Vermont

My story

Meet Vermont - Take My Lead Vermont is a fearful boy who is still working on expanding his circle of trust, but I promise that once you’re in it, he will love you with his whole heart… and head… and butt. He forgets all personal space exists once you’ve been initiated into the Trustworthy Human Club. His circle is small, and for good reason. At under two years old, he’s lacked critical socialization while he was kept at a shelter as evidence in his former owner’s cruelty case since March 2023. While shelter staff and HDR volunteers have worked closely with him, not being able to leave the shelter’s premises has limited his interactions and real-life exposure to a single area, and only a handful of people. Each new experience is met with hesitation but also, as he becomes more confident and comfortable, it’s met with curiosity. If it’s new, it’s scary. We are working on getting him acclimated to real life by exposing him to more people, places, and things. We are now in a position to expand his universe with him being turned over to the shelter after waiting 533 days. Vermont is smart, and eager to please. He’s great with basic commands, loves birds, the color lavender, breakfast sandwiches, and has shown interest in other dogs. He is gentle, playful, and a goofball, but is also sensitive to unexpected or new sights and sounds. Vermont is a work in progress, but has proven to be up for the challenge. Vermont is medium in size, and would do best in an adult-only home due to the ease in which he scares. While we think he may do well with another dog in the home, we still need some time to make an official decision. He needs a special person or a special couple who are willing to work with his needs, and who understand that he may always need time and space to process new environments. Vermont comes with a Take My Lead grant, providing training through Handsome Dan’s Rescue. While not generally the case for our TML dogs, training is mandatory in this case, and we will require his adopter(s) to agree to this as part of his adoption process. To say this boy is special is an understatement. We are beyond excited for him to be officially available for adoption, and we can’t wait to find his forever home. For any questions, please contact his Enrichment Specialist, Rachael, at hdrrachael@gmail.com

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Vermont, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.