🚨🚨🆘🆘BRITNEY IS URGENT🆘🆘🚨🚨
100 in pledges to any rescue that may pull!**
**New notes 12/12 and 12/14**
Britney ACCT-A-207850 is currently considered urgent and at risk of euthanasia due to length of stay and lack of space for incoming dogs and behavioral concerns. Britney must have confirmed placement with a RESCUE PARTNER by TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17TH at 10AM. Should Britney’s medical or behavioral status change, her urgency and timeline for placement may also change.
Beautiful older girl Britney was brought to the shelter on November 25th by a member of the public who stated they found her alone on the street. Britney was found to have a microchip, but heartbreakingly, her owners never responded and never came to take her home, and she’s been waiting in a kennel ever since.
Since Britney came to the shelter as a stray, her past is unknown; we do know that Britney is very sensitive to handling, particularly around her face and neck, and tends to be avoidant and fearful of people. She has been tolerant of some petting and handling, but can escalate quickly when she feels uncomfortable, meaning she needs a little extra time and care when getting to know a new person. When it comes to other dogs, Britney has been tolerant of them but hasn’t seemed too interested in getting to know them further. This may change as she decompresses from her shelter stay; for now, Britney would prefer gentle, lower energy dogs who give her some personal space.
While she has shown some improvement during her time at the shelter, Britney remains scared and nervous, with a limited tolerance of being handled and petted. Due to her fear level, avoidance, and handling sensitivity, Britney is available to approved rescue partners who can manage Britney’s behavioral concerns, help her recover from her past, and work on improving her confidence level. This middle-aged pup deserves her shot at a happy home, and must find confirmed rescue placement no later than 10AM on 12/17 in order to ensure she gets the second chance she deserves.
VIDEOS
Britney in the shelter: https://youtube.com/shorts/yK0h7lrxEQg?feature=share
Britney and Baloo: https://youtube.com/shorts/i3dg92bLBdg?feature=share
Britney and Mittens: https://youtube.com/shorts/4MpQFbtMKxk?feature=share
BEHAVIORAL INFORMATION
Staff noted on 12/3: “Brought Britney out today for some activity time. She was standing on her bed when the handler approached and had wide eyes. She came to the front with low wags for leashing and exited easily. In the room she was nervous and did lots of lip licking with flattened ears, but would also give lots of tucked low wags. She sniffed around the room and did not have interest in interacting still. When I would approach and pet her back at all she would tucked her tail, lip lick, and avoid looking towards my direction at all- remaining uncomfortable. She did not have any interest in treats and remained very nervous. She did not escalate while out at all today but did remain uncomfortable still.”
Staff noted on 12/8: “Did another dog meet with Britney today. Another handler handled Britney while I handled the other dog. During the meet Britney was aloof to the other dog, showing no interest in interacting. She was stiff and uncomfortable, but was tolerant to the other dog approaching her. After the meet the other handler hung out with Britney for a bit in the room and then outside. While in the room Britney responded well to taping on our legs and baby talk, getting some zoomies and excited spurts of energy. She did remain conflicted with handling though and would stiffen, tense up, or give whale eye at times when petting her.”
Another staff member noted on 12/8: “I took Britney out to assist the behavior team with a dog meet today. Upon approaching Britney's kennel, she was curled up on her kuranda bed but had her head up and was looking at me with wide eyes. I opened the door and presented my leash, calling to her softly. She came up to me, then shied away. I closed the kennel divider and she again approached me, allowing me to leash her with no issues. In the eval room, she was initially aloof and was focused on sniffing around the floor of the room. There were treats and toys around the room, she would sniff these but did not show interest beyond sniffing. The second handler brought in the other dog, and Britney was minimally interested in him. He approached her several times and she allowed him to do so but did not reciprocate his interest. Once the other dog (a neutered male) was removed from the room, Britney opened up a bit and began approaching myself and the second handler with loose body and tail wags. She allowed petting of her back, but we didn't push her by handling her too much or attempting to pet her head/neck area which she has historically been more sensitive of. Britney seems to warm up significantly after spending time with people. I then took her outside on a walk, which seemed to increase her stress level; she pulled hard for most of the walk, and appeared to be exit searching, trying to pull towards potential exits from the parking lot area. At other times she would walk calmly and sedately with me, sniffing around the lot. Planning to take her out again tonight to see if her behavior towards me has changed at all and attempt handling again.” The staff member noted later that day: “Took Britney out into the eval room again tonight, she was still very nervous and fearful in her kennel. I again dropped the divider to make it easier to leash her - she would continually duck to the back of her kennel, approach the door, then duck to the back again. I brought her into the eval room and she spent about 10 minutes sniffing around the room. Displayed some exit searching behavior (pacing, looking upwards at doors/windows). Multiple times, I would call to her and she would come over to me with low tail wags. She allowed me to pet her back several times, but there was no period where she stood near me for long enough for me to attempt further handling beyond a few pets of her back; she was constantly pacing the room and sniffing around. She became more fearful when I tried to walk her back to her kennel and applied slight leash pressure. Once in her kennel, I used the hook to remove her leash since staff previously noted she does not like when you reach over her head.”
Per staff on 12/12:
“Took Britney out to the play yard today. I was able to leash her pretty easily, she shied away a few times but then let me loop her. Britney pulled hard to get outside and then went to the bathroom a few times. I suspect she could be housebroken since she seemed to be holding it until we got outside. In the play yard, Britney spent about 20 minutes sniffing around and exploring independently. She would occasionally do a little drive-by sniff of me, but didn't solicit attention. After about 20 minutes she loosened up a little and had some zoomies! She seemed conflicted in that she wanted to approach me for attention, but isn't quite there yet and would still keep her distance from me.”
Per staff on 12/14:
“Could not administer dewormer or Bordetella vaccine due to behavior, reactive around her head.”
On 11/25, Britney’s finder described her as friendly and well-mannered on her leash. When observed later that day in her kennel, staff noted that Britney was stressed and barking.
Staff noted on 11/26: “Kennel Presentation - When approaching Britney in kennel she was hard barking and hard staring. The handler lowered the divider and she flinched away from it. When the handler showed her the leash she stopped barking and came forward to sniff it but then retreated a bit again. The handler was able to lasso her ears to snout without any issue and exited easily. Leash Skills - Pulled minimally. Handling - In the room Britney was nervous. She had wide scared eyes, a tense body, and low tail. She approached both of us giving low tucked wags but would freeze often, appearing conflicted and unsure. She would give more wags when speaking to her in a baby voice, but remained very scared and unsure- flattening her ears, tucking her tail more and lip licking at times. She allowed light handling and never escalated but needed a slow and gentle approach. As time went on she warmed up more and more doing little toe taps for pets and leaning against her handler for comfort. When approaching her face on though she would escalate quickly when touching near her mouth at all snapping at you and tensing up. Play - No interest. Toys - Perked up at a squeaky toy but would not engage further. Color Level - Experienced Blue, rescue only for now.”
On 11/27 staff noted: “Britney got out for some activity time and got checked in today! She was tense and not interested in interactions for the first several minutes. She tolerated some hind handling but got tense and lip licked a lot. We tested her reaction to face on handling again but she hard stared and tensed like she was going to lunge, so we did not push her. She wasn't interested in treats or toys at this time either. Every once in a while Britney would give some appeasing low wags, but she would not choose to interact when given the option. When it was time to check her in we put a muzzle on her out of caution. We pinned her and she growled, pancaked, and tried to escape. The medical staff was able to get the muzzle on quickly, and Britney froze and tucked tail. We were able to get a couple vaccines in and called it quits before we stressed her out too much. Britney was tense and lip licked while getting the vaccines, but did not escalate. After her shots she returned to kennel without issue.”
Staff attempted a dog meet on 11/27 to assess Britney’s level of sociability with other dogs. They noted: “Britney was very fearful and avoidant for her dog meet today. Would recommend reattempting in a few days as she settles in more.”
MEDICAL INFORMATION
Britney received a medical intake exam on 11/26. Medical staff noted that her eyes, ears, nose, coat, and skin all appeared clean and clear with no issues. Her teeth were noted to be broken and worn with significant dental staining, though Britney did not allow a closer examination. Staff noted she was BAR and displayed conflicting behaviors, became nippy very quickly, and was not tolerant of much handling.
On 12/2 Britney was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and began a course of antibiotics, which is set to conclude on 12/15.
Reading Britney's story really stopped me in my tracks. It's heartbreaking to hear about a dog like her, found alone, microchipped, but never claimed. It makes you wonder what her life was like before, doesn't it? Her sensitivity around handling and her fearfulness are so common in shelter dogs, and it just highlights how much patience and understanding they truly need. I've seen so many times how a dog, even one that's initially very timid or reactive, can completely transform with the right environment and a loving hand. Sometimes people search for specific breeds, like a 'golden retriever anecdote,' expecting a certain temperament. But honestly, every dog is an individual. A pitbull, for example, can be just as gentle and loving as any other breed, sometimes even more so once they learn to trust. We often see stereotypes, but a dog's past doesn't define its future, especially with a patient owner. It's truly about finding that perfect match where their unique needs are met. For a dog like Britney, who needs a calm space and a slow approach, she could potentially thrive in a quieter home. While some might think an 'elderly owner' wouldn't be able to handle a dog with behavioral needs, I've actually seen seniors provide some of the most stable and patient environments for fearful dogs. Their consistent routine and gentle demeanor can be exactly what a dog needs to decompress and feel safe. It's not about age; it's about the right personality match, someone who understands that love takes time to build. Her journey in the shelter, from being scared and avoidant to showing little bursts of zoomies and tentative wags, shows she has so much love to give. It's these small signs of progress that keep shelter staff going, and it's what makes rescuing so incredibly rewarding. It reminds me of a time I volunteered at a local shelter. There was a dog, a bit like Britney, who was so shut down. We just sat quietly with her for days, not pushing, just being present. Eventually, she leaned in for a pet, and it was the most incredible feeling. It’s those moments that prove every dog deserves that second chance. That's why rescue partners are so vital. They have the resources and expertise to help dogs like Britney decompress, work through their fears, and find their perfect forever families. If you're passionate about helping animals, sharing stories like Britney's on platforms like Lemon8 can make a huge difference. Even if you can't adopt, spreading the word helps her reach the people who can offer her that miracle. Let's rally for Britney and help her find the loving home she deserves before her deadline.
