Hopper - Mixed Breed Dog for Adoption in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

**Interested fosters through rescue**

Hopper is an 8-month-old mixed breed pup who came to ACCT Philly as an owner surrender on October 1st. His family had only had him for two days when they made the difficult decision to bring him in due to some health issues he was experiencing. While they didn't have him long, they reported that he loves strangers, children, dogs, and cats. At the shelter, was easy to leash, tolerated all handling, and had polite greetings with another dog.

When Hopper arrived, he was weak, thin, and dehydrated, and he had been having bloody stools and vomiting. The good news is that he has already improved a lot. By October 2nd he was walking, eating, and no longer lethargic. While he no longer requires immediate hospitalization, he is still urgently seeking placement with a rescue partner for closer monitoring.

VIDEOS:
Handling Hopper: https://youtube.com/shorts/6S9AOFntfdY?is=rHLOl_5ch5MhYNFB

Legoshi and Hopper
https://youtu.be/k1m_bTFuEfA?is=auRIerI4u7Y6pR6n

https://youtu.be/vhzrVl9aeu4?is=_MxDwB2uQdNhEc5V

BEHAVIOR NOTES:
Per staff 10/1: Dog meet notes: Good greetings. Tolerant and moved away.

Per staff 10/1:
Kennel Presentation: Laying on his blanket when I approached, ears back, wide eyes. Not eating any treats offered.
Leash Skills: Easy to leash and tolerated being picked up out of his top side bank. Walked slowly on a loose leash, tail low, ears back, head low.
Sociability: Some exit searching in the yard, keeping the full length of the leash and would not come over when called. Tolerated all handling with tail low and still, ears back, head lowered.
Play: n/a
Dog Interaction: Met Legoshi, was sniffed and sniffed, moved away on his own.
Return to Kennel: Walked back slowly on a loose leash with the same body language as walking out. Allowed me to pick him up with no issues to place back in kennel and leash was removed by hand.

Per owner surrender notes 10/1: Had for 2 days. Lived with adults, children, and cats. Loves strangers, children, dogs, and cats. Separation anxiety, not potty trained.

MEDICAL NOTES:
Per Volunteer 10/3/2026: Super sweet boy, just fearful in the shelter environment. When I approached him, he sat back in his kennel, but allowed me to easily leash him and then carry him out of the kennel. He walks nicely on loose so those big bag sometimes when he gets a little overwhelmed. Took handling all over and allowed pets with a neutral body. Whenever we passed a dog that was barking at him, he would turn the other way with a tucked tail and crouched body. He got much more comfortable as we went on with our outing and sat on a bench taking pets for me all over. He let us put a little costume on him and went to the photo shoot although whenever he got overwhelmed, he just laid down with his back towards everyone. Allowed me to pick him up and carry him in as he was pancaking on the way in.

10/2 Vet Exam:
Eating. BAR, ambulatory x4, eupneic, no ocular/nasal/aural discharge. Hematochezia, hematemesis; resolved. Lethargy; resolved. Laterally recumbent, weak; resolved. Overall patient seems markedly improved compared to yesterday. Removing code red status but would recommend he still leaves asap with rescue for closer monitoring. Unable to recheck bloodwork at this time due to shelter limitations/staffing.

10/1 Vet Exam:
Hopper is lethargic, with a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 2/9, and a Muscle Condition Score (MCS) of 2/3. He is mildly dehydrated, with a thin body condition & poor muscling; he is weak, and unwilling to stand/ambulate. He has hematochezia, hematemesis, and hemoconcentration. He also has mild leukocytosis, neutrophilia (r/o inflammation vs infection vs other) and mild azotemia (r/o AKI vs pre-renal vs other). Recommend urgent promotion to rescue as patient's needs exceed shelter capabilities. Recommend hospitalization for rehydration and further workup as needed.

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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: https://acctphilly.org/acct-philly-love-local-partnership-program/

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.

The mixed breed dogs, often referred to as mutts, are a diverse and unique group with a blend of different characteristics from various purebred dog breeds. These dogs come from a mixture of lineages, resulting in a wide range of sizes, coat types, and temperaments. While each mixed breed dog is distinct in its own right, they are known for their resilience, adaptability, and often have fewer health issues compared to purebred dogs due to their genetic diversity. Mixed breed dogs make wonderful companions for families looking for a loyal and one-of-a-kind pet.

Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia is the region's largest high-volume, open-admission animal shelter.  Open every single day of...