Shelby

My story

Shelby is living in a foster home. Please submit an application from our website and/or email dogs@heartlandanimalshelter.org to learn if you are a match! Sweet and gentle Shelby was adopted from us as a 4 month old puppy back in 2017. We do not know much about her life between then and now, sadly. We received a call recently from Chicago Animal Care and Control that someone was there trying to drop off a dog adopted from us (her owner had Shelby's original adoption folder, and the staff at CACC knows us well so they alerted us). CACC refused to allow Shelby to be surrendered there and told the man he needed to contact us. All he told us was that he was coming first thing the next morning, and he did, and he dropped Shelby off like she was dry cleaning, without much care or regard. Shelby had not seen a vet in all her time out of our care, so Shelby was seen by our vet the very next day. Thankfully, Shelby is in great health (she just needs to lose a few pounds!) and is all up to date on her vaccines, etc. We are so grateful that one of our amazing foster homes stepped up to foster her. Shelby is loving her life as queen of the castle! She lives with a cat who goes in and out, and Shelby is not bothered by him (the cat hates dogs and Shelby has taken being hissed and swatted at in stride!). Shelby is housebroken, and has no need for a crate as she can be trusted to free roam for a full workday. Shelby has met older kids and was gentle and accepting. She walks really well on leash, but she may bark at passing dogs randomly! We do not believe Shelby was socialized much to other dogs in her previous home, so her social skills are awkward! We have seen her interact with a few dogs at the shelter and she did well, but it was almost like she did not know what to do! Shelby's foster likes to go for long walks with her sister and her sister's dog, and after some initial barking on Shelby's part, they walk fine next to each other. Shelby's foster mom loves her, and she writes, "I can't figure out why Shelby ended up back at Heartland. From the moment she got to my house she was on her best behavior. She knows her name, doesn't get on the furniture, is housebroken and is very happy to see us when we get home. Shelby loves going for walks and does pretty well on the leash. She loves to play fetch with a tennis ball and she is great about dropping it at your feet so you can throw it again....and again. Shelby doesn't have a big appetite (but she loves treats) and she has only been eating once a day (her choice). I think Shelby would even be a great dog for a first time dog owner because most of the training has already been done. Shelby did not chase my cat, but chasing squirrels is another story!" We hope someone out there is looking to open their home to a fabulous and easy girl who is ready for a new beginning! Shelby’s adoption fee is $250. This animal is spayed, up to date on core vaccines, and Heartworm negative.

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