Date of intake:: 3/12/2026

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray; history unknown

Date of assessment:: 3/15/2026

Summary:: Roxy has been highly fearful and defensive during her stay in care. She has escalated to snapping at leashes when attempting to remove her from her kennel. Due to these concerns, a handling assessment could not be conducted at this time.

Summary (6):: 3/25/26: Roxy is at the front of her kennel jumping on the kennel bars with feces smeared across the kennel bars and floors from her persistent jumping. Roxy will be clipped to her collar and walked out of kennel with no issue. Roxy pulls mildly with a slightly tucked tail in the hallway, and once in the room will run right up to staff, sit down and lean into petting. Roxy will do the same to multiple staff members, slowly walking up to them and leaning into petting. Roxy will tense at people who knock or enter, but will soften once they leave. Roxy is easily returned back to kennel with no issue. 3/23/26: Roxy is standing at the front of her kennel covered in feces barking as handler approaches. She is able to be clipped to her collar and is then taken to the behavior room. In the room, she is comfortable approaching the handlers with a loose body and accepts treats and pets. She has no reactions to handlers entering and exiting the room. She engages in a snuffle mat and a cheese lick mat momentarily. She is able to return back to her kennel with no issues.

Summary (7):: 3/22: Roxy is at the front of her kennel with a soft body and slow wagging tail when she sees a handler approach. She readily accepts sausages while her collar is clipped with a drag leash. ROxy trots to the behavior office and immediately sits between the handler's legs, placing her head in their lap, leaning into cheek/chin rubs. Roxy perks and approaches another handler entering the room. She greets them by jumping up once before sitting to give them her paw and leans into petting. Roxy alternates between seeking attention and interacting with enrichment items that are laid out. Once her kennel is cleaned, she is walked back on the drag leash and allowed the handler to unclip without issue. 3/19/26: Roxy is standing at the front of her kennel with a loose body and wagging tail as handler approaches. She becomes tense as the handler leashes her and then hard barks. She is then taken to the behavior room. In the room, she is comfortable approaching the handlers with a loose body and accepts treats and pets. She is comfortable approaching an unfamiliar handler as they were siting in a chair and begins to lick at their hand with a loose body. She is able to return back to her kennel with no issues. 3/16/26: Roxy is standing at the front of her kennel with a tense body as handler approaches. She is comfortable taking treats and then she retreats to the back of her kennel. She hard barks as the handler leashes her and she is then taken to the behavior room. In the room, she has a tense body and low tail and would hard stare at the handlers and at the door. She is comfortable slowly approaching the handlers to receive treats. She stops taking treats when the handler clips their leash and is able to slowly return back to her kennel with no issues. 3/15/26: Roxy is siting at the front of her kennel with a tense body as handler approaches. She is comfortable taking a few treats and then she retreats to the back of her kennel as the handler unlocks the door and presents their leash. She begins to growl and snap at the leash as the handler attempts to leash her. She is able to come forward when the handler closes the door and then retreats to the back again. She then snaps and hard barks at the leash as the handler attempts to leash her again. Once leashed, she is then slowly taken to the behavior room. In the room, she has a tense body and tucked tail as she stood and hard stared at the door. She does not engage with the handler. She would head whip as the handler attempts to clip their leash. She is able to be clipped when returning back to her kennel and enters with no issues. 3/13/26: Roxy is observed to have a tense body while trembling at the front of her kennel. She has no interest in treats.

Date of initial:: 3/13/2026

Summary:: tail tucked, initially avoids contact but will take treats gently and warmed up during exam and tas

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Place with a New Hope partner

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to how uncomfortable Roxy is currently with touch and novel stimuli, we feel that an adult-only home would be most beneficial at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Roxy has not acclimated well to the kennel environment and has allowed only minimal handling since intake. 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 for defensive aggression

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: Roxy gives clear warnings when she is uncomfortable and does seem to choose to avoid or retreat when given the opportunity, but if prevented from moving away, there is a potential to escalate to higher-level warning behaviors and possible fear-based aggression. It is important to move slowly with Minerva, to build positive associations (treats/toys/praise), and to allow Roxy to initiate interactions with new people. She should never be forced to greet or to interact if she is not comfortable to soliciting attention. Please see handout on Fearful/potential for defensive aggression.