31/2017 AT RISK MEMO
Mella A1119912 is at-risk as New Hope Only. In addition to her fear based behavior, Mella has bitten (no broken skin) twice in the care center when approached while engaged with food items. We cannot be certain if this is due to potential guarding or her general discomfort.

MOST RECENT MEDICAL INFORMATION AND WEIGHT
07/31/2017 Exam Type MS NEW URI – Medical Rating is 3 C – MAJOR CONDITIONS , Behavior Rating is NH ONLY, Weight 55.4 LBS.

S/O BAR, extremely cage aggressive/reactive mucoid nasal discharge, sneezing; coughing reported at adoption event yesterday appears eupnic A CIRDC P continue clavamox, add baytril 136 mg tabs: 2 tabs PO SID x 14 days

07/27/2017 PET PROFILE MEMO
07/27/17 00:16 Very sweet dog. Allowed handling during intake.

07/31/2017 WEB MEMO
A volunteer writes: They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and Miss Mela personifies that. Her gorgeous amber eyes reflect her life to date: thoughtful, at times joyful, and the hope that her forever person will walk in today. Mela is a beautiful blonde, curious, aware, sniffing all the enticing scents as we walk to the park. Sweet and gentle, she gives kisses, shows off her sit, but figured out quickly I didn’t have any treats she liked. When I wasn’t fast enough with a treat, I got a quick woof to remind me she was waiting, and then she rejected it with a polite no-thank-you. Leggy, and runway-model gorgeous, she comes when called for some petting, but just don’t make sudden movements, as she’s a little hand-shy. Later in the day, we spent time together again, and her eyes sparkled and her tail wagged with the fun of visiting with a friend. My wish for her is a lifetime of sparkling eyes, a wagging tail, cuddles and kisses, and the right person or family with whom to share it. Ask to meet our sweet girl today.

07/31/2017 BEHAVIOR EVALUATION – NH ONLY
Exam Type BEHAVIOR
CANINE EVALUATION TEMPLATE for: Mella A1119912 KNOWN HISTORY: Limited Profile 7/26/17 Spayed Female, Stray Bite history: Mella is reported to have bitten in the previous home though details and cirumstances were not provided. Mella has bitten twice on two separate occasions in the care center (no broken skin) when a handler was attempting to approach/remove item from Mella’s mouth. SAFER ASSESSMENT: 7/28/2017 Look: 1. Dog’s eyes are averted. Her ears are back, her tail is down, and she has a relaxed body posture. Dog allows head to be held loosely in Assessor’s cupped hands. Sensitivity: 2. Dog leans in and accepts the touch, her eyes are averted, and her tail is in neutral position with relaxed body posture, mouth closed, lip lick Tag: 1. Follows at end of leash, body soft, a bit playful Squeeze 1: 1. Dog is initially difficult to position, will not maintain proximity. Once positioned, does not pull paw back. Toy 1. Dog keeps a firm grip, body neutral. Summary: Mella jumped up to lick assessor’s face on several occasions during assessment, at other times would attempt to increase distance and require gentle coaxing to re-approach and allow handling. PLAYGROUP: Mella is polite when greeting dogs, but has not yet been completely comfortable during prolonged interaction. At this time, the behavior team recommends allowing Mella time to decompress outside the shelter before immediate introductions to other dogs. Future introductions should be conducted at a slow pace to respectful dogs. INTAKE BEHAVIOR 7/26/17 Mella allowed handling during intake. MEDICAL BEHAVIOR: 7/26/17 During her initial medical exam Mella allowed all handling ENERGY LEVEL: We have no history on Mella so we cannot be certain of his behavior in a home environment. In the care center, Mella displays as having a high level of energy. He would do best with daily mental and physical activity to keep him engaged and exercised, such as daily walks, runs, exercise, and play. IN-SHELTER OBSERVATIONS: Mella has bitten in the care center on two separate occasions. Once when a volunteer was removing something from her mouth and again when a volunteer went to pet her while she was eating a treat; neither bite broke skin.

RECOMMENDATIONS: New Hope Only _X_No children (under 13) _X_New Hope Only: Mella has not acclimated well to the kennel environment and has displayed some concern (see in-shelter observations). 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: _X_Basic manners/Poor impulse control: At times Mella would jump with moderate intensity toward assessor to solicit attention. It is recommended that default behaviors such as ‘leave it’, ‘sit/stay’, ‘down’ are reinforced to substitute any frustration and teach her to control her impulses instead of simply reacting. Force-free, reward based, positive reinforcement training only is recommended. _X_Resource guarding: Mella has bitten when approached while engaged with a food item, we cannot be certain if this is resource guarding or whether this is general fear and discomfort though recommend safe and appropriate management. We recommend that Mella be left along while eating, and that food guarding behavior modification steps (available at ASPCApro.org) be utilized if this behavior is problematic in his future home. Nothing should ever be taken directly out of Mella’s mouth, and any time something is removed he should be rewarded with a high value treat or toy. She should be taught the “drop” cue and trade-up games. _X_Fearful: While she displays some social behavior towards select handlers, Mella has bitten during her stay in our care centers when uncomfortable; guidance from a professional trainer/behaviorist is recommended to assess behavior after decompression in a new home environment. Force-free, reward based training is advised when introducing or exposing Mella to new and unfamiliar situations. _X_Kennel presence: While we cannot be certain if this behavior will appear in any other contexts, in highly emotionally charged or stressful environments Mella may show behavior similar to what she is currently demonstrating in her kennel (lunging, growling, hard barking, whale-eyed). We recommend potential adopters be comfortable managing this behavior and keeping themselves safe in any similar future situations.

07/27/2017 GROUP BEHAVIOR EVALUATION 
Exam Type GROUP BEHAVIOR
Mella is polite when greeting dogs, but has not yet been completely comfortable during prolonged interaction. At this time, the behavior team recommends allowing Mella time to decompress outside the shelter before immediate introductions to other dogs. Future introductions should be conducted at a slow pace to respectful dogs. 7/27: When introduced off leash to the male greeter dog, Mella greets briefly with a soft body and waggign tail. With lingering greeting, she becomes a bit uncomfortable and walks away. 7/28: Mella greets a calm male dog politely then mostly keeps to herself, occasionally returning to sniff.

07/27/2017 DVM INTAKE PHYSICAL EXAM
Medical rating was 2 NC – MINOR CONDITIONS NOT CONTAGIOUS, behavior rating was NONE
DVM Intake Exam Estimated age: 2 Microchip noted on Intake? n History : stray Subjective: Observed Behavior – wags tail, leans into petting Evidence of Cruelty seen – n Evidence of Trauma seen – n Objective P = 60 R = wnl BCS 5/9 EENT: Eyes clear, ears clean, no nasal 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: tattoo MSI: Ambulatory x 4, papulea and plaques on abdomen and inner thigh CNS: mentation appropriate – no signs of neurologic abnormalities Assessment: pyoderma, minor Plan: clavamox 250mg bid x 10d Prognosis: good

07/31/2017 MS NEW URI (LAST MAJOR EXAM)
Medical rating 3 C – MAJOR CONDITIONS , behavior rating NH ONLY
S/O BAR, extremely cage aggressive/reactive mucoid nasal discharge, sneezing; coughing reported at adoption event yesterday appears eupnic A CIRDC P continue clavamox, add baytril 136 mg tabs: 2 tabs PO SID x 14 days

 

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