Sherman, the dog from from Needham who was saved by our Rescue Team on January 25 is now available for adoption. He is a very handsome and incredibly sweet and mellow 7 year old dog. We believe him to be a Mastiff/Lab mix, but your guess is as good as ours! (He is approximately 87 pounds and growing.)
Though he was in rough shape (significantly underweight) when he was originally brought to the Animal Rescue League of Boston, he is now on the road to recovery and doing quite well. Because he was outside for some time, he was covered in ticks, and has tested positive for Lyme disease. He is currently being treated for this, and we will be looking for a home that would be willing to foster him through his treatment until he is adoptable.
Behaviorally Sherman is a wonderful dog who would make a great addition to someone’s home. He is a mellow guy who would love to be a couch potato. He enjoys the company of other dogs, and seems to do fine with quiet well behaved children. We have not tested him with cats. He is great with handling, and no aggression issues were found.
*Please note: as Sherman has proven difficult to catch, he should never be an off leash dog, and his new owners should be knowledgeable about avoiding situations in which he can get loose.
Currently Sherman is up to date on all vaccines, and has had a health exam. Due to his age and being found as a stray, we have had blood work done on him which has come back normal. He will be neutered and micro chipped before going home. His adoption fee is $205.00. If you’re interested in adopting Sherman please visit our Dedham Adoption Center.
I agree with ARL that Sherm will have to be watched and kept on leash, yet wanted to raise the possibility that he may become a non-runaway. My sister’s family adopted a dog who was a chronic runaway (his previous family finally stopped bailing him out of the pound after the fifth time he bolted). The previous owners either kept him in a crate or on a chain on a porch. They also had no kids. Not much of a life for a dog, so no wonder he ran away.
Pretty much as soon as my sister’s family adopted him, he became a different dog – he sticks around the kids and home because he now feels like part of a pack. It turns out he was just looking for a pack to belong to. He still has some behavioral issues – most notably he won’t go into a crate at all – but he is generally a happy, well-behaved dog who loves and protects his family.
Again, I agree Sherman’s new owners will need to be careful, but they also might be pleasantly surprised!