MEET CHARCOAL: CERTIFIED GOOD BOY IN TRAINING, LOVE MONSTER IN PRACTICE (AKA: Sharky, AKA: Your Next Best Friend) Charcoal didn’t end up in the shelter because he did anything wrong. Sadly, he lost his home when his family was evicted and had to enter a homeless shelter, leaving this sweet, snuggly boy without a place to land. But despite all that, Charcoal has remained nothing but pure heart and happy tail wags. This guy LOVES “his” people. Like, really loves them. He craves attention from us the way most of us crave coffee on a Monday morning; desperately and constantly. But he’s not super pushy about it; he’s just thrilled to be near you and will gladly follow you around the yard like your overly enthusiastic shadow with four legs and no personal boundaries. Charcoal clearly didn’t have a lot of structure in his previous life, but he’s picking things up fast. He may not know all the commands yet, but he’s food-motivated, smart, and eager to please, so teaching him the basics (and beyond) should be a breeze. With a little time and consistency, this guy could be the goodest of good boys. Some of his greatest hits include: - Being completely non-destructive in his kennel—blankets and toys remain intact, which we do not take for granted - Trot-walking politely in the yard behind his person like he’s your emotional support duckling - Hopping onto weird obstacles with zero hesitation (hello, future agility star?) - Taking a bath and getting a nail trim like an absolute champ, even though it was probably his first - Navigating a chaotic vet clinic with grace (and a bit of anxiety too!), walking past unfamiliar dogs and people like a seasoned pro - Voluntarily hopping up onto the exam table like, “Let’s do this, Doc!” Charcoal recently met a young female dog (a bit smaller than him) and absolutely nailed it—play bows, polite bounces, and happy zooms galore. While we still want to test him with a few more doggy personalities, early signs point to “potential playgroup king.” Because he’s still figuring out how to regulate his big feelings and big body, Charcoal would do best in a home without small children—he’s just a little too much of a clumsy cuddle cannon right now. Older kids who can handle a loving goofball with high energy and higher enthusiasm? Yes, please. Charcoal’s Ideal Home Has: - Lots of opportunities for exercise, enrichment, and adventure - People who want a loyal, loving companion and are excited to help him learn - Possibly a doggy playmate (pending intros!) - Older kids or teens who won’t get steamrolled by his zoomies - A couch. Preferably one with enough room for the both of you. THE BASICS: -Breed/mix: bully type mix -Age guesstimate: 2 years old, according to his former family -Approximate weight/size: 55 lbs -Energy level: Charcoal is a high energy boy! He’ll need physical exercise and mental stimulation. -Special skills: Professional snuggler, fearless adventurer, enthusiastic learner, bath-time champion If you’ve been looking for a sweet, smart, slightly ridiculous dog with nothing but love to give, Charcoal’s your guy. Come meet him—just be warned, you may fall in love immediately. Charcoal’s adoption fee is $150. This animal is or will be made current on core vaccines, will be spayed or neutered, and will be microchipped by the time of adoption. Additionally, cats will be tested for FIV and feline leukemia virus, and dogs will be tested for heartworm disease and tick borne illness. Courtesy of our nonprofit partner group, Friends of the Wallingford Animal Shelter, all senior cats and dogs will have a full senior work up. **ADOPTION PROCESS - PLEASE READ** The very first step of our current adoption process is to fill out our online adoption application. However, you don’t necessarily have to be interested in a specific animal in order to apply! Feel free to submit an app that includes whatever desired criteria (size, breed, age, energy level, coat type, etc.) and we can keep it on file to contact you in the event an animal comes in who fits the bill! Our pet adoption application can be found here, or you can request one via Petfinder: https://www.wallingfordanimalcontrol.com/pdfs/WAS-Adoption-Application.pdf You can submit your app using whatever method works best for you, whether that be faxing it to 203-294-2181, mailing it to Wallingford Animal Control at 5 Pent Rd, Wallingford 06492, dropping it off in our mailbox at 5 Pent Rd, or attaching it to an email and sending it to animalcontrol@wallingfordct.gov. All necessary information for any of these methods is also located right at the top of the application. Easy peasy lemon squeazy! Please keep in mind that animal control duties and animal care are our primary responsibility and, depending on our general workload at any given time and how many other applications we have to process, it could possibly take up to a couple of weeks for us to get to it. We do try to process apps in a timely manner so that we can get our animals the heck out of dodge and into loving homes! We know that adopting a new pet is super exciting and that you’re probably very eager to get the ball rolling, but please try to be patient with us! Please also note that we operate on a *best fit for the animal basis*, not a *first come first served basis*. As such, you may apply for one animal, and we may instead suggest an animal we feel would better suit your lifestyle, household, etc. Our goal isn’t so much to get every animal out the door as quickly as possible as it is to ensure a permanent and successful placement that is in the best interest of both the adopter and the adoptee! Once your application is approved, WE WILL CONTACT YOU to schedule an appointment to come and meet the animal(s) of interest! There may be more than one animal we feel could mesh quite well with your household, so you could end up meeting multiple potentials during your appointment. We do require that all members of the household come in to ensure compatibility. If this takes multiple appointments to accommodate all of your family members’/roommates’ schedules, that’s okay with us! If you are adopting a dog with an existing dog or dogs already in the household, they will of course have to come meet your potential new pup too! It’s often best for just the humans to come first, and to then schedule a second appointment for dog introductions, assuming you choose to move forward with the adoption. Sometimes, multiple dog interactions will be necessary prior to us sending your new dog home. Please also note that we do not have the time or resources to contact every single applicant if the application was not approved or the animal you applied for was adopted by another applicant. Feel free to call and check in if you do not hear from us in a couple of weeks. So it’s great match, everyone is in love… now what?! Before we send your new best friend home, they will need to be spayed or neutered! This could take an additional couple of days up to a week or so, all depending on our vet’s availability. If the animal has already been fully vetted, it may be possible to take them home the same day as your meet and greet! Though this is decided on a case by case basis, we’ll certainly make sure you’re prepared for this prior to coming in for your appointment that day. The adoption fee for cats and dogs is $150.00. Prior to adoption, all animals will be made current on core vaccinations, will be microchipped, cats will be screened for FIV and feline leukemia, and dogs will be screened for heartworm disease and tick borne illness. Senior animals will also receive a full senior work up, much thanks to our wonderful nonprofit partner group, the Friends of the Wallingford Animal Shelter, for making that possible! Though our entire process could *potentially* take up to a few weeks total and sometimes longer (granted it doesn’t always!) we have found over the years that this truly does ensure the absolute best match and the most successful and permanent adoption possible, which is of course what we want for all of our animals, and for your family too!