Date of intake:: 1/20/2026

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray(Limited Hsitory)

Date of assessment:: 1/28/2026

Summary:: 1/28/26: A handling assessment will not be condcuted at this time due to Fernando display denfensive behavior in care. 1/22/26: Fernando is given more time to decompress due to him displaying high hackles and fearful behavior when taken to the behavioral office for a handling assessment. 1/21/26: A handling assessment is not condcuted at this time due to Fernando being sedated for his medcial exam.

Summary (7):: 1/31/26: Fernando is at the front of his kennel standing at the glass and growling when approached. Fernando will begin to wag his tail when the handler opens the door and when leashing will begin to growl with his mouth slightly open, remaining tense. Fernando is brought out of kennel and brought into the room, where he jumps into familiar handlers laps, leaning in for petting, remaining tense at times but keeps resoliciting contact. Fernando then jumps onto a new staff members lap, leans into contact but immediately grows very stiff, hard stares and growls at the handler. Fernando is moved off and away and begins to jump back on the familiar handler, leaning into petting with a neutral body. Fernando after a bit is taken back to kennel. 1/27/26: When handlers pass his kennel, he is noted to growl and stand against his kennel door baring teeth 1/26/26: Fernando is standing up with widened eyes at his kennel door as handler approaches. He is able to be slowly leashed and he then pulls hard with his hackles raised on the way to the behavior room. In the room, he has a tense body with a low tail as he explored around. When the handler sits in a chair, he would jump on the handler and excepts a few pets as he hard stares at the door while trembling. He would constantly approach the door to seek exit. He begins to growl with a tense body and would lip lick with widened eyes as the handler slowly attempts to clip their leash. He has no interest in treats and doesn’t respond to a squeaker. He allows the handler to slowly clip their leash and he pulls hard on the way back to his kennel and quickly goes in with no issues. 1/22/26: Fernando is jumping, with widened eyes while hard barking at his kennel door as handler approaches. He is able to be slowly leashed and he then pulls hard with his hackles raised on the way to the behavior room for his assessment. In the room, he has a tense body while his hackles are raised and he would avoid the handlers. Due to fearfulness, his assessment is unable to be completed. He has to be muscled into kennel due to not wanting to go back in. 1/22/26: Fernando is noted jump at the front of his kennel, baring teeth and growling when handlers walks pass. 1/22/26: ACS reported that when reclipping Fernando lead he began to growl and become tense.

Date of intake:: 1/20/2026

Date of initial:: 1/21/2026

Summary:: high energy, jumping at the kennel door, low growled twice

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): We reccomend Fernando be placed in an adult-only home at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Fernando prior owner dropped him off at the police precinct because they were unable to take care of him anymore. Fernando has not adjusted well to the care center environment when approached in his kennel, he frequently displays hard barking, growling, baring teeth, widened eyes, and tense body posture. He has been observed growling and pressing against the kennel door when handlers pass.In the behavior room, he remains tense and hypervigilant, frequently seeking exit, trembling, and hard staring at the door. While he may briefly accept limited petting, he shows clear stress signals such as lip licking, growling, and avoidance during routine handling tasks, including leash clipping. Fernando is available for rescue-only through one of our New Hope partners with an experienced organization capable of providing a quiet, low-traffic environment, predictable routines, and a gradual, consent-based approach to handling.

Potential challenges: : Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Low threshold for arousal

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful/potential for defensive aggression/Barrier frustration/Low threshold for arousal: Fernando has been observed growling and pressing against the kennel door when handlers pass, indicating heightened kennel presence and barrier-related stress.he may briefly accept limited petting, he shows clear stress signals such as lip licking, growling, and avoidance during routine handling tasks, including leash clipping.Training should prioritize slow, low-pressure interactions, distance-based reinforcement, and gradual desensitization to kennel-door handling and leashing to reduce stress and improve safety. Please see the handout on Fearful/potential for defensive aggression/Barrier frustration/Low threshold for arousal.