Sonny's Info...
| Breed: | Rottweiler | Color: | Black - With Tan, Yellow Or Fawn | Age: | Adult |
| Size: | Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg) | Sex: | Male |
I am already neutered, housetrained, purebred, a special needs pet, in need of an experienced adopter, up to date with shots, not good with kids, not good with dogs, and good with cats.
COURTESY LISTING. Black Sheep Rescue is not offering this dog for adoption, only helping to find him a home for someone else.
Sonny has had a run of very bad luck. His former owner died suddenly and he found himself in a kennel- dealing not only with the grief of losing his human, but not having anyone to help him through it. He spent 6 months there before a kind lady offered him a home. She says of him "He is loving, well behaved, responsive to training, generally calm older dog who still loves to play and go for walks/runs." The problem is that Sonny has developed some behavioral problems somewhere along the way. We're not sure if this is due to the trauma of losing his long-term owner or the time spent in the kennel or the combination. Whatever the cause, he has a problem with men and other dogs. He has not bitten, but has snapped at a person. He was taken to an animal behaviorist who feels that his problem is correctable with time, plenty of patience and positive reinforcement.
The lady who adopted him is at the end of her rope. She feels ill equipped to deal with this sort of situation as she does not have the kind of experience to train him and does not have a home that allows for her to isolate him when company arrives. The shelter that Sonny was adopted from offered no other suggestions but to euthanize him, which seems a little extreme, given that he's been through so much and his evaluation with the behaviorist suggests that he could do well with the right kind of home.
So, we decided to give Sonny another chance here. He needs to go to a home with the following characteristics:
1). Someone who has experience not only with large breed dogs, but with those who have behavioral problems.
2). Someone with a lot of patience and an understanding of the risks of taking in a dog with these sorts of problems.
3). Even though Sonny has never had any problems with children, we feel it is wise to avoid homes with children just to err on the side of caution. Also, Sonny needs to be an only dog. He likes cats, but wants to play with them, so he might be ok in a home with cats, but will need to be supervised until everyone is adjusted.
4). A home where he can be isolated when people visit is a must.
5). Since Sonny's problems seem to be primarily with men, a female would be his best match.
"Perfect if you would like an older dog who can offer protection and companionship.
Responds to some commands, no formal training. Completely housebroken. Loves to play and run, big lap dog if extended an offer. Pretty sedentary most of the time, Sonny will nap the day away and spring to life when you offer to play."
Sonny is 7 years old, 90 pounds, neutered, up to date on all shots and would make a wonderful friend for the right person. Will someone give this poor boy a new lease on life?
Contact This Rescue Group...
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Rescue Group Info...
Black Sheep Rescue is a family effort. Our name is a sort of inside joke both because animals who come to us are usually the "black sheep" (aka sick, injured, challenging personalities or otherwise unwanted by others) and also because our efforts generally have caused the less animal-friendly of our family to consider us "black sheep".
We nurse sick cats back to health, hand-raise abandoned/orphaned kittens, rehabilitate traumatized cats, rehabilitate some feral cats and patch up injured ones. Ultimately, we provide a permanent home for cats who cannot be restored to full health or whose behavioral issues make them unsuitable for adoption to another family. We never "give up" on a cat and we never, ever euthanize for any reason other than a vet's opinion that the animal is suffering and there is no other means of alleviating the cat's suffering and no real hope of survival.
Please be patient if we do not reply immediately. There are only four of us and the one who generally handles adoptions is disabled. Thus we don't always manage to get to the computer or phone on a terribly regular basis, especially if we have a very sick cat.
Unable to adopt, but still want to help? We are not currently a non-profit organization, so donations are not eligible (yet) for tax-deduction. If you'd like to contribute in a general sense, we gratefully accept gift certificates to the pet store of your choice. If you'd like to be more personally involved, we are working on a program where interested parties can "virtually adopt" one of our permanent residents. For more information, please contact us!
We are currently at capacity, physically, emotionally and financially. With regret, we cannot accept any surrendered animals at this time.
We are in the process of networking with other small rescues and individuals interested or involved with animal rescue. If you'd like to be a part of a collaborative effort, please feel free to drop us a note for more information! Working together, we can maximize our efforts and save more lives!
We do occasionally help dogs as well. Most are not housed at our rescue, but are fostered elsewhere and we do a courtesy listing and try to help them out with basic care until they can be adopted.
By appointment only, please!
Fees depend upon the cat in question, particularly with regard to whether they've had their shots yet or have been spayed/neutered. Fees can range between $25 and $75. We also take into consideration the circumstances of the individual or family seeking adoption. We firmly believe that a person or family does not have to be independently wealthy to be able to provide a loving, healthy home for a cat. We will work with people who have limited income to achieve an emergency fund for future veterinary expenses and we will also provide referrals to organizations who can help defray the cost of veterinary care, both routine and emergency.
We do require a contract, the main points of which being:
1). Cats are for indoor homes only.
2). If an adoptive family is ever in a position of not being able to keep a cat or if the only option is to put the cat outdoors, they must return the cat to us.
3). We retain the right to take the cat back into custody if there is ever a situation where the cat is in danger of abuse, neglect or any other detrimental situation.
4). If not already spayed/neutered at the time of adoption, the cat must be altered as soon as a vet deems appropriate.
5). We agree to provide ongoing support in the form of encouragement and troubleshooting to the adopters, during the introductory phase and onward.
Youngstown, Warren and surrounding areas.