Size
(when grown) Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg)
Details
Good with dogs,
Spayed or Neutered,
Story
** $150 in pledges for the rescue that pulls! **
Winnie (ACCT-A-250200) is currently considered urgent and at risk due to length of stay and the shelter's need for space for incoming dogs. Winnie must have confirmed placement through ADOPTION or with a RESCUE PARTNER by Tuesday, June 9th at 10:00 AM. Should Winnie's medical or behavioral status change, her urgency and timeline for placement may also change.
Found resting on the porch of a Philadelphia home, Winnie is an approximately 4 year Akita who was described by her finder as "friendly and quiet," and that gentle nature has continued to shine through during her stay at the shelter.
Volunteers consistently describe Winnie as a sweet, smart, affectionate girl who loves spending time with people. She walks beautifully on leash, stays close to her handler, enjoys treats, and happily accepts pets and brushing sessions. Winnie loves toys, especially balls, squeaky toys, and tennis balls, and appears to be housetrained. She often seeks reassurance from her person and enjoys being near her handlers, even soliciting affection and leaning in for more attention.
Winnie has shown mixed behavior around other dogs. While she can coexist and participate in walk-alongs, she has also displayed some behavior indicating she wants dogs to give her space. Any potential adopters or rescue partners should be prepared to continue assessing and managing her dog-to-dog interactions appropriately.
This beautiful Akita has earned praise from multiple staff & volunteers for being easy to handle, affectionate, treat-motivated, and a wonderful walking companion. Winnie is looking for a family or rescue willing to give her the opportunity she deserves.
Videos
Grace & Winnie meet:
https://youtube.com/shorts/4Vy2h_4CgFY?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/9tNZ4tCZWS0?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/bDjOZ_UIGHM?feature=share
Winnie and Cannoli greeting attempt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYrA8hFMPMk
Winnie: https://youtube.com/shorts/tACvBSXHLFA?si=c6VLoz_ghR59i3JY
Behavioral Notes
Walk sheet notes:
5/15: Very good, loves to play.
5/16: Low energy, very good girl, treat motivated, loves pets.
5/16: Mild issues returning to kennel. Low energy. Gave vocal/snap correction to butt sniff. Good walk along & through fence. Very sweet, loves people and treats!
5/19: Sweet, smart, loves walks. Great on leash
5/24: Mild issues returning to kennel. Medium energy. Housetrained, sits for treats, loves balls and squeaky toys. Very easy to walk. Wonderful girl.
05/25/2026 from staff: Based on notes, leveling experienced gold
05/28/2026: Wonderful, loves tennis balls.
05/25/2026 described as The sweetest & easiest", patient, Housetrained, Chill dog on walks and on leash, Does anything for treats, Loves pets, Loves to play in the yard.
Per volunteer on 6/4: She is such a sweetie, she is a great dog.
5/31, 6/2 and 6/3: favorite girl, sweetest, best dog, 10/10!, so well behaved, loves to play, easy walk
Per Volunteer 5/24/2026
Easy to leash, came right to the front. Walked nicely on the leash, no pulling. Winnie allowed me to brush and pet her while she lied on the ground, chewing a sneaky toy or tennis ball. She allowed me to pet her all over. Needed a little help going back into kennel ( needed to take a step in or toss a treat in) Winnie was very easy to walk, staying close to my side. She mostly ignored other dogs through the fence. In the run, she loved to chase around balls or squeaky toys. Winnie always sat patiently for treats. She went to the bathroom immediately after getting outside so I assume she's housetrained.
05/16/2026 Gracie and Winnie meet:
Winnie came forward in kennel with a high wagging tail and soft body language. She gently tried to butt her way out of kennel, but allowed me to leash without too much trouble. She walked well through kennels, only stopping to sniff dogs in kennel a couple of times. She looked up at me a few times during the walk from kennel & once we got outside, seemingly for reassurance. We walked by a dog in the yard as we were getting to our play yard, and she stopped & sniffed at the fence. After a few seconds, she began to growl & bark. She was mostly interested in sniffing around once we entered the play yard, although she came up to my legs a couple times to solicit pets.
She did some low growling, a lip lift, and a snarl at the gate with Grace, and Grace backed up a little as a result. She stuck her head in the toy bin and grabbed a bone out, but she did drop it once pepperoni was introduced. We decided to try a walk-along, and Winnie was mostly interested in sniffing around her environment again. She was okay coexisting near Grace, and there were a few moments where they stood close by without acknowledging each other's presence. Winnie walked back through kennels fine, and was only slightly hesitant to reenter the kennel, but did with slight leash pressure. She allowed for easy unleashing, and even pushed towards me a bit for affection & also to get back out.
05/14/2026
Per finder: Friendly and quiet.
Every day Winnie waits, hoping the next person who walks past her kennel will be the one who takes her home. Despite the stress of shelter life, she continues to greet people with kindness, seek out affection, and show everyone what a wonderful companion she can be. She is not asking for perfection—just a chance.
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
