Dog of the Week: Dede

Say hello to Dede (A14278040)! Dede is the sweetest petite little pocket pittie mix that you’d ever want to meet. She looks to be part hound and is just a baby still at 6 to 12 months old.

She has the most endearing face and sad eyes, but she honestly is a happy, social girl. Little innocent Dede was found running loose on the streets all by herself and was brought into the shelter on Oct. 131. When she came in, this poor little girl was totally emaciated and weighed only 20 pounds. She also had a horrible case of fleas, which caused some hair loss on her back.

Since she’s been at the shelter, Dede looks so much better! She has put on a few pounds and her fur is coming back in. Despite having a rough start in life, Dede is a happy, friendly girl. Rather than getting depressed at the shelter, she has actually brightened over time. It’s so sad to know that the shelter is probably the best ‘home’ she’s ever had. But now she has a chance to start over.

Dede just adores people! Although she’s a bit submissive, she gets so excited to have people’s company and she just craves affection. She approaches you with her head timidly low and her tail wagging like crazy. When you sit with her, she will try to snuggle up against you as close as she can get or climb into your lap for love and warmth (this skinny baby with thin hair gets chilly easily in this cold weather).

You can pick her up and give her hugs and kisses and she just shines with the attention. She doesn’t mind at all if you bring her a cheeseburger or hotdog either! Even though Dede was pretty much starving when she came to the shelter, she takes food very gently and has no food aggression at all. She is a pleasant, mannerly girl who never barks, whines or growls. She really is just a gentle little soul who deserves a nice home where she will be loved and cared for.

Dede seems to be good with other dogs too! She was introduced to one of her shelter mates, and she was very social and appropriate with him. She also has met other dogs while outside with her volunteer friends and she approaches them the same way she does people – timid yet very excited to say hello and interact.

ittle Miss Dede is very good on a leash and super easy to control. She doesn’t pull or jump, and looks to you for your approval. Since she is so motivated by food, she is easy to teach new commands. She’s already nailed ‘sit’ and is working on ‘down.’ She’s pretty eager to please, especially when learning a new command means more hotdogs!

As she has never had a real home before, she will probably need a little help from you with housebreaking but with some crate-training and positive reinforcement, she will have it down in no time.

If you would like to meet Dede and you have small children or other dogs, please bring them with you so they can meet Dede too. If you have cats, the shelter staff will gladly test her to see how she reacts to them as well.

Dede will have you at hello. You can’t help but love this dog and want to take care of her. Won’t you consider giving this little love muffin a real home where she can be safe and secure and appreciated for the sweet girl she is? For more information, you can contact jackson.peggy AT comcast.net or just head to shelter.

These animals are located at Philadelphia’s animal control shelter, ACCT. They need immediate adoption or foster care. ACCT is located at 111 W Hunting Park Ave and is open 365 days a year. Adoption hours are Monday-Friday; 1pm-8pm; Saturday and Sunday; 10am-5pm. To check the status of an animal, call 267-385-3800. Check in every week with NEast Philly to see the cat and dog of the week.

This weekend, you can visit ACCT pets at:

The ACCT Adoption Center is open: Monday through Friday 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM