Approximate Age: 2 years
Approximate Weight: 23 lbs
- Can be a sweet, happy boy who is excited to see you
- Can also switch moods suddenly, growling and lunging without clear warning
- Dog friendly, even with pushy dogs, he prefers to avoid rather than escalate
- Loves toys
- Rides well in the car when crated
- Has good leash skills
- Generally quiet in the crate
Important things to know
- Not cat, chicken, or kid friendly
- Unpredictable mood changes, affection can turn to growling quickly
- Barrier reactive
- Marks in the house, improving with time and consistency
- Very limited circle of trust, currently only one adult handler can safely be in his space
- Highly reactive to some adults and children, potential bite risk even though he has not bitten yet
- May benefit from muzzle training and an experienced, behavior savvy home
What success looks like for Festus
- Adult only home with no children and no small animals
- An owner who respects his space and reads his signals
- Slow introductions to new people, or minimal visitors
- Clear routines, structure, and predictable expectations
- Management focused home that understands safety, boundaries, and decompression
- Continued behavior work, possibly including muzzle training
- Someone who can appreciate his sweet moments without pushing for more than he can give
Festus came from a bad situation and has both a loving side and a challenging one. He is not an easy dog and will need an experienced, adult only home that understands management, boundaries, and behavior work. In the right hands, his good moments shine, but he is absolutely not for everyone.
You can still come adopt me or even join our foster program to help the humans learn all the awesome things about new dogs like me! Learn more on our website!
Schedule a meet-and-greet by completing our Adoption Survey on the Adopt page of our website at https://www.olddominionhumanesociety.org/adoption-survey.
Join our Foster program and become a hero! Get started by completing our Foster Application on the Foster page of our website at https://www.olddominionhumanesociety.org/foster.
____________________________________________________________
ADOPT A DOG, SAVE A LIFE!
Old Dominion Humane Society (ODHS) Adoption Process
- Complete our Adoption Survey on the Adopt page of our website at https://www.olddominionhumanesociety.org/adoption-survey to expedite the process and arrange a meet-and-greet. Expect a response within about a week; please check your spam folder. As we're 100% volunteer-run, your patience is appreciated!
Requirements And Donations
- Required Adoption Day Items: A martingale collar and a non-retractable leash (available for purchase at ODHS).
- Adoption Donations: Puppies (under 1 year): $375; Adults: $275; Seniors (age-dependent): $175; Select dogs: $500. We accept cash, debit, and credit cards.
- Adoption Radius: Within 350 miles of Fredericksburg, VA. A $50 out-of-state fee applies.
- Breed Identification: Dogs are listed as "Mixed Breed" unless formal documentation is available.
Location And Hours
- Visit our adoption center at 3602 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg, VA 22408 during adoption hours: Wednesday 5-7 PM; Friday 6-8 PM; Saturday 11 AM-3 PM; Sunday 11 AM-1 PM.
- We also host adoption events throughout our community. See our Upcoming Events page at https://www.olddominionhumanesociety.org/events for dates and locations.
Bringing Your New Dog Home
- The 3-3-3 Rule: Understand what to expect during your new dog's first three days, three weeks, and three months at https://www.rescuedogs101.com/bringing-new-dog-home-3-3-3-rule/.
- Why We Don't Adopt Littermates: We don't adopt dog siblings together because of the risk of littermate syndrome which often causes serious behavioral issues: https://stories.tamu.edu/news/2023/09/28/understanding-littermate-syndrome-in-puppy-pairs/.
Support ODHS
Help us promote forever homes for our rescue dogs! Like "Old Dominion Humane Society" on Facebook and follow us on Instagram.
#Adopt #Donate #Volunteer #Foster
Approximate Age: 2 years
Approximate Weight: 23 lbs
- Can be a sweet, happy boy who is excited to see you
- Can also switch moods suddenly, growling and lunging without clear warning
- Dog friendly, even with pushy dogs, he prefers to avoid rather than escalate
- Loves toys
- Rides well in the car when crated
- Has good leash skills
- Generally quiet in the crate
Important things to know
- Not cat, chicken, or kid friendly
- Unpredictable mood changes, affection can turn to growling quickly
- Barrier reactive
- Marks in the house, improving with time and consistency
- Very limited circle of trust, currently only one adult handler can safely be in his space
- Highly reactive to some adults and children, potential bite risk even though he has not bitten yet
- May benefit from muzzle training and an experienced, behavior savvy home
What success looks like for Festus
- Adult only home with no children and no small animals
- An owner who respects his space and reads his signals
- Slow introductions to new people, or minimal visitors
- Clear routines, structure, and predictable expectations
- Management focused home that understands safety, boundaries, and decompression
- Continued behavior work, possibly including muzzle training
- Someone who can appreciate his sweet moments without pushing for more than he can give
Festus came from a bad situation and has both a loving side and a challenging one. He is not an easy dog and will need an experienced, adult only home that understands management, boundaries, and behavior work. In the right hands, his good moments shine, but he is absolutely not for everyone.
You can still come adopt me or even join our foster program to help the humans learn all the awesome things about new dogs like me! Learn more on our website!
Schedule a meet-and-greet by completing our Adoption Survey on the Adopt page of our website at https://www.olddominionhumanesociety.org/adoption-survey.
Join our Foster program and become a hero! Get started by completing our Foster Application on the Foster page of our website at https://www.olddominionhumanesociety.org/foster.
____________________________________________________________
ADOPT A DOG, SAVE A LIFE!
Old Dominion Humane Society (ODHS) Adoption Process
- Complete our Adoption Survey on the Adopt page of our website at https://www.olddominionhumanesociety.org/adoption-survey to expedite the process and arrange a meet-and-greet. Expect a response within about a week; please check your spam folder. As we're 100% volunteer-run, your patience is appreciated!
Requirements And Donations
- Required Adoption Day Items: A martingale collar and a non-retractable leash (available for purchase at ODHS).
- Adoption Donations: Puppies (under 1 year): $375; Adults: $275; Seniors (age-dependent): $175; Select dogs: $500. We accept cash, debit, and credit cards.
- Adoption Radius: Within 350 miles of Fredericksburg, VA. A $50 out-of-state fee applies.
- Breed Identification: Dogs are listed as "Mixed Breed" unless formal documentation is available.
Location And Hours
- Visit our adoption center at 3602 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg, VA 22408 during adoption hours: Wednesday 5-7 PM; Friday 6-8 PM; Saturday 11 AM-3 PM; Sunday 11 AM-1 PM.
- We also host adoption events throughout our community. See our Upcoming Events page at https://www.olddominionhumanesociety.org/events for dates and locations.
Bringing Your New Dog Home
- The 3-3-3 Rule: Understand what to expect during your new dog's first three days, three weeks, and three months at https://www.rescuedogs101.com/bringing-new-dog-home-3-3-3-rule/.
- Why We Don't Adopt Littermates: We don't adopt dog siblings together because of the risk of littermate syndrome which often causes serious behavioral issues: https://stories.tamu.edu/news/2023/09/28/understanding-littermate-syndrome-in-puppy-pairs/.
Support ODHS
Help us promote forever homes for our rescue dogs! Like "Old Dominion Humane Society" on Facebook and follow us on Instagram.
#Adopt #Donate #Volunteer #Foster
We have adoption events on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at our adoption center. We also have several offsite events every month. Please follow us on Facebook to see up date information on events.
We have adoption events on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at our adoption center. We also have several offsite events every month. Please follow us on Facebook to see up date information on events.
More about this shelter
Old Dominion Humane Society is here to provide well-matched permanent homes for animals in need through rescue, rehabilitation, and education.
Old Dominion Humane Society is here to provide well-matched permanent homes for animals in need through rescue, rehabilitation, and education.
Other pets at this
shelter
We'll also keep you updated on Leroy's adoption status with email updates.
