Shelter dog Kate’s Dog Day Out

Kate is one of those dogs whose continued presence at the shelter just confounds me. This young lady was perfectly-behaved with people of all ages and other dogs too. She was lovely from the moment that she was brought out from the kennel at Alachua County Animal Services.

She greeted me sweetly and calmly and jumped willingly in the car. She wanted to smell as much as possible, and I indulged her by letting her put her head out of the window as we went through a school zone.

Kate was very calm on the leash but fascinated by interesting sights or smells. I could see the Pointer in her as she did almost everything but lift her paw to point when she saw egrets taking off from the lake. She is just too cute with her wrinkled forehead and flopped ears.

We were invited along for a little pack walk with a greyhound and a beagle, and Kate had the opportunity to make some new friends.

She was a little nervous about the greyhound but warmed up quickly. She was very comfortable with the beagle from the beginning and seemed to gain confidence by walking along with him. She was very friendly with other dogs that we met along the way.

Kate didn’t mind the bikes that frequently went by, and she only reacted with a little bark to one of the many skateboards that came quite close to us on the path. She is the sort of dog who is quick to watch and slow to get involved.

Kate was a cuddle bug, just throwing herself down in my lap as soon as I sat down with her in the grass. She was happy to lie there and watch the lake, and we sat like that for some time.

I have to say, this is a special dog. She will be someone’s best friend. I hope she finds her person soon. In the meantime, I feel lucky that I got to spend some time with her. All the dogs that I have met at ACAS have been wonderful dogs, but dogs like Kate really make me frustrated about the negative stereotypes around shelter dogs.

**I ended up knowing Kate for some time after I wrote this, until she was finally adopted. Here is her story.