This week’s featured dog is Jillian. Jillian is a young, super friendly pit bull terrier mix. She is a petite girl – she weighs about 26 pounds when she came to the shelter. She’s only 6-12 months old.

Jillian came to the shelter on August 18, 2011 and has a sad story. Her owner left her with a friend when they were moving and they never came back to get her!

She is very excited at the shelter and just wants to get out of her cage. She’s locked up in a small space for long periods of time and, being a puppy, she really needs lots of exercise and stimulation and someone to teach her how to behave. When she does get out, she is happy to run around and play. She craves interaction and companionship and needs some structure and stability.

Jillian absolutely adores people and can barely contain her excitement when they show her attention and kindness. The shelter staff introduced her to some cats there and she wasn’t very interested in them. The shelter also tested her with some of her dog shelter mates and she did just fine. She was way more interested in attention from her human friends.

Because she can get a little riled up (although she will most likely settle down in a home once she gets a little older), Jillian probably should go to a home with bigger kids (over 5 years) that can handle her playing with them.

The shelter where Jillian lives right now has a very high intake rate and only so much room for puppies. Unfortunately, the shelter has to accept every animal that is dropped at its door! This puts Jillian and her furry friends there at risk every day that they stay there. Even though she’s a young, healthy, super friendly, affectionate girl, her life is at risk! So if you can find room in your home and your heart, please foster or adopt her!

Jillian is up to date on all of her shots, microchipped and will be neutered when you take her home.

Jillian currently resides at the PSPCA’s Animal Care & Control Team (ACCT), 111 W. Hunting Park Avenue. For more information call: 267-385-3800. ACCT is open 365 days a year. If you cannot adopt her permanently but would like to help anyways, you can always consider fostering Jillian until she finds her happy ending.

This week’s dog is Petey. Petey (or Sweet Pete) is the sweetest pup at the shelter. He was adopted and then returned after a short while because the family’s youngest child ended up being very allergic. Poor Pete needs a second chance!

Petey’s just a little boy – about 6-12 months old, with a soft, handsome, brindle coat. Although nervous, Petey loves being around people, and seems to thrive on all the hugs he’s getting from his volunteer friends.

Petey did extremely well on his behavioral evaluation, in spite of his fears – he becomes highly engaged around food, but had no problems with his food being taken away from him. He’s interested in toys but isn’t quite sure what he’s supposed to do with them – nobody’s ever played with him before.

His ideal home would be one with a kind human who can show him how much more fun life is when there’s lots of toys to play with. Petey was also great when tested with other dogs – he did best with a calm male who seemed to bring him out of his shell and engage Petey’s playful side. Petey showed a mild interest in cats – nothing alarming, and can be retested with cats at your request.

All in all, Petey’s a young pup with lots of potential that really needs to get out of the scary shelter – maybe you can be the one to help Petey blossom.

Please come meet him today – Petey currently resides at the PSPCA’s Animal Care & Control Team (111 W. Hunting Park Avenue). Phone: 267-385-3800. ACCT is open 365 days a year.

Today’s dog is Tyson. He’s a sweet one-two year old terrier mix who was surrendered to the shelter because his owners could no longer afford to keep him.

Tyson appears to be in fantastic shape although he needs to put a little bit of weight on. He has a gorgeous caramel colored coat, sweet, soulful eyes, and jowls that are irresistibly squeezable!

He is very sad in his kennel (it seems as though he’s waiting and hoping that his owners are coming back for him), but he really comes out of his shell nicely when he gets to go outside and hang out with the volunteers.

Tyson’s a medium energy dog who loves to play but isn’t jumpy or mouthy. He walks very nicely on the leash, and will just trot happily by your side. He did great on his food test and his dog meets- he was tested with two females, and he was friendly and playful with both of them; he also seems to have no interest in cats, and could probably live with them.

Tyson loves people of all ages and sizes and is very gentle in his approach. Children of all ages seem to be drawn to this handsome boy with his big, “pet-able” head. Tyson loves the attention he gets from the little ones and rewards them with plenty of kisses.

Being that he is relatively skinny, Tyson loves treats and food of all sorts. In turn, this makes it extremely easy to train him. He knows “sit” and “down” already and is going to work on “no/leave it” and crate training next.

If you are interested in Tyson and have dogs of your own, please bring at least one of them to make sure there is no major personality clash. Please also bring proof that you are allowed to have dogs/cats at your home if you rent or be prepared that the adoption staff will call your landlord before approving your application. If you have children 10 and younger, they will be required to meet Tyson before adoption/foster care can be finalized. Don’t let this awesome dog go down for the count – bring Tyson home today!

For more information on how to adopt or foster Tyson please call 267-385-3800, email: ACCT [at] pspca.org or stop by the shelter (111 W. Hunting Park Ave) if you want to meet him.

Today’s dog is Desi. She’s a very sweet pup. She is on the little side – weighs only about 35 lbs. She was found as a stray on the streets of Philadelphia and now temporarily resides at PSPCA’s Animal Care & Control Team (111 W. Hunting Park Avenue).

Desi is a low-medium energy dog. She needs walks and/or a yard to romp in. She is currently learning some commands at the shelter such as “sit,” “down” and “paw.” She loves treats so it makes it pretty easy to train her.

Desi loves people and would really like to live in a home with a family that loves her. She loves to snuggle!

If you are interested in Desi and have small children, please bring them to make sure Desi is a good fit for everyone in the family. Please also bring proof that you are allowed to have dogs/cats at your home if you rent or be prepared that the adoption staff will call your landlord before approving your application.

She’ll be spayed, up to date on shots and microchipped before she leaves the shelter. If you want to meet Desi call: 267-385-3800 or stop by the shelter.

ACCT is open 365 days a year. Adoption hours are: Monday to Friday: 1 – 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: 10 – 5 p.m. Afterhours by appointment.

Today’s dog is Pippa, a three-five year-old brindle girl with a splash of white on her nose and white toes. She’s a playful, affectionate dog who absolutely loves toys!

Pippa was found lactating and skinny on a porch in the Spring Garden section of Philadelphia, her puppies were nowhere in sight. Pippa doesn’t hold her past against people though. She doesn’t mind being handled all over and is happy to meet everyone.

Pippa has clearly had no obedience training in her prior life. Currently, Pippa’s working on leash manners and leash training with her Pen Pal. While Pippa can be super excited to be outside at first, she does settle down and absolutely loves rolling around in the grass with a toy in her mouth.

When meeting cats, Pippa was friendly and loose, but chances are she will want to play with any cat she lives with so she probably shouldn’t be placed with cats right now. Pippa has done excellently with all the dogs she has met at the shelter, both on leash and off, male and female. She’s playful but also happy to walk next to another dog without being rude.

Pippa would love to go to a home with dog experience where she can continue learning all the skills dogs need to know (and where toys will be plentiful).

If you are interested please email Pippa’s Pen Pal at: ghenygator09 [at] gmail.com for more information.

Please meet Emma, a sweet and fun loving Pitbull princess who is between one and two years old. Her owners surrendered her for adoption because they couldn’t care for her anymore.

Emma is the perfect combination of playful, energetic pup and mature, calm ex-momma dog. She has spunk and will let it shine when she gets the chance to play with another dog. She is very curious and interested in her surroundings – much like a puppy. At the same time, she settles down nicely and enjoys simply hanging out by your side. Getting her belly rubbed at the same time doesn’t hurt either.

Emma walks well on the leash. Since she weighs only about 45 lbs, she is very manageable with or without an easy walk harness.

She appears to be house trained and she is great in the car. There is nothing better than a dog that will roll up in the back seat and take a nap.

She knows “sit”, “down” and “no”. She is super smart! She learned each one of these commands in the matter of 15 – 20 minutes. Fortunately, she is very treat motivated – or in human language: Emma is a foodie – which makes training her extremely easy.

Emma is already spayed, microchipped & up to date on all of her shots and therefore ready to go home (with you).

If  you want to adopt Emma please stop by the PSPCA’s Animal Care & Control Team (111 W. Hunting Park Avenue) or call: 267-385-3800. You can also consider fostering if you can’t adopt her permanently. Fostering saves not only Emma’s life but also the life of the dog that would move into her kennel at ACCT.