Butch

My story

Butch is a handsome, strong boy who’s been through a lot recently but is slowly learning to trust again. He arrived at the shelter with a heavy tow chain around his neck, which was safely and gently removed by our team—he was incredibly cooperative and seemed relieved to have it taken off. Since then, Butch has been making steady progress with the help of patient staff and volunteers. He’s shown that he can be easy to leash and enjoys getting out for walks and playgroups. Butch has a gentle side—he takes treats patiently and has moments of calm curiosity, especially when outside exploring or relaxing after some exercise. He’s had polite interactions with other dogs and is gaining confidence each day. Butch is still working on feeling fully comfortable in the shelter environment. He can be unsure with handling, especially in confined spaces, and may need a strong, experienced adopter or rescue partner who can give him the time, structure, and reassurance he deserves. Butch has shown that with care and consistency, he's willing to trust. He’s a beautiful dog with a lot of potential and is just looking for someone who believes in him. Could that be you? Medical Notes: Per staff 7/14: “Pt possibly had a seizure. Volunteer and staff saw him on his side, tremoring/twitching and seemed out of it. Pt seemed quiet but not really post-ictal when I got to him, standing at door of kennel. He did have clear bubbles foamed around nose along with some mucoid nasal d/c. Moderate amount of vomit noted in cage - light green in color(not bile type green); almost similar to rodenticide poison color. Pt has been here since the 8th however, so unlikely that he could have gotten into any toxin. Possibly was given a greenie?” Per an exam on 7/11: “Check skin and ears. Dog was also flagged for URI signs today. -Eyes have periocular dermatitis OU -Ears, bilateral chronic otitis w/ crusty hyperplastic canals and yellow discharge -Hair loss on caudal dorsum and tail. Underlying skin is scaly and hyperpigmented. Lichenified crusty skin also present on ventrum. MANY live fleas -Did not examine mouth due to muzzle -Tolerated all handling, good boy Assessment: -Bilateral otitis externa -Chronic flea infestation and flea allergy w/ secondary malassezia dermatitis -Shelter acquired CIRDC” On 7/11: Butch was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection. Behavior Notes: Per staff 7/14: “Butch allowed all over handling and pets - was a very good boy. I was even in kennel with him and he showed no signs of fear or aggression.” Per volunteer 7/12: “took out Butch for playgroup. He was easy to leash and stilled right outside. Said a quick fence hello to the welcome center dogs & walked over to the big run where I passed him off to another volunteer.” Per AOP 7/10: “When police were trying to remove the chain that was wrapped around the fence Butch turned his head & was barking at the Police Officer. Butch had to be held against the fence for a few minutes while P/O untangled the chain. Once off the chain, the APO was able to place him on a control pole & Butch acted calm after that. based on his initial reaction to P/O, the APO put him directly in the kennel since he had been a bit upset to allow him time to calm down.” Per staff 7/8: “Butch came to the front when i called for him with mid level wags and neutral eyes. he was at the front as i let him sniff my hand and offered him some treats that he took gently. he sat very patiently for them. he allowed me to easily leash him and once secured came right out. i offered him another treat as he sniffed his way through the kennels. outside he was very focused on his exits and would pull strongly towards the gates and open large spaces. i offered some more treats and stuck the leash around a pole to get his strong puling to calm before handling him. i touched the top of his head and half his body before reaching towards his skin patches. he was tolerant but unsure, with a stiff tail and neutral eyes. he would loosen up whenever i wasn't handling him and felt more comfortable just walking around.” Per staff 7/8: “Staff was able to remove large heavy tow chain from neck without incident. Stated dog was very nice and appreciative of the removal. In kennel small under growls, not in an aggressive fashion. May need TTA, strong handler.” Per staff 7/8: “Walked up to kennel he will start growling and barking, showing teeth, and lip licking. His body is very tense. I tired to give him a treat but he just kept growling. Placing on meds.” Per APO 7/7: “dog possibly has mange, alopecia. dog is very aggressive, straight to kennel.” Videos: Playgroup 7/12/25: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcnvoGYrJkIaDJI1rwTjF9dUqaVmx7NY2&si=SSA75AxDnajE2Ba9 Butch meets Nyleonna 7/13/25: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5-Zf7qmcUAc ACCT Philly is located at 111 West Hunting Park Ave in Philadelphia. We are open for adoptions 7 days a week. Please visit www.acctphilly.org/adopt for details. If you are a rescue interested in pulling this animal, please email our lifesaving team, or visit here if you are not currently a rescue partner: https://acctphilly.org/acct-philly-love-local-partnership-program/ Confirmed placement is considered a confirmation of an actual rescue pull. Possible placement, interested parties, and other "TBD" statuses are not considered confirmed and do not indicate an animal is no longer urgent. All animals at ACCT Philly are from Philadelphia, as the only open-intake animal shelter in Philadelphia, we are not able to accept animals from outside of Philadelphia. ACCT Philly's Pennsylvania kennel license number is 08313.

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