Size
(when grown) Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg)
Details
Good with dogs,
House-trained,
Spayed or Neutered,
Story
Meet Duke (ACCT-A-254399)! Duke is a wonderful gentleman who is ready to find his new best friend. Having lived in a home for many years, Duke is a seasoned pro at the indoor life—he is fully housebroken and crate trained! His former family describes him as "very lovely".
Duke is a smart boy who already knows how to "sit" and is very gentle when accepting treats. While he has a high-energy side and loves to stay active, he also has a soft, soulful nature. In the shelter, he’s been observed as a well-mannered walker who enjoys sniffing around and greeting other dogs politely. He might be feeling a little lost after leaving the only home he’s ever known, but he’s eager to find a family that will give him the love and activity he craves. If you’re looking for a loyal, experienced companion who is already well-versed in being a "good boy," Duke is waiting for you!
📽️Videos📽️:
Playgroup 7/18/26: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZJDnY2wYaDA
Duke and Pollina leash meet: https://youtu.be/Q-ZK5HtgT_A?si=Vvr8fD-aN7Xoqvpr
Sia & Duke: https://youtu.be/g3kMH2sKnp4
⭐Behavioral Notes⭐
per Volunteer 7/17/26: I had Duke out for an adoption meet on 7/15/26. Before taking him out, I reviewed his notes and saw that there were reports of him pushing hard when exiting the kennel with at least one or two handlers. He has not had many opportunities to get out, but that was not my experience. Duke came out of his kennel easily and calmly.
The meet was with an adult daughter (the potential adopter) and her mother. We started in the Meet & Greet room, but after a few minutes I thought Duke likely needed to go to the bathroom, so we headed to the main play yard. He appeared to be house-trained, relieving himself shortly after we went outside.
Once outside, Duke really seemed to enjoy himself. I took a conservative approach with handling until I got to know him and found that he was comfortable with gentle, occasional pets from me. The mother was more hands-on than I would typically recommend during an initial meeting, but Duke handled it well and remained appropriate throughout.
The daughter began jogging back and forth to encourage Duke to run with her. I watched the interaction closely at first and was prepared to step in if needed, but Duke did great. He happily ran alongside her several times and seemed to genuinely enjoy the interaction. He also went through the sprinkler a couple of times and climbed into the kiddie pool on his own. Because of the heat, we kept the outdoor portion of the meet fairly short.
When it was time to go back, Duke walked nicely on leash and returned to his kennel without any issues.
Based on my experience with him, I think Duke would be a nice candidate for foster placement or adoption with someone who is willing to give him a little time, respect his space, and provide regular exercise and enrichment. He really seemed to enjoy being outside, and I could also see him enjoying the shelter's running program.
Overall, Duke came across as a sweet dog who seemed much happier once he was out of the kennel. I left the interaction feeling very optimistic about his future.
07/14/2026 Per volunteer:
Duke had 3 clips and is a house trained owner surrender, but he hadn't been out since he came in. So, he did some eager jumping when he saw me open his kennel, but it wasn't difficult to leash him.
His walking pace was a little pulling, some sniffing, and then a healthy pee.
In the yard he briefly approached me when I called his name, but then turned around. He patrolled the fence line, briefly stopping to just look out. He definitely was exit searching, even once putting his paws on the fence, but fortunately he made no further attempt.
He relieved himself again, so I'll make sure he gets a green clip to indicate he is house trained.
He had no interest in treats and no interest in the toys I tossed - a ball, a rope toy, and a squeaker toy.
He did have a very well-mannered fence meet with Terra. Both of them were very cordial, interested in each other, a little kissing, so it was nice to see him engaging with her.
He resisted just a little as we approached the gate to return to the shelter. However, I didn't have any issues with him going back into his kennel.
It's sad to know the senior boy has lost probably the only home he ever had. And now he's feeling lost.
07/15/2026 per staff behavioral eval:
Kennel Presentation: At the front of his kennel, ears back, soft eyes, loose mid tail wags, pawing at the door. Took a treat gently through the bars.
Leash Skills: Tossed treats to get him to move back, came back up and dodged the leash, tried to push out of the door and was pawing at the leash. Tossed some more treats and was able to leash when he came back up was able to leash. Came right out and walked pulling mildly, mid tail, ears back, loose body.
Sociability: Sniffing around the yard, nose to the ground, ears back, loose body, panting. Did not come over when called, came over for treats and took the gently. Allowed all handling with a low to mid loose tail, ears back, loose body, moved away when I stopped. Did not come over again for treats.
Play: No interest in the toys
Dog Interaction: Met Sia, ears back, high tail, sniffed then moved away. On second greeting went up and muzzle punched Sia's neck, high tail, ears back, vocalized and was moved away with leash pressure.
Return to Kennel: Walked back with the same body language as walking out. Hopped right into kennel and leash was removed easily.
Color Level: Exp Gold
07/11/2026 per staff:
Staff did not feel continuing vaccines or chip because of stressful behavior needs chip and DHPP
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