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Rufus, a 6-year-old dog rescued from Puerto Rico, is looking for his forever home
through Humane Broward.
Rufus has been at the shelter for about a week and a half and is still adjusting to the
shelter environment. Staff describe him as sweet but shy, and say the noise and
activity of shelter life has been stressful for him.
"He's acclimating to the shelter for sure, but definitely like a higher stress dog. We'll
have a lot of adopters that come in, and we'll start to give them the background,
and they're like, " Oh, I know, don't worry. So there's a person for every kind
of dog out there. I think he will open up well in a home,"
a Humane Broward representative said.
Staff says the shelter environment — with loud barking and people tapping on the
glass — makes it harder for dogs like Rufus to show their true personality.
Humane Broward recommends Rufus for a calm household, ideally without
very young children.
"I think maybe not a household with like, very young kids that are maybe
loud or like they're not acclimated to living with a dog yet. I think he would do well,
maybe with like an adult family where the kids are out at school or in college,
anything like that. He would do well with like a nice couple that's home a lot,"
the representative said.
When it comes to other dogs, staff say Rufus would likely be a great companion.
Many dogs rescued from Puerto Rico — often former street dogs accustomed to
roaming in groups — tend to be well socialized with other animals.
"If I had to gamble, I think he would do well with another dog. Sometimes what
we'll see with those island dogs — maybe they were initially street dogs, they'll
typically roaming groups. So they're pretty well socialized with other animals also.
I would wager he would love having another dog in the home," the representative said.
How to adopt Rufus
Prospective adopters should start by filling out a pre-adoption application
at www.humanebroward.com.
The shelter is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to approximately 5:15 p.m.,
which is when staff stops showing animals for the day.
If you already have a dog at home, staff recommend coming in alone first to meet
Rufus before scheduling a meet and greet. Those introductions are held before
the shelter opens in the morning to keep the environment quieter and less stressful.
"If he'd be a good match for what dog you have at home already, then we'll
schedule a meet and greet.
We do them before we open in the morning, so it's a little more quiet,"
the representative said.
Additional information about the adoption process and all available animals can be
found on the Humane Broward website.
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