The Pet of the Week is Johnny, a long-timer who deserves his own home.

He came to the shelter as a stray in March and it was obvious that Johnny was sight impaired; it made him afraid around other dogs. Sometimes fearful dogs appear aggressive and that was Johnny: he had a loud scary bark and lunged at the kennel doors when a dog passed by. He was deemed an ‘only dog’, meaning that Johnny wouldn’t fit into a family that already had pets and limiting the pool of potential adopters. His distress about new experiences and dogs aside, Johnny was the best boi! Loving, snuggly, playful, and fun. He’s awfully cute, too. Look at his giant smile!

Staff and volunteers knew that Johnny had it in him to get along with other dogs and started a behavior plan to expose him to new environments safely. After many Sniffin’ Journeys (walks), Doggie Day Out field trips, and a stay in a loving foster home, Johnny began to believe in himself and trust the world around him. He was ready for the final step: doggie playgroups!

Dogs Playing For Life (DPFL) is a national nonprofit whose mission is to ensure every shelter dog gets a chance to be a dog every day. Playing is a dog’s most natural form of positive interaction and communication with humans and dogs and lowers the stress hormone cortisol. Those puppers sleep well! Thanks to playgroups, dogs like Johnny get a chance to blossom. And blossom, he did!

Johnny slowly eased into the play yard and became increasingly confident as he took in all the new smells. It wasn’t long before he was joyfully running the yard with his new doggie friends, as if he’d never been nervous in his life! Johnny is confident that he’ll go home soon, because he’s just so cute.

Don’t let him down! Meet Johnny at DBCHS between 1-5 pm Monday and Tuesday,  Noon-5 Wednesday, 11-7 on Thursday, Noon-4 Friday, and 10-3 Saturday.  Apply now: dbchs.org/adopt. We hope to see you soon!

The Danville-Boyle County Humane Society is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) established in 1972 that promotes the humane treatment of animals through compassionate care, engagement, and support. DBCHS relies on your generosity to operate and our greatest need right now is unscented cat litter. Stop by to donate or visit DBCHS’s Amazon Wishlist: https://rb.gy/hcozh