Date of intake:: 9/3/2026

Spay/Neuter status:: No

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray (No Known History)

Bite history:: Recently, Alphonse was returned from foster due to a bite incident. The foster parent’s friend had met Alphonse two days prior to the incident. He seemed fearful at first but warmed up quickly. On the 7th of September, the friend was sitting on the couch with Alphonse. Alphonse then bit the friend on the face, resulting in two small marks, one on the chin and one on the nose that bled a little. The wounds were treated at home.

Other Notes:: Previous stay: 8/3/26: Stray, No known history During his previous stay, Alphonse was observed to be fearful and would become tense during handling. *Previous assessments can be given upon request*

Date of assessment:: 8/11/2026

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: None Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Distracted Call over: Does not approach Sociability comments: Accepts treats from handler and allows collaring with a neutral body. Soft handling: Fearful Exuberant handling: Fearful Comments: Tense and head whipping during handling Arousal Jog comments: Follows neutral bodied Knock Knock comments: Approaches slowly Toy Toy comments: Flinches at assess-a-hand, sniffs and disengages.

Summary:: Due to entering the facility as a stray, there is limited prior dog-to-dog history recorded. Alphonse came into care with a male intact large mixed breed dog. 8/11/26: Alphonse is introduced to a novel neutered male and approaches the fence slowly with a tense body, high flagged tail, while lifting a paw. He gave a few slow high wags and is soft through the fence, sniffing nose to nose from a distance remaining non reactive. The other dog disengages and reapproaches giving a brief nudge towards the fence, Alphonse flinches back and then redirects his attention without issue.

Summary (5):: 9/27/26 (KSV): Alphonse is standing at the front of his kennel with a neutral body when handler approached. Handler spoke to Alphonse and he tilted his head while listening to handler. Handler asked for a sit and gave the hand signal, Alphonse just stood looking at handler. Handler offered a treat thru the kennel bars and Alphonse walked to the bars and slowly accepted the treat. Handler also prompted Alphonse for other commands (like down, etc) but it seemed that Alphonse was unfamiliar with the commands. So handler played the back and forth game. giving Alphonse treats at different locations thru the kennel bars and also tossing treats to the back of the kennel to keep Alphonse moving and guessing where the next may land. After a while of the game handler ended interaction by walking away. 9/23/26 (KSV): Alphonse is lying down at the front of his kennel when handler approaches. He looks back at the handler but does not move. Handler bends in front and offers a treat. Alphonse gently takes it and slowly gets up. He is standing in front and looks at the handler. His body is neutral. He follows command "sit" and gets rewarded with a treat again. Handler talks to him with a soft voice and Alphonse starts sniffing their hands through the bars while offered treats. He does body stretched and goes back in sitting position. After some time, handler tosses more treats for Alphonse and ends interaction. 09/14/26 (KSV): Alphonse is at the center of his kennel lying down as handler approaches, he is coaxed over by handler who kneels down and offers treats near the front of kennel while facing away to avoid frightening Alphonse. He accepts the treats cautiously at first but begins taking them more confidently over time. He jumps at the kennel door as handler stands with an exuberant intensity. Handler sprinkles a few more treats near the front of kennel for Alphonse before ending their interaction. 9/4/26: Alphonse is at the front of his kennel with a loose body, jumping on the kennel door. He is easily leashed and brought out the room. On the street, Alphonse walks with mild leash tension and no reactivity to dogs or people. Alphonse allows pets. Upon entry, the handler clips their leash and returns Alphonse to his kennel. 8/28/26: Alphonse was lying down at the back of his kennel. When handler unlocked door he came forward where he was easily leashed and pulled from the kennel. Alphonse walks slightly ahead of the he handler while lightly pulling with a neutral body. He stops to sniff and investigate his surroundings. After his walk he is returned to his kennel with no issue.

Summary (6):: 8/26/26: Alphonse at the front of the kennel with a soft body, he is easily leashed and walked towards the elevator. Alphonse jumps up on the handler in a social manner. He is directed down with treats which he takes gently. Alphonse walks besides the handler and relieves himself. A small dog passes by and Alphonse quickly pulls towards the dog. Handler is cleaning up after him and keeps him away. He keeps attempting to pull towards the dog. Handler then tosses a treat to redirect him. Alphonse is then walked back to the shelter and is returned to kennel without issue. NR 8/20/26: On the whiteboard, Alphonse is noted to potentially be housetrained 8/11/26: (ASSESSMENT WALK) Alphonse is lying down in his kennel. He approaches the front and is easily leashed. Alphonse exits the kennel and walks slowly with the handler to the street. He relieves himself a few times. Alphonse looks towards passing dogs on the street and looks away. He ignores people passing by and walks with a loose leash besides the handler. Alphonse is then taken back to the shelter and towards the assessment office. He is aloof with the assessor. After his assessment, Alphonse is returned to his kennel without issue. 8/11/26: Alphonse is lying down at the back of his kennel on the kuranda bed as the handler approaches. He gets up and walks forwards once the door is opened. He is easily leashed and lead slowly to the yard for his dog-dog interaction (see notes) then returned to kennel with ease. 8/07/26: Alphonse is lying down in the back of his kennel when handler approaches. He slowly comes closer to the front when handler unlocks the kennel. He is not receptive to treats but allows leashing and exits kennel slowly with no issues. Alphonse walks slowly next to the handler in the hallways with no reactivity toward pop-up crates or staff members. Once outside, he starts pulling towards certain spots to sniff and eventually relieves himself. Alphonse continues walking next to the handler with slow pace and with no leash tension. He is not receptive to treats or verbal recall and remains aloof most of the time. He doesn't react toward other dogs or people passerby. His body remains neutral with relaxed face during the walk. Upon return, handler is able to pre-clip the leash and bring Alphonse back into the kennel with no issues.

Summary (7):: 8/6/26: Alphonse is lying down in the back of his kennel and slowly approaches the front with a neutral body and low tail. He takes a treat gently through the bars and is leashed without issue and walks behind the handler slowly. He immediately marks in the hallway and then attempts to sniff the pop up crates. Once outside he uses the bathroom multiple times. In the yard, he sniffs the ground briefly and then stands nearby his handler. He takes a treat gently. He sits nearby the handler and allows a brief head pet and takes a couple more treats. He walks back inside without issue but a light amount of leash pressure is used for him to enter kennel. 8/6/26: Alphonse slowly approaches the front of his kennel with a neutral body; he is easily leashed and brought out the room. Alphonse slowly walks behind the handler with mild leash tension; he doesn't react to people or dogs. He is mainly sniffing around, not as attentive to the handler when they call him. He also begins to salivate. Upon entry, teh handler clips their leash and brings Alphonse to his kennel; he refuses to enter on his own, even as treats are tossed in, so the handler muscles him into kennel and removes their leash. 08/05/26: Alphonse is at the front of his kennel as handler approaches, he is offered treats which he quickly accepts. He is easily leashed and removed from kennel and taken to the street for his walk. At times Alphonse slowly and behind handler, stopping to sniff at spots and to relieve himself frequently. Alphonse passes people without issue but will occasionally stare at them, he passes dogs without issue and is observed to drool heavily throughout the interaction. Alphonse allows handler to clip his leash and he is slowly walked back inside. His posture is slightly hunched and his tail slightly tucked but he walks without issue inside. He remains slow and becomes easily distracted often but after being given some time he continues on his own. At the front of his kennel he stops but with mild leash pressure he is returned.

Date of intake:: 8/3/2026

Summary:: Sedated by ESU due to barking and growling

Date of initial:: 8/3/2026

Summary:: Sedated

ENERGY LEVEL:: We have no history on Alphonse so we cannot be certain of his behavior in a home environment. However, he will need daily mental and physical activity to keep him engaged and exercised. We recommend long-lasting chews, food puzzles, and hide-and-seek games, in additional to physical exercise, to positively direct his energy and enthusiasm.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No Children: Due to Alphonse's fearful behavior and bite history we recommend an adult only home. We recommend placement with a New Hope rescue partner who is able to provide an experienced, adult-only foster home. Force-free, reward based training and/or consultation with a professional trainer/behaviorist is highly recommended.

Potential challenges: : Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Anxiety,Bite history (human)

Potential challenges comments:: Handling/Touch Sensitivity: During his assessment particularly during the handling portion Alphonse was tense and whale eyed handler during petting. It is important to always go slow and give Alphonse the option to walk away from any social interaction. Alphonse should never be forced to approach anything that he is uncomfortable with or to submit to petting or handling. It should always be Alphonse's choice to approach a new person or thing. Alphonse may do best in an initially calm and quiet home environment and should be given time to acclimate to his new surroundings. Please see handout on Handling and Touch Sensitivity. Fearful/Potential for Defensive Aggression: When first found by ESU Alphonse was reported to hard bark growl and lunge at the team attempting to bring him in. It is important to move slowly with Alphonse, to build positive associations (treats/toys/praise), and to allow him to initiate interactions with new people. He should never be forced to greet or to interact if he is not comfortable and soliciting attention. Please see handout on Fearful and Defensive Aggression. Bite History (Human): Please see bite history above for more details. Please see handout on Bite History and Potential for Future Aggression. Anxiety: Handlers have reported that Alphonse will salivate profusely throughout interactions and will whine at times during walks. We recommend puzzle toys, long walks, and giving him other things to focus on to alleviate his anxiety. Positive reinforcement, force-free training only should be used. Please see handout on Generalized Anxiety.