Thorfinn

My story

** $400 in pledges for the rescue that pulls ** ** New Note & Video 8/11 ** Thorfinn ACCT-A-226648 is currently considered urgent and at risk of euthanasia due to length of stay and lack of space for incoming dogs. Thorfinn must have confirmed placement with a RESCUE PARTNER or ADOPTER by THURSDAY, AUGUST 14TH at 10AM. Should Thorfinn's medical or behavioral status change, his urgency and timeline for placement may also change. Thorfinn is a 7-year-old German Shepherd who came to ACCT Philly on July 23rd, after his family could no longer keep him due to housing restrictions and his size. While they shared that he takes time to warm up to new people is mostly house-trained, and knows some commands. Since arriving, Thorfinn has been a bit aloof but generally cooperative with handlers, walking nicely on leash and tolerating handling. He enjoys walks—sometimes preferring them over yard time—and has shown a calm, steady demeanor during meet-and-greets with other dogs. While he can be resistant to going back into his kennel, he has also been described as a “gentleman” and “big sweet old boy” by staff and volunteers. He was neutral while meeting another dog. Thorfinn would do best in an adult-only home familiar with shepherd behavior. Please bring all members of your family and any resident dogs along for a meet. Due to his length of stay, Thorfinn is urgently seeking placement with a rescue partner or adopter. VIDEOS: NEW! Meets Jelly: https://youtu.be/57lfGlFcJD8?si=AE-Vn8Cu8V6Tf5i9 Playgroup 8/9/25: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcnvoGYrJkIa6NUKNRaJkUb4bEiNskZ3S&si=7y8fcKG6snLa4zj1 Mocha Latte and Thorfinn leashed meet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7sXNlVa6ag Mocha Latte and Thorfinn drop leash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76-Lc9bt5cE BEHAVIOR: NEW! Per staff 8/10: "He was aloof and avoidant with her with tail down, stress yawns, he would move away as she approached" Per volunteer 8/9: Does not like face touched. Good boy. Good walker. Winds between your legs. Per staff 8/6: A bit scared but will come out for treats. Easy to walk. Sweet. Per volunteer 8/3: Hit the brakes coming back in. Big + sweet old boy. Per staff 7/31: Resistant to coming back in. Attempted to leash bite + pancake returning. Per staff 7/30: Making available for adoption, behaviors in the home appear to be within typical breed standard. Per staff 7/30: Kennel Presentation and Leash Skills: Thorfinn was laying down on his bed with soft eyes and popped right up with a single low wag when I opened the kennel door. He put his head straight through the loop and came right out without issue. He pulls minimally and walks right next to you. Sociability: He did not want to go into the yard and preferred going for extended walks *despite the heat. I did not keep him out for long and decided to sit on a bench outside the yard for some handling. He allowed all handling and remained aloof to me. He did not care what I was doing, not batting an eye. He was very tolerant of me lifting his paws up but pulled them away (his nails were very long). He declined treats and showed no interest in toys. Return to Kennel: When it was time to return he refused. pushing himself between the gate and trailer and taking a seat. I was able to shoo him towards the door but he put the brakes on, refusing to move. I did not want to use leash pressure on him as it was hot and he is older so I asked for another handler. he still refused to move with the leash looped under his belly so we both used leash pressure. He began walking again and pulled right past his kennel. I moved him back to his row and he put the breaks on again, taking a seat. The same handler came back to help me as he continued to walk again and walked right back into his kennel. Color Level: Blue. Per staff 7/29: Spoke to the former owner about the “not good with strangers” - he said Thor barks a lot - and will bark and lunges on leash at the mailman, at someone walking down the street from in the house, and will bark at some people when they come inside. The former owner indicated he has not had anybody over in a couple years. His wife died and the last time Thor was around a group of unknown people was when people came over to the house after the funeral. Thor was off leash and would approach many people, especially kids to be pet, and would bark at other people walking around, so the owner just eventually put him away because some of the guest indicated they were nervous. Thor was off leash in the house with us and did not escalate past barking. Per volunteer 7/29: Very gentle, so sweet! A gentleman. Per volunteer 7/26: Neutral meet w/ Mocha Latte. Likes to walk under/through legs; easy; exit search yard. Per staff 7/24: No issues with Thor when she retrieved him from owner and walked him to kennel. Per staff conversation with owner 7/23:  Owner wrote that the dog "don't like being around people he do not know." Asked him if dog has ever bitten, he said no but that he doesn't like strangers and needs a few days to get to know them. Summary of owner surrender notes: They had Thor for 7 years and surrendered him due to moving. They described him as mostly housetrained, high energy, and not crate trained. They wrote, “Don't like being around people he do not know.” He knows commands but does not walk well on leash. They said he reacts “good” towards cats but “not good” towards strangers and dogs. Per staff conversation with owner 7/23: He's too big for them and they can't handle him when they take him out. MEDICAL: On 7/27, Thorfinn was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection (URI) or "doggy cold" and started on medication. During his intake exam on 7/24, Thorfinn’s eyes, ears, nose, and coat were clean, although his coat was shedding. He had white teeth with some staining and tartar. - Due to being significantly overcapacity with dogs and cats and higher than usual intake, extensions are unlikely to be granted. If you are interested in an animal please contact ACCT Philly immediately. Due to limited space, timestamps may also be proceeded with early so it is imperative to let us know if you are considering adopting or tagging a dog or cat. 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 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 Thorfinn, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.