POPPY SEED (A1405078) has been placed on final on 05/20/26. Poppy Seed must be pulled prior to 5:00 PM on 05/27/26 or she will be humanely euthanized. ________________________________________ Summary of Behavior: Poppy Seed presents as a socially affiliative dog with people she knows, but with a documented history of high-arousal reactive and potentially aggressive behavior toward unfamiliar people and animals in a home environment. Behavioral observations in shelter have been mixed, with periods of calm, social behavior alternating with significant kennel arousal and barrier reactivity. Per adopter report, Poppy Seed displayed persistent barking, lunging, baring teeth, and intense reactivity toward passersby immediately following adoption. The adopter described her as indiscriminately reacting to people in public, including lunging and barking at individuals walking nearby. During a gathering in the adopter’s home, Poppy Seed reportedly barked intensely and lunged toward children approaching her separated area. When asked whether the dog may have attempted to bite if unrestrained, the adopter expressed significant concern that she would have. Additional concerns included reactivity toward the adopter’s resident dog, including attempts to go after and bite the other dog. Following return to the shelter, Poppy Seed was observed barking and lunging at members of the public and staff through barriers, though she calmed notably once separated from the adopter and environmental stimuli. In lower-stimulation settings, she has demonstrated affiliative and social behavior with familiar handlers, including approaching loosely with tail wagging, soliciting interaction, taking treats gently, and tolerating routine handling. Staff and volunteers have also reported successful outings in which she walked appropriately around passing people, runners, cyclists, and animals without overt reaction. However, in kennel environments, Poppy Seed continues to display high arousal behaviors including constant barking, lunging at kennel doors, and snapping excitedly for treats. Hoarseness secondary to excessive barking has also been documented. Overall, Poppy Seed demonstrates behavioral inconsistency across environments, with concern for high-arousal reactive behavior and potential aggression toward unfamiliar people and other animals outside of the shelter setting. While these more serious behaviors have not been fully reproduced in shelter care, the detailed adopter reports, combined with ongoing kennel reactivity and arousal, cannot be discounted. Based on these observations and reported history, Poppy Seed has been placed on FINAL status due to the reported behaviors in the adoptive home and concern for future escalation in similar environments Path Forward: Rescue or adopter must commit and *pull* Poppy Seed by 5 PM on 05/27/2026, or Poppy Seed will be humanely euthanized. Rescue or adopter will also need to have a waiver signed and submitted prior to leaving with the dog. ****POPPY SEED IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR FOSTER. ADOPTION OR RESCUE ONLY**** EXTENSION REQUEST PROCESS: A Rescue Group (RG) may request an extension of an animal’s Needs Rescue Final Date no later than 10:00 a.m. on the noted ‘final date’ via email to the SJRescue@sanjoseca.gov with a cc to a Division Manager or Shelter Operations Supervisor. Extension requests must be from the RG interested in in the animal, include specific information as to delays in rescue commitment, specific care arrangements, or other time-based mitigating factors that warrant an extension. A one-time extension up to 72-hour may be granted to accommodate RG, but are not guaranteed based on capacity or condition or other constraints. 04/19/26 07:46 Poppy Seed arrived to us very scared on 4/10. She was tense with fear when first interacting with staff and cowering when we'd approach her. Despite her initial fear, Poppy was very clearly used to interaction with people and quickly warmed up to those who interacted with her. Poppy continues to regrow her confidence with us and loves interacting with staff and volunteers. She is an affectionate and calm mannered girl who's looking for a gentle and living adopter to give her a shot! Poppy Seed is waiting for you to meet her! CWA