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Barry Moe ACCT-A-209819 is currently considered urgent and at risk of euthanasia due to behavioral concerns, specifically fearful behavior in our care and conflicting interactions with staff and volunteers that make him difficult to place and likely to decline quickly. Barry Moe must have confirmed placement with a RESCUE PARTNER or EXPERIENCED ADOPTER by Monday, January 6th at 10 A.M. Should Barry Moe’s medical or behavioral status change, his urgency and timeline for placement may also change.
Barry Moe is a smart and playful boy who loves tennis balls and has a knack for learning—he already knows "sit," "down," and "paw" and takes treats gently. However, Barry has been displaying concerning behaviors in the shelter that indicate he needs immediate placement with an experienced adopter or rescue partner to help him succeed and prevent further behavioral decline.
Barry Moe can be very nervous around new people, particularly men, and has shown signs of discomfort, including growling, freezing, and hard-staring when he feels uncertain or threatened. He has a history of reacting to sudden movements or unfamiliar hands, which can escalate to growling or barking. While he can warm up to people, it requires patience, positive reinforcement, and clear boundaries.
In his kennel, Barry has displayed fear-based behaviors, such as hard barking and growling when approached. He sometimes appears tense and whale-eyed, and leashing him can be a challenge when he’s feeling unsure. During handling, he has moments of relaxation but can quickly become uncomfortable, especially if he perceives a threat. He has also shown resource-guarding tendencies, such as growling when feeling uneasy about someone near him or handling his collar.
Barry Moe’s behaviors suggest he may have had a history of guarding his previous finder and could benefit from a structured, calm environment with experienced handlers who understand his signals and are willing to work with him to build trust. Without this support, his behaviors may escalate in the shelter environment.
Barry Moe is a loving and playful dog at his core, but he needs a knowledgeable adopter or rescue partner who can provide the guidance, structure, and patience he needs to build confidence and feel safe. With the right placement, Barry Moe has the potential to thrive and become the loyal companion he’s meant to be.
Videos:
*NEW*
Barry Moe gets belly rubs: https://youtube.com/shorts/hkp1Gc8rzT4?si=6p9Zl9QGyyBMchuK
Barry Moe knows sit and paw: https://youtube.com/shorts/i83Pp8j5iKA
Barry Moe gives paw: https://youtube.com/shorts/Zdh6SJvnCzY
Barry Moe sits for a treat: https://youtube.com/shorts/-WuR-N9YOyA
Barry Moe chases a ball: https://youtube.com/shorts/F3r2EqMqZcoBarry Moe getting pets: https://youtube.com/shorts/tnrp0VJKmr8?feature=share
Mittens and Barry Moe Meet: https://youtube.com/shorts/CRSRIAJ2eGE?feature=share
Barry Moe and Mittens meet: https://youtube.com/shorts/AvWe_36PqEc?feature=share
Behavior Notes:
Per staff 1/3: Got Barry Moe out for a dog meet today and I cannot stress how much better he's doing with his prong collar off!! He was not reactive in kennel at all, and came forward with soft eyes and a wagging tail. He did amazing for his meet and was gentle and patient with the nervous dog he met. After the meet he let me give him all over love and pet his neck, which he never let me touch before! He was wagging and leaning in the whole time, a complete 180!
Per volunteer 1/2: I took barry Moe out of his kennel for some play time as I know he loves it. I made sure to find a tennis ball for him as he loves to play and hold them. Barry Moe is a super smart boy who knows sit, down and paw. He takes treats very nicely and is super treat motivated but stays calm! I noticed on Barry’s walk sheet that it said he was nervous of men so I decided to see how he would react if we just passed by a guy. I had the security guard sit on a chair as we walked by and he had no reaction! He even went up to him and the security guard was even able to give him a treat. I do feel as he opens up more with women but he didn’t show any concerning signals or signs.
Per volunteer 1/1: This guy is a bit skittish but was still friendly with me. Barry takes treats super gentle, his favorite was Milo’s meatballs. He has a very good sit! Barry loooooves balls and is great at fetch. He will drop it for either another ball or a treat. I took Barry into the volunteer office to check for stranger danger. He was nervous of new people but took treats readily from them. He growled at a male volunteer, seemed wary of the volunteer’s hands. I called him to me and redirected him with a sit command and he responded well. Barry is the most social with his handler, he solicited pets freely from me leaning heavily and giving polite kisses.
Per staff 1/1/25: Barry Moe was in the room with a volunteer and I went in to say hi. He greeted me with a wagging tail and was friendly and social. He allowed all handling from me and even sat patiently for some treats. He allowed me to play fetch with him, released the ball willingly and let me take it from him.
Per staff 1/1/25: Volunteer brought Barry in the office -- another volunteer was present. He gave him a meatball and he gave a low growl, but took it from him. Before that, he froze and was a little tense. The handler got his attention and he followed. He then turned towards the other volunteer, froze again and hard stared. He flinched anytime the other volunteer did sudden movements, especially with his hands.
Per volunteer 12/30- This guy is so fun! I approached his kennel and he gave me soft eyes. He was standing at the front of his kennel loose. I put my leash in the kennel and it did take a few tries to leash him as he did back away but showed no behavioral issues. Once leashed he jumped out perfectly fine and we went into the behavioral room. The first couple minutes I spent just letting him sniff out the room and me. He showed no concerning behaviors. I threw a few treats down but he didn’t want any which was perfectly fine. I decided to see how he would react to toys and threw a squeaky toy but he really didn’t show any interest. Then, I grabbed a tennis ball and his eyes lit up!!! He LOVES to run and chase tennis balls. I used the ball with the rope on it and a regular tennis ball and he absolutely loved both. When he would walk away I was able to pick it up and throw it and he would chase after it and romp around. He was so cute playing with the ball and again showed no concerning behavioral signs. He would even lean in for pets. Overall, I think he is a really sweet boy! I had no issues returning him to kennel as he hopped right in.
Per staff 12/28/24: Barry Moe was nervous when I approached the kennel but did not growl or bark at me. I gave him a treat and he took it gently from me.
Per staff 12/28/24:
KENNEL PRESENTATION:
Barry Moe was lying on his bed and came forward with a tucked tail and wide scared eyes. He sniffed the leash and the handlers hand cursorily but wouldn't allow leashing, getting tense and whale eyed. The handler took some time with him and was able to sideways leash him, ears to ears.
LEASH SKILLS:
Pulls minimally
HANDLING:
In the room, Barry Moe was very neutral, with neutral wide eyes and a flat down tail. He walked around the room sniffing curiously. When the handler called for him, he slowly walked over to her and nudged his neck into her legs. She gave him some pets and extended affection. The handler was testing if she could take the choke collar off of him but he began hard staring at her hand, got still and started growing. When she continued to talk to him and calm him down he continued to growl and faced his body away from her. The handler gave him some space and went back in to rebuild the trust with some treats but he turned his head away from us and refused to look at either handler. Whenever the handler tried to pet him again, he would quickly tuck his tail all the way and get very tense and still. He stopped taking treats, stopped allowing pets and would just try to walk away.
PLAY:
No interest
TOYS:
No interest
Per staff 12/27/24:
Behavior had to come and double leash due to hard barking and growling. He did allow finder to handle and listened when finder gave commands sometimes. Allowed a stranger and police officer to pet him for a little but proceeded to bark afterwards. Seems to be a guard dog possibly trying to guard the finder.
Per finder 12/27/24: Friendly, cuddly, playful
Medical Notes:
12/29/24:
Subjective:
Fearful and shut down per behavior team
Assessment:
FAS in shelter
Plan:
Gabapentin 300 mg PO BID x 7 days
Trazodone 100 mg PO BID x 3 days
12/27/24:
Eyes - red eyes, clear of discharge
Ears -unable to fully examin,seemed clean from outdside
Nose - clear of discharge
Mouth/Teeth/Gums -unable to fully examin, seem good fromslight glance
Coat & Skin - good
Urogenital - unaltered male
Gait/Mobility - good
Attitude: a bit standoffish
Overall Assessment: BAR
Behavior (Green, Gold, Blue, Red): Gold
Behavior notes: go slow,very protective of handler and may prefer men. allowed vaccines with minimal restraint but gave low growls when going near face.
Due to being significantly overcapacity with dogs and cats 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 a dog or cat.
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 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.
