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Princess Potato ACCT-A-239216 is currently considered urgent and at risk of euthanasia due to behavioral concerns. Princess Potato must have confirmed placement with an ADOPTER or RESCUE PARTNER by SATURDAY, January 3rd at 10AM. Should Princess Potato's medical or behavioral status change, her urgency and timeline for placement may also change.
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.
Princess Potato was found by our Animal Protection Officers in a community garden. Initially too afraid to walk, she was carried back to the warm truck. Princess Potato is very shy, but the quickest way to her heart is through her stomach. Princess Potato is especially partial to the self-soothing aspects of munching on long-lasting toys, but she also really likes hot dogs.
During her time at ACCT, we've learned that while she prefers human friends to canine ones, she's very sensitive to the stressors of the shelter environment, and would benefit more from a home that can provide her with the stability of a routine, and help her navigate the world at her own pace.
Princess Potato is now in isolation due to testing positive for pneumovirus (an upper respiratory virus that is a kind of kennel cough). We are concerned that her behavior will deteriorate while in isolation. Due to her behavioral concerns, Princess Potato is urgently seeking placement with a rescue partner or adopter.
Behavior Memos
12/12 Retrieved 1 stray dog from [phs community garden]. She wouldn’t walk on a leash, and I was able to carry her to the truck without muzzling.
12/12 12/12 I saw her in the lobby with the APO. I spoke to her in a baby voice and lowered myself, letting her sniff my hand as I approached her. She had ears back and her tail tucked. She sniffed my hadn't and gave me some tucked wags. I offered her some hot dogs which she took gently sometimes and snatchy on others. She allowed handling on her head and side.
Behavior Eval, 12/16 :
Kennel Presentation: At the front of her kennel when I approached. Ears to the side, soft eyes and tail down. Offered a treat through the bars and she was very snatchy.
Leash Skills: She had her paws on the door when I was trying to open the door. Threw a treat to the back of the kennel so I could open the door. Easy to leash, paused on coming out of the kennel. Gave some verbal encouragement, walking through the kennel her eyes were wide, ears to the side and tail tucked. Did not want to walk through the doorway to the vestibule that leads to outside. Did a treat trail to go out.
Sociability: Fairly social. Allowed all handling however she was still but did not move away. Gave low flutter tail wags with wide eyes and ears to the side. Did not offer a treat from my hand because she was very snatchy through the bars and she is a pretty skinny girl. Dropped treats and then when I was kneeling down she tried to get the treats out of my bag.
Play: n/a
Dog Interaction: Met Swaggy Joe. Tense body, hackles raised, wide eyes and low growling anytime he came within a foot of her.
Return to Kennel: Tossed a treat in and she went right in.
12/20 Obsessed with this sweet girl! When I approached her kennel She was chewing on an enrichment treat and didn’t look up from it. I dropped a few hot dogs and she ate them quickly then went right back to chewing her treat. I made a trail of hot dogs to get her out of her kennel which worked well. Outside, she was extremely hesitant to go through doorways and did not want to walk forward. Ended up allowing me to pick her up which she allowed easily and then cuddled into me the whole time I carried her. Sat on a bench and she remained in my lap and took pets for me for several minutes. She loves treats and is quite skinny so can be snatchy taking them from your hand. Super sweet and affectionate girl. Allowed me to carry her inside. Noticed her spay surgery was bleeding so we carried her back to surgery where she was really well-behaved. We left her in the surgery suite and she tried to dart out after us, such a sweet girl who really relies on her handlers!
12/21 Observed her biting at her metal food bowl, saw signs on the kennel she can't have a water bowl either or a kuranda bed. Appears to have some intense chewing needs. Starting on behavior meds to help reduce the need. There is frozen water in the eval room fridge she can have to chew on and get hydrated. Gave her a stuffed frozen kong and a nylabone.
* Some items regularly seen in the kennel were removed for Princess Potato's safety. This means that ACCT staff has been paying extra attention to her, and trying out various ways to help her stay hydrated and comfy, while still recognizing the need to help alleviate stress behaviors that can put Princess Potato's health at risk, through medical management and positive reinforcement.
12/22 Placed into the Animal Care and Behavior Team office to give her a chance to decompress. She seems a lot calmer and was able to drink normally out of a bowl without any of the fixation, was given a blanket and had some quiet time in a crate.
12/26 Came right out the front and was easy to leash. Carried back to the room as she did not want to walk. Needed light restraint to get the PCR done. Carried back to the kennel and unleashed without issue.
Medical Notes
When Princess Potato first arrived at the shelter, she was fairly thin, with old wounds on her back legs, but she was well-muscled, and thankfully, her injuries were not serious. On 12/26, Princess Potato began treatment for an upper respiratory infection. She tested positive for pneumovirus.
While no substitute for a safe home, Princess Potato has been responding well to treatment for her anxiety, and we feel it's helped Princess Potato open up more to our staff, her volunteer friends, and made the shelter a little less scary.
Video
*NEW* Princess Potato loves to snuggle: https://youtube.com/shorts/oXwGhJ5wQfY?si=xQU6sYEbegJlO-Co
Loves to snuggle (2): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/S2GTDeRI5zg?si=FWnjfTy-PbnL1PZC
Lap Dog: https://youtu.be/R1xqxp8EdB8
Cuddling PP: https://youtu.be/-z30YUllInQ
Dog meet with Swaggy Joe: https://youtu.be/LD9SSkoHuWs
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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.
