Cute puppy purchased from pet store slated to needlessly die at NYC shelter tomorrow

Meet Bella Spice. Less than a year ago, Bella Spice had been for sale in a neighborhood pet store. A family passing by the store window couldn’t resist the adorable puppy and fell in love. They bought her lots of toys, showed her off to their friends and family, took her for walks along the sidewalks of the greatest city in the world; that is until one day when that adorable little puppy grew larger and became too much work.

You see, Bella Spice quickly grew up, but no one bothered to teach her correct behaviors. When she was tiny and jumped, mouthed and played tug with her leash, that was cute. When she was teased by strangers and “playfully” slapped on her face, oh that was funny! When she tore up a shoe and put teeth marks in the wall moldings, that was cute too, but puppies grow up before our eyes, and not so suddenly those cute “quirks” become annoying and destructive. The manners Bella Spice never taught turned into annoyances. Her house training still needed work and when left alone at home, she became anxious and destroyed furniture and chewed at the walls.

And when the family decided they could no longer care for her, they surrendered Bella Spice to the New York City Animal Care Centers in Brooklyn. The manners her family never taught her became the puppy’s fault, and now she is scheduled to be euthanized on Tuesday.

Behavior Notes:

Bella Spice is an excitable dog. Her previous owners stated she was very loyal and loves to run around. She loves playing with her toys and enjoys a good game of fetch and tug. She likes to go for walks as well as play in the yard, and even though she pulls hard on her leash, she still listens to being called.

Staff Notes:

Bella Spice arrived at the care center from her previous home. Some behavioral concerns were noted in the home. Bella Spice will bark and growl at strangers. She is reported to bark when in possession of her food. In the care center, Bella Spice lunged at unfamiliar staff on walks. She maintains a tense posture and is highly reactive. Bella Spice should be placed under the guidance of an ACC-approved rescue partner. An adult-only, experienced foster home is required, and Bella Spice should be allowed a decompression period. Assistance from a behavior professional who utilizes positive reinforcement methods is strongly advised.

For more detailed information about Bella Spice, please click here.

The general rule is to FOSTER you have to be within 4 hours of the New Hope Partner rescues you are applying with and to ADOPT you will have to be in the general NE US area; NY, NJ, CT, PA, DC, MD, DE, NH, RI, MA, VT & ME (some rescues will transport to VA).

The NYC ACC has a new page where you can see the dogs which need most urgent help: https://newhope.shelterbuddy.com/Animal/List – Please bookmark it. Time is the essence for these dogs. You can also view updates on this page: https://www.nycacc.org/EmergencyPlacementOutcomes

PLEASE NOTE: You cannot online reserve a dog with the rating New Hope Partners Only.

Please private message the page Dog Lives Matter – Saving NYC Dogs for assistance, you can also email us for assistance at [email protected]

If you cannot get to the shelter in person please message our page for assistance with filling out applications with rescues to FOSTER or ADOPT both publicly adoptable or Rescue Only dogs.

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