Panda Girl came to ACCT Philly on April 22, 2026 after being found running loose in the city with no known owner. The finder described her as friendly and quiet, but understandably jumpy and unsure on leash. Since arriving at the shelter, Panda Girl has been trying to make sense of a very overwhelming environment. Panda Girl is a sensitive, gentle young dog who is still adjusting to the stress of shelter life. While she can be anxious and focused on finding an exit, she has already shown encouraging signs of progress. With time and patience, she has begun to seek comfort from people-jumping up gently for reassurance, leaning into pets, and even offering soft kisses. She takes treats gently, knows "sit," and has shown curiosity about toys. Panda Girl has also demonstrated that she can be easy to handle in many ways, including leashing and returning to her kennel. Though she may appear aloof at times, it's clear she wants connection and is slowly building trust with the people around her. In a calmer, supportive environment, Panda Girl has the potential to truly blossom into a loving and affectionate companion. Videos Meet Panda Girl: https://youtube.com/shorts/xqyeUzinaxs?si=FpbwrDR11uPMZnj- Meeting Labello: https://youtu.be/quY1sKRwAas?si=OKzvy-Yy3t8lkpsV Behavioral Notes 04/27/2026 per staff: I took Panda Girl out again today and she was much more interactive then the first time I took her out on the 22nd. She was still stressed (panting and pacing) but did jump up on me several times seeking comfort. She was lying down on her cot when I approached but came to the front and was easily leashed. She still pulled outside, but she was stopping to sniff the ground a lot instead of pulling straight for the road and exit searching. Once we got in a yard, she was pacing a bit but would stop when I pet her and even leaned into some chin scritches! She hopped up on the benches a lot. At one point, I knelt down while she was on the bench, and she gently put her paw on my should and gave me a few kisses. This appeared to be out of stress/anxiety and comfort seeking again. I threw a toy for her a couple of times and she showed curiosity and even pounced on one once, but didn't pick it up or engage in play. Walking her back to her kennel, she did pull more towards the road but was easy to redirect and walk inside. She did not want to be left in her kennel and was pawing at the gate with a quiet whine to come back out. Unfortunately she's not treat motivated at this time so they aren't much help but I gave her lots of gentle pats. I'm hoping she settles in a little as she continues to spend time with more staff and volunteers. I do think she's more comfortable now that she's moved to a welcome center kennel vs a crate (also a lot quieter up there for her). Per volunteer 4/26: Panda is located in the Welcome Center so luckily it's a bit more quiet for this nervous girl. She was shaking on her bed but walked right up to the kennel door when I approached her. She was easy to leash and walk outside. Outside she pulled like she wanted to escape I took her to one of the smaller yards and she did a ton of exit searching but in between the exit searching she felt brave enough to come up on the bench with me. She put her paws on my lap. Allowed pets and did seem to enjoy butt scratches, she seemed to loosen up. She took hot dogs gently and knows sit. I had no issues returning her to her kennel. I'm pretty sure she also has a great underbite which I'm a big fan of. Please consider this sweet girl. 04/27/2026 per staff, behavioral eval: Kennel Presentation: Laying on the bed when I approached her kennel. Wide eyes, ears to the side and tail down not moving. Leash Skills: tried pushing when the door was slightly opening. However easy to leash and came right out of the kennel. Outside she pulled hard on the leash, towards the road. Sociability: Aloof. Spent most of the time at the fence line, exit searching. Heavy panting with wide eyes and tail down. I was able to pet her and she would stand still not soliciting for more. took treats very gently Play: n/a Dog Interaction: Met Labello. Avoidant Return to Kennel: Went right into the kennel and I was able to removed leash with hand. Color Level: Blue Recommendations and considerations: Keeping rescue only right now due to high FAS and exit searching. 04/27/2026 per staff - Meeting Labello: Avoidant, tucked tail. Tolerant Adding good meet attribute, although it is inconclusive 04/23/2026 per staff: Making rescue only until further pathways can be determined due to notes in profile. 04/22/2026 per staff: Panda Girl is very confused and stressed by the shelter. It took patience and a few attempts with a large loop to leash her from her crate. She was interested in getting out but unsure of the loop and would back up when it went over her head. Once we got to walking, she started pulling stronger than I expected for her size but was still manageable. I took her outside first and she started pulling towards the road right away but could be redirected. She would initially resist going the right direction at times but slight leash pressure did the trick. I was using baby voice and crouching down to her but she was too distracted/anxious to seek comfort. She would very briefly sniff any treat I offered but would turn away. In the foster office, she explored and briefly sniffed each staff member but kept going back to the door to exit. I ended up taking her in a small yard and she remained escape oriented while out there. She would pace and occasionally jump up on the fence. Two small dogs passed by and she did seem focused/curious about them and watched them with her ears forward but broke eye contact once they passed by. Her tail was originally semi tucked but eventually just remained low. She did not seek out handling but tolerated some gentle pets on her back. She went back in her crate without issues and let me take the leash off. ACCT Philly is located at 111 West Hunting Park Ave in Philadelphia. We are open for adoptions 7 days a week, from 10am to 6pm, and no appointments are needed! 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/ 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.