Date of intake:: 11/13/2025

Spay/Neuter status:: No

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray, No known history

Date of assessment:: 11/17/2025

Summary:: Mr.Licorice arrived to MACC as a stray with no known history. During his stay in the care center he has been obsvered to be highly fearful. Noted to have a tense body and flinches when handlers attempt to interact with him.

Summary (6):: 11/19/25: Mr. Licorice is at the front of his kennel with a neutral body. As the handler attempts to leash Mr. Licorice, he moves around, dodging the leash, as well as try to go through the open kennel door. Once he's leashed, he is brought out the room. Once outside, Mr. Licorice relieves himself, and as the handler cleans up after him, Mr. Licorice is attempting to pull towards the street. After cleaning up, the handler walks Mr. Licorice to the street; he initially pulls, and then walks in a circle around the handler while crossing the street. He walks in a circle twice more and stops to relieve himself. The handler then shortens their leash and holds him to the side to allow a passerby walk past them. As they walk, Mr. Licorice jumps towards the passerby and the handler pulls him away. The handler then brings him back into the building, and upon returning to his kennel, Mr. Licorice refuses to enter. The handler tosses treats and attempts to muscle him in, but he still does not enter on his own. The handler then brings him out the room, and a second handler attempts to place a sling under him, which he headwhips towards them as they do so. After a few tries, the sling is placed under him. While both handlers walk him in, Mr. Licorice continues to headwhip repeatedly to the second handler, who is behind him with the sling. Both handlers are able to enter him into his kennel and remove the leash and sling with ease. 11/18/25: Mr. Licorice is curled up at the back of the kennel. He quickly approaches the front with a tense body shaking. He is easily leashed and taken out of the kennel. He is walked to the driveway where he relieves himself and stares at people and dogs passing by. He paces back and forth more frantic looking around and circling the handler. A staff member stands off to the side. Mr. Licorice stares at the handler with his head high and his body tense, he then jumps forward and barks. He is lead away. After he is walked around the driveway where he stops and stares at the surrounds. He does not settle and begins whimpering. A dog walks past and he lunges towards the dog barking towards them. He is walked to the street briefly but begins to become more frantic and pulling very hard. He is taken back towards the shelter and refuses to enter the kennel. Handler tosses treats and he does not take any. Licorice is muscled into kennel and the leash is removed without issue.

Summary (7):: 11/17/25: Mr. Licorice is lying towards the back of his kennel with a neutral body. Handler tosses a treat and he would quickly sniff, but wouldn't take. As handler opens the door to attempt to leash, he would continuously dodge it and attempt to push out of the kennel. Shortly after, he is successfully leashed and removed from kennel where he would have a mild pull out of the room. He is then taken to the yard, where he would immediately relieve himself. Shortly after he would begin to dart on the leash, pulling hard into a pen and would sniff around. He would then walk around with a low body and easily begin to flinch, with fast and sudden movements made. He would watch dogs with a neutral body, but easily disengages himself. He is then taken around the perimeter of the yard where he would pull hard, while slightly cowering. He is then easily clipped and returned to his kennel with no issue. 11/14/25: (LATE ENTRY): Mr. Licorice is standing at the front with a neutral body. He is not interested in treats but easily leashed without it. He looks at the other dogs as he passes their kennels and is walked to the yard. In the yard he zig zags back and forth behind handlers legs and rubs himself against them. He is still not interested in treats. He watches other dogs in the yard, forward tense body. When returning to kennel he stops with tense body across from a barking dogs kennel handler muscles him to his kennel and he goes in without issue. Due to the pacing and fearfulness he is not clipped but allows the leash to be removed using the hook. 11/13/25 (late entry)-K9 behavior assisted with intake. Mr. Licorice was laying down in an airline crate with a stiff body. Handlers offered high value treats but Mr. Licorice showed no interest. Handler softly spoke to him and he stayed laying down being aloof with handler. Handler used a hook to leash, he would retreat to the back of the kennel tucking his head down into a corner. After several attempts handler was finally able to leash. The door was fully opened and Mr. Licorice slowly exited. He had a tense body, tail tucked and ears pinned while looking around when entering further into the building. He allowed handler to clip, he plants hard outside his kennel. Handler tosses in treats but still doesn't enter kennel. He starts to back up and due to his size another handler assisted with muscling him into kennel.

Date of intake:: 11/13/2025

Summary:: Fearful, salivating, and lip licking

Date of initial:: 11/14/2025

Summary:: Tense and consistently attempting to pull to end of tether

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

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to fearful behavior we recommend a home with no children. 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: : Fearful

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful: Mr. Licorice has been obsvered to be highly fearful during his stay in the care center. Noted to have a tense body and flinch when handlers attempt to interact with him. They should never be forced to approach anything that they are uncomfortable with or submit to petting or handling. It should always be their choice to approach a new person or thing. Mr. Licorice would do best in an initially calm and quiet home environment and should be given time to acclimate to their new surroundings. Please see handout on Decompression Period.