Ernesto ACCT-A-238522 is currently considered urgent and at risk of euthanasia due to length of stay and lack of space for incoming dogs. Ernesto must have confirmed placement with an ADOPTER or RESCUE PARTNER by WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24TH at 10AM. Should Ernesto's medical or behavioral status change, his urgency and timeline for placement may also change.
Ernesto came to ACCT Philly on December 3rd after being found as a stray. Ernesto is a very sensitive, gentle dog who starts off fearful but continues to grow more confident with time and consistency. Early on, he was hesitant to exit his kennel and easily startled by loud noises and doorways, but his strong food motivation has helped him build trust. Volunteers and staff consistently describe him as “so sweet,” shy but trying to be brave, and warming up with patience. He takes treats gently, appears house trained, and has shown polite, tolerant behavior with other dogs. Most recently, Ernesto has begun to show playful behavior with canine friends, a wonderful sign of his growing confidence. Ernesto would do best with a calm, patient adopter who understands fearful dogs and will allow him to continue building confidence at his own pace. Due to his length of stay, Ernesto is urgently seeking placement with a rescue partner or adopter.
VIDEOS:
Ernesto sits: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zLSG8vr_AT0
Ernesto and Cashew leashed meet: https://youtu.be/HvLC6nENQO0
Ernesto enjoying peanut butter in the office: https://youtu.be/aA9vVQ0f-Dg
Ernesto and Hip Hop Meet: https://youtu.be/SCiywc68omg?si=X-YaBqOsCwCts_Bt
https://youtu.be/WDn4TWdtENA?si=u1FwerWz0TRa2ibw
BEHAVIOR:
Per staff 12/19: Easy to leash, ears pasted back, tail down, checked in seeking treats, takes gently. Met Hip Hop- he bounced and played well, they were a good play match! Due to behavioral improvement leveling down from exp blue to blue.
Per staff 12/17: Low energy. Very timid pup. Stays close to handler on walks. Treat motivated. Appears housetrained.
Per volunteer 12/16: Low energy. Such a sweetheart. He is a little shy + nervous but warms up. Walks so nice.
Per staff 12/13: Low energy. Timid.
Per volunteer 12/12: Low energy. So so sweet. I lured him back in kennel with treats. A little shy, but warmed up.
Per staff 12/10: Low energy. Let me pick him up to go back in. Very scared though.
Per staff 12/9: Low energy. Very nervous + head shy. Go slow.
Per volunteer 12/8: Ernesto is a sweet, scared boy. He was easy to leash and get out of his kennel, but he was definitely pretty timid outside, sniffing around with a tense body. He had a leashed meet with Cashew, with a tense body and still, low tail and wide eyes. Sniffed Cashew a few times, froze while Cashew sniffed him, and disengaged on his own. He was very tolerant of Cashew sniffing and licking him. In the vol office, he enjoyed some some treats and a peanut butter jar, but afterward when I tried to pet him he would freeze and give me side eye and lip licks. He's a really good boy who wants affection and is working on being brave!
Per volunteer 12/7: Ernesto had a fixed gaze on me as I approached the kennel but he took treats that I dropped in. He appeared relaxed and I was comfortable sharing some treats from my hand which he took gently. Outside he approached two different dogs through the fence. He remained pretty calm/still and easily moved on from sniffing them. He appears house trained!
Per volunteer 12/5:
Kennel Presentation: Ernesto was standing in his kennel with wide eyes and a tucked tail. I offered the leash and he backed away. I had to lasso him. Once I had the leash on, I used pressure and he slowly came out. He needed encouragement and time to get out.
Leash Skills: He stays low and walks slowly with a tucked tail. He’s easily spooked at doorways and with loud noises. He needs encouragement.
Sociability: Ernesto avoided eye contact and did not solicit attention. He did accept treats. He would back away when attempting to pet. I had another handler hold his leash, I gave him some small pets on the face, he was very tense. I tried to stand up and pet his back but he kept looking back at me with wide eyes. When we got a higher value treat, he came closer to the handler. We were able to get him to sit and give some additional light touches on his face.
Play: Did not attempt.
Return to Kennel: I slowly clipped his leash. I used words of encouragement and pepperoni. Initially he hesitated but then followed the pepperoni into the kennel.
Color Level: Experience blue.
Recommendations and considerations: Very food motivated, use caution when handling.
Per staff 12/3: Finder refused to fill out intake notes. only stated "He was scary" and provided where dog was found.
MEDICAL:
On 12/11, Ernesto was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection (URI) or "doggy cold" and started on doxycycline. He tested positive for pneumovirus, but retested negative on 12/18. He is scheduled to finish his medication on 12/24.
On 12/6, Ernesto was neutered.
12/4 Vet Exam:
Subjective:
Limping on left hind leg at intake
Objective:
Eyes, ears, mouth WNL
Skin - crusted, healing wounds on crown of head
LN WNL
Heart, lungs auscultate WNL
Abdomen - tense but no obvious abnormalities
Testicles WNL
No lameness noted at a walk. No pain swelling or crepitus noted on palpation of left hindlimb, which is well muscled.
Assessment:
L hindlimb lameness at intake- RESOLVED
Plan:
As no further lameness has been noted since in shelter, no medical intervention necessary. Ok to remain available for all pathways from a medical perspective.
12/03/2025
Tech Exam: Intake - Medical
Weight: 41.4 lbs
Body Condition Score: 4 - Lean
Assessment:
Microchip Found? No placed here
Age- 3 years
Urogenital- Male
Altered- Two testicles
Musculoskeletal- Limping on left hind leg
Behavior- BAR
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Due to being significantly overcapacity with animals 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 an animal.
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.
