Happy Tails: Charley fka Rosie!

Hello! I am so happy to send an update on our wonderful, sweet girl Charley/Rosie. Rosie was a sweet but anxious girl at ACCT and was timestamped for March 10. We saw her story online and knew she was our dog. After our initial meet and greet with her there was no question she was meant for us, and we were thrilled to be able to bring her home on March 8.  She has adjusted so quickly to life in our household it is remarkable, and we already can’t imagine life without her. She is housebroken after only 1 accident in the house, happy to hang out in her crate, but can also be left free in the house and only chews on her toys now that we have introduced them to her after the loss of a single shoe. She is super cuddly, loves to play fetch and chase the squirrels in the yard. After being initially unsure of all the bird noise she now loves being out in the early morning. Charley loves our cats (although they are still less excited about her but getting friendlier), is great on the leash, and growing braver on her walks outside the house and yard. She recently took her first family hike and did amazing. She knows sit and paw, and even when anxious around unknown people/environments trusts us and will go with us to new places. Charley loves other dogs, but is less certain about dogless people we encounter on our walks. But is slowly growing braver. She is a wonderful addition to our family and we are so grateful that she has entered our lives.

Happy Tails: Zero aka Base!

Hi I just wanted to give a quick update on Base (now named Zero, after a deep cut Springsteen song), who I adopted from ACCT a little over a month ago.  He has been settling in very nicely into apartment living, and spends most of his time inside enjoying the bed and the couch.  We have been running on the Schuylkill River Trail most mornings before I go to work, and he has been enjoying our long walks around Rittenhouse and the river and all the side streets in between.  He is super goofy, and is extremely cuddly and seems as happy as can be to finally be home.  Lots of hikes as the weather warms up too, we went to Valley Forge yesterday and can’t wait to start branching out for longer hikes: on the horizon are Shenandoah and eventually some bigger peaks in the Adirondacks.  I’m attaching a few of my favorite pictures from our first month together, and I could not be more grateful for the work that you guys do at ACCT and the lives you save and make complete.  Please let me know if I can ever do anything to repay the favor to all the good folks at ACCT.

Happy Tails: Peanut aka Gina White !

My boyfriend and I  adopted our dog Peanut (formerly known as Gina White) at the beginning of this month. She was such a shy, timid girl in the shelter and I just wanted to share with you all how well she has been doing since! She is the sweetest, goofiest girl who loves to play with (and destroy) toys and snuggle with us on the couch. She truly has the best personality and we could not be more  obsessed with her. We are so grateful to you all at ACCT for helping us find her!

PHILADELPHIA—ACCT Philly and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health received confirmation that a young dog has tested positive for rabies. The dog was between 2-5 months of age and picked up by ACCT Philly animal protection officers around 11pm on Wellens Street near North American Street on Saturday, January 18 after a concerned citizen called in to report the stray puppy. The dog was noted to have facial swelling from a wound on the face and had very damaged teeth. She began showing signs of rabies such as difficulty moving, lethargy and extreme aggression on Wednesday after a medical procedure and was euthanized and sent for testing at the Health Department. The results returned on Friday revealed that she was positive for rabies.

The puppy was likely dumped by a backyard breeder or someone who recently purchased her and after seeing concerning symptoms let the puppy go. In 2024, there was a 69 percent increase in the number of dogs under 5 months old coming into ACCT compared to 2023, with many being dumped by breeders when they don’t sell or when they show signs of illness.

“This is a very unusual and very sad situation, but we want to make sure that the public is made aware so that anyone who came into contact with this puppy can get the appropriate treatment,” said Sarah Barnett, Executive Director, ACCT Philly. “It is hopefully a reminder to the community to ensure your pets are vaccinated, and to not support those who are putting profit above public safety and animal welfare and selling unvaccinated animals.”

This incident is also a reminder that rabies is present in Philadelphia and sometimes infects domestic animals like dogs and cats.  It is caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system and is fatal for both humans and animals if proper medical care is not given following an exposure to the virus in a timely manner. Rabies is transmitted by bites and scratches as well as saliva from a rabid animal coming into contact with open wounds, the mouth, eyes or nose.

It is extremely important that anyone who had contact with this puppy or knows any information on where the puppy came from contact the Health Department at (215) 685-6741 during business hours (M-F, 8:30am-5:00pm). The Health Department will assist with identifying additional exposed persons and advise those exposed to receive treatment to prevent rabies, since this infection is fatal. Treatment includes receiving an antibody product against rabies along with 4 doses of rabies vaccine given over a 2-week period.

Everyone should take steps to minimize the risk of exposure to rabies, such as:

• Make sure your pets are vaccinated against rabies at 12 weeks of age and yearly following that, as required by state law. You can view low cost veterinary providers here.
• If you purchase a dog or cat from someone, make sure the dog has proof of a rabies vaccine. Specifically, a rabies vaccine certificate which includes the vaccine information as is signed by a veterinarian.
• If you cannot care for your pet, do not dump them outside. It is illegal and inhumane and can also place the community at risk as this puppy did. Please contact ACCT Philly. We can also provide resources to help you keep your pet, you can learn more here.
• Do not feed wild animals. Feed your pet indoors and don’t let them outside without supervision.
• Make sure children know to avoid trying to touch wild animals or pets they don’t know.
• If you see sick or injured wildlife in Philadelphia, please contact ACCT Philly. Officers will pick up the animal and either take the animal to a wildlife rehabber or euthanize and send the animal out for testing if appropriate. If you come across a deceased animal not on the street, you can contact ACCT Philly. If the deceased animal is on the street, you can contact the streets department. You can read more about assistance for wildlife issues here: https://acctphilly.org/wildlife/

• Report all bites, scratches, and other exposures to animals for any individual from Philadelphia or exposed in Philadelphia to the Health Department by calling 215-685-6748 or faxing a completed Animal Exposure Reporting Form to 215-238-6947. You will be asked to provide information on the human victim and the animal’s location if known.

General information:

• Since 2022, there has only been one other case of a dog testing positive for rabies in Pennsylvania, which was in 2024 also in Philadelphia.
• Historically, Philadelphia has more animals identified with rabies through testing than any other county in Pennsylvania. It is one of the few counties where local animal control picks up wild animals showing signs of rabies such as behaving aggressively or sickly, since these animals are often found in neighborhoods that have higher numbers of people and pets living closely together.
• In 2024, Philadelphia had a preliminary count of 20 animals identified with rabies through testing, half of which were raccoons, and the remaining included cats, skunks, a bat, groundhog, and dog.

Happy Tails: Foxy Gurl and Tango!