In March 2024, we had a large confiscation occur that resulted in several dogs entering the shelter. A behavior we often see in animals that exit a hoarding/cruelty situation is extreme anxiety as they enter an unfamiliar space.

Each animal requires a different behavior plan and we are happy to say that after arriving on Feb. 19th, our final resident of this case has made the progress needed to become available for adoption. Sammy, as many of you may recognize from HSVB’s recent feature in Treasure Coast News, came into the shelter shut down and reactive towards anyone who worked with him. Slowly, our dedicated animal care team was able to earn Sammy’s trust and help him start to overcome the anxiety he faced. Through their work, they have been able to desensitize Sammy to many of the triggers that cause the fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) he navigates. Through his time with us, Sammy has gone from growling and snarling when seeing someone to leaning into staff and allowing full-body pets. 

Although Sammy is now available, our work has not ended. We remain committed to assisting him through his transition from the shelter to becoming settled in his future home. Sammy has had a Behavior Modification Plan created that is specifically tailored to his needs. This plan outlines in detail the best ways to work through the behaviors we have seen, or know a history of, and allow us to help transition him to a potential adopter. The final step of this plan is providing an adopter with the needed information for a successful new home environment. 

We are all very excited to see Sammy’s progress and cannot wait to see him continue to blossom in a new home!