Animal Profile

Rusell is at risk for behavior reasons. Rusell was brought to the care center as a stray. The finder allowed Rusell to interact with their own dogs and Rusell bit the small dog near the neck, leaving a puncture wound on the ear. In the care center, Rusell has been walked with a toy to manage his leash-biting behavior. He does find toys of a high value with potential to resource guard. He is food motivated as well. Medically, he is underconditioned.

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This pet needs emergency placement. Please click here to go to our emergency placement page for more information. Rusell is at risk for behavior reasons. Rusell was brought to the care center as a stray. The finder allowed Rusell to interact with their own dogs and Rusell bit the small dog near the neck, leaving a puncture wound on the ear. In the care center, Rusell has been walked with a toy to manage his leash-biting behavior. He does find toys of high value with potential to resource guard. He is food-motivated as well. Medically, he is underconditioned. This pet is available only through ACC New Hope partners. To adopt or foster, please complete the pre-screener form below. Inquiries sent directly to ACC will not receive a response. Pre-Screener Form Rusell was found as a stray, so his past history and early behavior are unknown. Since coming into care, Rusell has shown a strong interest in toys and enjoys engaging with them. Using toys has been helpful in managing his tendency to bite the leash, and they are an important tool for redirecting his energy. Rusell was involved in an incident where he bit the finder's smaller dog. Because of this, Rusell needs to be the only pet in the home and requires an experienced owner who is comfortable working with dogs that need structure, management, and continued training. Rusell will do best with someone who understands canine behavior, can provide clear boundaries, and is committed to helping him succeed in a calm, pet-free environment.

My medical notes are...

Weight: 44 lbs

Medical Notes

1/20/2026

[DVM Intake] DVM Intake Exam Estimated age: 2-4 yrs Microchip noted on Intake? Negative Scan History: Stray, interaction with finder's dog suggests possible arousal Subjective: BARH Observed Behavior - Friendly, soft body, carrying chew toy in mouth, allowed handling with minimal restraint Is there evidence of Cruelty? No Is there evidence of Neglect? No Is there evidence of Trauma? No Objective BCS 3/9 EENT: Eyes clear, ears clean, no nasal or ocular discharge noted Oral Exam: Dental staining (limited oral exam due to excitement) PLN: No enlargements noted H/L: NSR, NMA, CRT < 2, Lungs clear, eupneic, difficult auscultation due to excitement ABD: Non-painful, no masses palpated U/G: M, 2 testicles descended MSI: Ambulatory x 4, skin free of parasites, no masses noted, superficial laceration under right eye, flaky hair coat CNS: Mentation appropriate - no signs of neurologic abnormalities Assessment: -Underconditioned -Laceration Prognosis: Good Plan: -Nutrition -Cleaned laceration with chlorhexidine soak, applied TAB eye ointment -Clonidine 0.3mg BID for FAS SURGERY: Temporary waiver due to underweight

1/20/2026

[Spay/Neuter Waiver - Temporary] Your newly adopted pet has been diagnosed with being underweight and the staff veterinarians are issuing a TEMPORARY waiver from the spay/neuter requirements of the City of NY. Follow up care at your regular veterinarian is recommended to ensure continued treatment through to the resolution of the issue. At the time of a full recovery you may choose to have your veterinarian perform the spay/neuter surgery, or make provisions to return the pet to ACC for sterilization.

1/30/2026

Patient observed in kennel. Appears BAR, mentally appropriate, and neurologically normal. No clinical signs of Rabies exhibited while at SIACC

Details on my behavior are...

Behavior Condition: 1. Green

Behavior History
Behavior Assessment

Date of intake:: 1/20/2026

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray (very limited information)

Bite history:: Yes. Rusell was involved in a bite incident prior to coming into the care center. The finder allowed Rusell into him home & introduced him to his 2 dogs (SMB & LMB). After some time, Rusell escalated to biting the SMB on the neck, leaving a puncture wound on his ear. When the finder intervened, he redirected biting his hand which left no broken skin.

Summary:: Rusell was involved in an incident before entering the care center which he bit a SMB dog neck and redirected, biting the finder's hand. In care Rusell has been leash biting, climbing up the leash. We have been managing his behavior by using soft toys which are not always of a high enough value to dissuade this behavior. He is not a candidate for a handling assessment at this time.

Summary:: Rusell escalated to biting a smaller dog on the neck. We recommend he be the only pet in the home.

Summary (6):: 2/2: Russell is given a soft toy and easily leashed while holding it. He is brought on a walk around the building carrying his toy. They go into the yard, and he is kept on a leash, alternating between investigating scents and playing with various toys in the yard. He carries a tennis ball back to the kennel.

Summary (7):: 1.28: Russell is at the front of his kennel. He is given a soft toy and is easily roped. Russell is taken to a yard and put on a drag leash. In the yard Rusell plays with his toy and chases after toys thrown by the staff. Russell drops his toy and stands on the bench, attempting to look into the adjacent yard once he hears another dog playing with a toy. When staff attempts to leash Rusell he begins to rope bite, jumping high over the staff member's chest, and grabs onto the leash. Russell ignores toys thrown to distract him and stays focused on the leash. He jumps in the direction of the staff and bites the leash. A second staff member comes and double leashes Rusell, where he is still leash biting. Russell stops leash biting to catch his breath, but then continues once he does so. Staff are able to clip their leashes and returned Rusell to his kennel. 1/27: Rusell is at kennel front. He is given a soft toy and pulls it into his kennel. He is leashed while holding the toy and brought to the yard. Rusell is kept on a leash as he plays with his toy, later switching to a smaller squeaky toy. He allows being pet while engaged, his tail wagging very quickly when touched. Handler calls his attention, and when he looks towards the handler, he hears "YES" and a treat is tossed. He jumps for treats, taking them enthusiastically, lunging for them. Handler gives them with an open hand, and he takes them with mild pressure. When they reach to safely clip him, he bites the carabiner, quickly recovers, is clipped, and carries the toy to the kennel. 1.26: Russel is at the front of his kennel when approached. Staff present him a toy as they attempt to leash him, but he ignores the toy and begins to leash bite. He jumps up and bites the leash, as another staff member throws toys to try and get his attention, but he continues to rope bite. After several seconds of ignoring toys, he finally grabs one and does not rope bite after this point. Russel is then brought to the yard where he keeps his toy in his mouth and plays with it, exploring the yard as he does. Russel is easily leashed and returned to his kennel. 1.24: Russel is at the front of his kennel on approach. He is easily roped with a toy and taken to the yard. He is put on a drag leash and spends his time in the yard playing with the toy. He is easily leashed and brought back to his kennel without issue. 1.21: Rusell is at the front of his kennel and is easily roped. He walks out of the kennel and begins to rope bite as staff walks him to the yard. In the yard, Rusell has a soft body and approaches staff, leaning into pets. Rusell quickly finds a rubber toy that he holds onto. Rusell allows staff to take and throw the toy, which he chases after. Rusell is easily roped and returned back to the kennel. Later, when staff take him out, he is given a soft toy and holds it while walking to the yard. In the yard Rusell becomes slightly tense and hovers over the soft toy when staff approaches him.

Date of initial:: 1/20/2026

Summary:: Friendly, soft body, carrying chew toy in mouth, allowed handling with minimal restraint

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Single-pet home,Recommend no dog parks,Place with a New Hope partner

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to potential challenges, we recommend Rusell go to an adult only home. Single-pet home/Recommend no dog parks: Because Rusell has escalated to biting another dog, we recommend he be the only pet, and does not visit the dog park. Place with a New Hope partner: 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: : Resource guarding,Leash-biting,Bite history (human),Bite history (dog)

Potential challenges comments:: Resource guarding: Rusell finds the toys he carries with him of a high value. He will have a tense body and hover over them. We advise against ever removing items from Rusell's possession without safely trading for an item of greater or equal value. Please see handout on Resource Guarding. Bite history (human)/Bite history (dog): Rusell was involved in a bite incident prior to coming into the care center. The finder allowed Rusell into him home & introduced him to his 2 dogs (SMB & LMB). After some time, Rusell escalated to biting the SMB on the neck, leaving a puncture wound on his ear. When the finder intervened, he redirected biting his hand which left no broken skin. Please see the handout on Bite History and Risk of Future Aggression. Leash-biting: Rusell is quick to grab the leash in his mouth. We have been managing him using soft toys to carry outside with him. However, at times the toy is not a high value, and he will climb the leash. We recommend walking him with a toy to dissuade him from this behavior. Positive reinforcement, force-free training is advised to teach him to focus on you rather than grabbing the leash. Please see the handout on Leash Manners.