Samson

Samson is an adoptable male Chihuahua looking for a home at Philadelphia Animal Care and Control in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is fully grown and small in size. He is currently on the shelter's euthanasia list with just one day left, listed due to behavior. Adopting Samson, or even sharing his story, could save a life before it's too late.

Samson ACCT-A-261903 is currently considered urgent and at risk of euthanasia due to behavioral concerns. Samson must have confirmed placement with a RESCUE PARTNER by MONDAY, OCTOBER 5TH at 10AM. Should Samson's medical or behavioral status change, his urgency and timeline for placement may also change. Samson came to ACCT Philly as an owner surrender on September 23rd after five years with his family. He is a sweet, cuddly guy who loves spending time with his people, playing tug, and enjoying his toys. While he can be nervous and shy when meeting new people, Samson has shown a much softer side in the shelter once he gets comfortable. He has enjoyed curling up in a staff member's lap, nuzzling their hand for pets, and going for walks. Samson has a history of biting the children in his previous home, so his family felt an adult-only home would be best for him. He has also had some difficulty with other animals, although he recently had a nice dog meet in the shelter. Due to his behavioral concerns, Samson is urgently seeking placement with a rescue partner who can give him the time, patience, and supportive environment he needs to feel comfortable and thrive. VIDEOS: Samson & Bambi Meet BEHAVIOR NOTES: Per staff 10/3:'Easy to leash, pick up, and carry. Very cute dog meet, both were excited and frequently greeted each other then disengaged. When I went to pick him up after the meet he did whip his head a little, but didn't give me any issues carrying him or returning to kennel. Per volunteer 10/3: Medium energy. Used caution picking up. Lively. Per staff 9/29: Took for walk and hung out in the volunteer office for a while. Allowed all handling throughout. No issues removing from kennel: presented at the front, shied away slightly while leashing with ears lowered and posture slightly hunched, lip licking, but didn't resist being picked up. Peed and pooped within the first couple minutes of our walk, meandered alongside me the rest of the time, curious but quiet. Allowed me to pick him up to return. In the volunteer office, remained quiet and explorative, hopping into my lap when I sat on the bench. Nuzzled my hand for pets. A volunteer came in while he was on my lap, and he remained there, quiet but attentive, while we talked. No issues returning. Per volunteer 9/25: Medium energy. Carried through kennels. Samson was very good on leash. He ended up pooping 5 separate times. He walks nicely and stays put if you stop to talk to someone. Sweet boy. Per staff 9/24: Kennel Presentation: Sitting in his kennel with wide eyes, ears back, tense body, trembling. Not eating anything I offered. Leash Skills: Backed up into the back corner when I opened the door. Able to gently lasso with whale eyes, tense body trembling, ears pinned back, tail low and still. Once leashed gently placed a blanket on him and he tolerated being picked up from his bank. Carried outside, trembling, eyes darting. Sociability: Sniffing in the yard, high tail, ears back. Would not come over when called or for treats. Tolerated gentle handling with a low still tail, tense body, wide eyes, lip licked and turned his head away. Moved away when I stopped. Dog Interaction: Met Rose Petal at the fence, tense body, front paw raised, high tail, moved away with leash pressure. Return to Kennel: Walked back towards the building loose leash, stopping frequently to sniff. Tolerated being picked up with a low tail, ears back, tense body. Carried to his kennel and placed him in it. Able to remove leash by hand. Color Level: Blue Per owner surrender notes 9/20: Had for 5 years. Surrendering for behavior issues, not good with my kids or kids in general. Children in the home are tweens and teens. Fully housebroken and crate trained, medium energy, pulls a little on leash. Knows his name and the commands sit, no, off, stay, drop it, leave it, and go potty. His favorite activities include playing tug-of-war, hanging out with owners, and independent playtime with toys. Behavioral issues include mouthing or play biting, \"marking\" things with urine, possessive of toys/items, fearful of new people, reactive/aggressive towards children. Has bitten my girls on separate occasions. I can't pin point exactly why. I call him a sour patch. He sweet and then he's sour like the commercial ad say. He's never been aggressive with me or my wife or my older daughter who's 17. Nervous/fearful/shy with strangers. Reaction to children and other dogs depends on the situation. Has not been around cats. Has a high prey drive towards wildlife. An all adult home would be best for him. He's a sweet dog overall, just never sure how he'll react with children. We generally crate him when family and friends with little ones visit. The best thing about him is he loves to cuddle. Per owner 9/17: It's been a few months (May or June this year) since Samson last bit; he bit my daughter's hand. She tried to hide it, because we said he have to go if he bit again. The other (2) were on Christmas morning and one evening while we were watching a movie. Both times were on the girls' faces. The second time he bit on the face he was clamped on for a second or two. All (3) instances broke the skin. Those were a couple of yrs ago. He growls at them often. He's fine when it comes to my wife and I. He's not good with the kids. I think he just needs to be in a home that doesn't have younger children. Per owner surrender notes 9/16: Seeking assistance due to pet's behavior: growling and snappy with kids and aggressive towards other pets. Had him since he was 8 weeks old. He's sweet when wants to be. The best things about him are he's loving and loyal. He has bitten the kids at random times, can't pin point exactly why. Behavioral concerns include marking and aggressive towards other pets and occasionally people. I think a home where he's the only pet and without kids is the perfect environment for him. -- Due to being significantly overcapacity with animals and higher than usual intake, extensions are unlikely to be granted. If you are interested in an animal please contact ACCT Philly immediately. Due to limited space, timestamps may also be proceeded with early so it is imperative to let us know if you are considering adopting or tagging an animal. 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: 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. Animal ID: ACCT-A-261903 Breed: Chihuahua, Short Coat / Papillon Color: Black / White Weight: 9.8 lbs Age: Adult (1-7 years) Location: Small Dog Room Campus: Main Campus Attributes: Waiver: Bite History, Adult-Only Home Preferred, Disclaimer: No Kids, No Cats, Crate trained, Housetrained, Blue, Good Dog Meet (In Shelter)