Disclaimer: This Inside South Florida segment is sponsored by Panter, Panter & Sampedro. All opinions and views are of the advertiser and does not reflect the same of WSFL-TV.
If you are looking to add a little energy and a lot of love to your life, Humane Society Broward County has a 10-week-old puppy who is ready to meet you.
Yelena joined Inside South Florida as Pet of the Week, sponsored by Panter, Panter & Sampedro, alongside Humane Society Broward County representative Matthew Seligman. The sweet, affectionate puppy quickly won over the studio — and she is hoping to do the same with a forever family.
Yelena's story
Yelena came to Humane Society Broward County from another shelter in Florida that had reached capacity.
"Sometimes when they're at capacity, we'll do our best if we have some kennels to take them in. She has a couple of her siblings at the shelter as well that are looking for a forever home," Matthew said.
He described Yelena as a calm and affectionate passenger on the ride to the studio.
"She's so sweet in the car. She wasn't overbearing, where she's climbing all over the center console or anything, but she kind of looked at me like, 'please put me on your lap.' And she made the ride real easy. This dog, I think, is a lover at heart. I think she really loves people. She'll kind of burrow into your arm," he said.
What to know before adopting a puppy
While puppies are undeniably cute, Matthew offered a reminder that they require a significant commitment of time and patience.
"If you're looking to adopt young and go with a puppy, puppies are great. They're going to add a lot of energy and livelihood to your life, but it's a strong commitment. Be ready for housebreaking challenges. It's going to take some time to train them to be outside," Matthew said.
He emphasized the importance of positive reinforcement and consistent supervision.
"You got to use positive reinforcement, take them out, give them a treat when they do the deed, and reinforce those positive habits. It's easier to train a younger dog, for sure, but picture a newborn baby — it's going to require constant attention. You got to be ready to really be there to supervise and reward the good behaviors to prevent you now having a two-year-old dog who's still peeing in the house," he said.
How to adopt Yelena or her siblings
If you are ready for the commitment, Yelena and her siblings are waiting.
"The first thing I would suggest is go onto our website. It's humanebroward.com. That'll have an active list of all of our animals up for adoption, and we update it every hour," Matthew said.
He also encouraged potential adopters to visit the shelter in person.
"If you want to just come in and walk around, you're more than welcome to. I suggest it — come through and see what we have out on the floor. Maybe something gets put out there in that span of one hour where we would upload it online. Maybe you get lucky," he said.
For those who cannot adopt right now, the Humane Society Broward County also offers volunteer opportunities and other ways to support their mission.
For more information, visit humanebroward.com.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
