Date of intake:: 11/3/2025

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray(Unknown History)

Date of assessment:: 11/5/2025

Summary:: 11/5/25: Starburst is taken to the behavior for a handling assessment he displays a low body and tucked tail. Once in the office, he begins to back away from the slip lead and headwhip begins to seek exit and panics. Starburst allows the handler to pace a slip lead on him with a stopper so he can walk more freely in the room.Starburst continues to pace and display heavy open-mouth panting. Starburst does take cheese and allows light petting, but will continue to seek exit and pace around the room. Due to this, a handling assessment will not be conducted at this time. 11/4/26: Starburst is taken to the behavior for a handling assessment he displays a low body and tucked tail. Once in the office, he begins to back away from the slip lead and headwhip begins to seek exit and get away. He is taken back to his kennel and is given extra time to decompress.

Summary (6):: 11/13/25 Starburst is lying down in his karanda bed as the handler approaches. Starburst is reluctant to come out of kennel once leashed, pancaking down into his karanda bed. He is gently guided with directional leash pressure, and is taken into the hallway to have his collar clipped. During the process, Starburst rolls onto his back, exposing his belly, displaying a slight wagging tail. Starburst will then trot his way to the live room, hopping on three of his legs due to his back right paw being irritated. While walking to the live room, Starburst will drop down and lick his paw vigorously. They arrive in the live room and a blanket is placed down on the ground and a drag leash is placed onto him, allowing him to free roam. Starburst will lay down on the blanket, displaying a relaxed body. He periodically approaches the handler to sniff them and collect pets, remaining soft and still as his chin is pet. Starburst will remain lying down for most of his time in the live room and is returned to kennel with no issue. 11/8/25: Starburst is at the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. He is leashed with ease and will slowly and cautiously step out of his kennel. He stops briefly but can be coaxed forward when the handler crouches down. He will baulk at the entrance of the kennel room and eventually lay down, putting his weight on his hip, almost laying down sideways and begins to lick his front paw. The handler will wait for him to get up and once he does so and begins to walk, they jog a bit and he begins to trot along. He is able to get to the behavior office Where he immediately starts trying to seek exit. He briefly visits another handler and they ae able to clip the drag leash onto his collar. He will then pace around the rom for mot of the session. He will not engage with treats or cheese that the handler will offer to him. Right before leaving, he briefly accepts petting from another handler. He is returned to his kennel on the drag leash and unclipped. He is secured safely.

Summary (7):: 11/7/25: Starburst kennel is observed to be covered in feces, and will not put weight on his paws when taken out for his walk, having to be carried. 11/5 (assessment): Starburst is barking at the front of his kennel when a handler approaches. He is offered treats, which he readily accepts, but dodges when the handler attempts to leash him. On the second attempt, they are successful. He is hyper-vigilant as he walks down the hallway. Starburst stops at the intersection of rooms, begins to plant, but he follows with the handler's coaxing, but does not take treats. Once in the behavior office, Starburst begins pacing, scaling the walls, and seeking an exit. He does approach the handler briefly, so he is put on a slip lead with a stopper to give him more opportunity to engage if he chooses to. Starburst paces along the room, persistently seeking an exit. He does take high-value treats intermittently and ignores toys. Out of concern for his stress levels, he is returned to his kennel and a handling assessment is not conducted. He is treat trailed out of the office, and he attempts to bolt away from handlers once in the hallway. Starburst runs into his kennel and the lead is removed without issue. 11/04/25 (BA) Starburst is at the front of his kennel barking at other dogs in their kennel as the handler approaches. Starburst is reluctant to be leashed, quickly retreating to the back of his kennel, appearing fearful. Starburst will remain still, trembling as the handler attempts to leash him, and once he is leashed by way of a lasso, he begins to thrash and pull into his kennel. Starburst is reluctant to exit his kennel and, with directional leash pressure guided out of the kennel room. Starburst appears fearful as he scurries down the hall, scrapping and scrambling, and once again pulls back as they attempt to enter the behavior office. Once inside, he is avoidant, creating distance from both the handler and assessor. Starburst is returned to the kennel to decompress, entering his kennel quickly. -

Date of intake:: 11/3/2025

Date of initial:: 11/3/2025

Summary:: hunched posture, avoids eye contact, not interested in treats, freezes with handling

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Recommend no dog parks

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): We reccomend Starburst be placed in an adult-only home at this time. Recommend no dog parks: Starburst came inot the care center as a stray due this his behavioral history in a home environment is unknown. Starburst is a highly fearful who has struggled to adjust to the care center environment. He presents with trembling, whale eyes, headwhipping on leash and a tightly tucked tail, indicating significant anxiety. While he can be leashed and will walk with handlers, he remains tense and hypervigilant, and has shown startle responses that escalate to thrashing when overwhelmed or exposed to sudden noises, movements. Starburst would benefit from placement with a New Hope partner experienced with fearful dogs who can provide a low-stimulation environment, patience, and gradual desensitization to handling and leash pressure. A structured decompression plan, along with positive reinforcement-based confidence building, will be essential to help Starburst feel secure and begin to adjust successfully outside the shelter.

Potential challenges: : Fearful,Anxiety

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful/Anxiety: Starburst trembling, pancaking, whale eyes, and startle responses indicate significant anxiety and fear. Use low-stress handling and avoid sudden movements or loud environments. Provide calming enrichment like scent work, soft music, and puzzle toys to help him decompress. Gradual desensitization to triggers, paired with high-value rewards, can help build confidence. Walks should be in quiet areas with minimal stimulation, and handlers should use slow, predictable body language to reduce hypervigilance and prevent escalation. Please see the handout on decompression period and generalized anxiety.