HELLO BULLY ADOPTABILITY STANDARDS AND DEFINITIONS
HELLO BULLY ADOPTABILITY STANDARDS AND DEFINITIONS
CREATED UNDER THE ASILOMAR ACCORDS, THE PIT BULL RESCUE CODE OF ETHICS, AND THE DUNBAR BITE SCALE
[AH] ADOPTABLE/HEALTHY
Dogs 8 weeks or older who while in our care have shown:
• No sign of behavioral or temperamental characteristics that could pose a health or safety risk or otherwise make the animal unsuitable for placement as a companion animal.
• No sign of disease, injury, congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the animal or that is likely to adversely affect the animal’s health in the future.
• Are friendly to all people.
• Are social or tolerant of other animals.
These animals are generally well socialized and need little or no financial investment and/or time investment to be adopted by a reasonable and caring adopter.
Hello Bully will give preference to dogs 18 months and older. We provide supplemental education for adopters of dogs born to dogfighting survivors, with further precautions when the dog is being adopted before 18 months of age.
[TR] TREATABLE/REHABILITATABLE
This animal needs moderate financial and/or time investment to become adoptable by a reasonable and caring adopter. TR dogs:
• Are free from aggression towards humans but may show a limited degree of reactivity to other animals.
• Require minimal training and/or behavioral modification to become adoptable by a reasonable and caring adopter.
Possible behavioral conditions/situations include:
• Mildly shy dogs (i.e., initially make conscious, calm attempts to avoid people instead of approaching them, then make attempts to visit. No hiding or aggressive behavior.)
• Dogs with minor handling issues (i.e., during any of the handling tests – ears, tail, paws, teeth, stroke, or restraint – dog reacts or avoids handling.)
• Mildly jumpy/mouthy dogs (i.e., energetically jumps on, applies front feet, or applies open mouth with no pressure a few times during test.)
• Dogs who lack “house manners.”
• Dogs who lack impulse control.
Possible medical conditions/situations may include:
• Animals who require financial investment to be free of physical ailments or medical illnesses.
• Animals who risk the health status of other animals of the same and/or other species through physical proximity due to a temporary/treatable illness that may be contagious on a temporary basis.
[TM] TREATABLE/MANAGEABLE
Animals who are not healthy and are not likely to become healthy regardless of the care provided, but who would likely maintain a satisfactory quality of life if given medical, foster, behavioral, or other intervention. This may include long-term care by reasonable adopters.
Medical and behavioral prognosis must be fair to good to meet this definition. The new owner assumes responsibility for continued treatment.
This definition does not include any animal who poses a significant risk to human health or safety, or to the health or safety of other animals.
The following are examples and are not all-inclusive. Animals who are:
• Moderately shy (i.e., initially makes conscious attempts to avoid people instead of approaching them, does not visit unless encouraged to do so. Some hiding. No aggressive behavior.)
• Have moderate handling issues (i.e., during any of the handling tests - ears, tail, paws, teeth, stroke, or restraint - dog freezes, applies muzzle or teeth to hand and/or gets over-stimulated, frantic pawing, jumping, pushing, etc.)
• Are moderately jumpy/mouthy (i.e., energetically jumps on, applies front feet, or applies open mouth with no pressure regularly during test) who have not or can be reasonably assumed to not inflict bites at or above level 2 on the Dunbar Bite Scale.
• Have mild/moderate separation anxiety (i.e., whining, barking, scratching at doors, windows, etc. that lasts for a few minutes upon/after departure. No serious damage to belongings. No harm to dog.)
• Resource guarder with other dogs, with mild signs of single item guarding of food items, with determination that the issue can likely be managed by a reasonable and well-informed adopter.
• Mild food aggression (stiffening or visible discomfort and stress when interrupted with food, dog may growl but does not snap or bite.)
• Are aggressive to other animals and could likely not be placed into a home with other animals (of the same or different species) for the safety of all residents within the home.
• Animals who have mild to moderate fear of children (under-socialized, no aggression.)
• Animals who are moderately fearful.
• Animals with aggression towards cats.
• Animals who are generally reactive.
• Animals who exhibit moderate escape behaviors.
• Animals who require a substantial time investment to become adopted by a reasonable and caring adopter.
• Animals who have conditions that require medication to control or manage behavior issues such as generalized anxiety, repetitive behaviors, and self-mutilation – that also have no related historic connection to aggressive behaviors or actions.
Possible medical conditions/situations may include:
• Animals who require continued financial investment to treat physical ailments and/or medical illness.
• Animals who risk the health status of other animals of the same and/or other species, through physical proximity because of non-treatable/permanent and/or contagious illness.
[UU] UNHEALTHY/UNADOPTABLE
Unhealthy/Unadoptable animals are those who, due to current health or behavioral conditions, are unfit for adoption by a reasonable and caring adopter. Dogs may be UU on intake, if there are reasonable plans, resources, and opportunities for the dog to improve to meet the TM definition.
Unhealthy/Unadoptable animals:
• Have behavioral or temperamental characteristics that pose a health or safety risk or otherwise make the animal unsuitable for placement, and are not likely to become “healthy” or “treatable” even if provided the care typically provided to animals by reasonable and caring adopters.
• Are suffering from a disease, injury, or congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the animal’s health or is likely to adversely affect the animal’s health in the future, and are not likely to become “healthy” or “treatable” even if provided the care typically provided to pets by reasonable and caring adopters.
• Are aggressive to a subgroup of humans (children/men/women/ethnicities).
• Have serious separation anxiety (i.e., whining, barking, scratching/chewing at doors, windows, etc. that lasts for an extended period upon/after departure. Serious damage to belongings. Chewing, digging, head-butting, etc., causing harm to dog or leads to life-threatening ingestion.)
• Animals who are highly animal aggressive with a likelihood of redirection (i.e., lunges, snaps, snarls or is otherwise difficult to control around a cat or a dog, and are unable to be walked on leash in public without fear of redirection resulting in a bite at or above level 2 on the Dunbar Bite Scale.)
• Have serious stranger/barrier issues (i.e., growls at, lunges, snaps, snarls or bites at people when behind fence, kennel door, crate door, or other door.)
• Are aggressive towards children.
• Are seriously jumpy/mouthy (i.e., energetically jumps on, applies front feet, or applies mouth with pressure regularly during assessments and interactions – causing pinching, bruising, scratching, or tearing of clothing.)
• Have serious handling issues (i.e., during any handling tests or general handling - ears, tail, paws, teeth, stroke, or restraint - dog growls, air snaps, applies teeth with pressure or serious intent to hand and/or gets over-stimulated - frantic pawing, jumping, pushing, etc.)
• Are intensely shy, feral, or under-socialized (i.e., makes conscious attempts to avoid people instead of approaching them, frequent or constant hiding, freezing or shaking, growling, snapping or snarling to maintain distance from people.)
• Have predatory behavior including lunging, extreme overt aggression or re-directed aggression resulting in bites at or above level 2 on the Dunbar Bite Scale.
• Show intense escalation of arousal with no calming.
BEHAVIOR REVIEWS AND ACTION PLANS
Dogs are reviewed by the Behavior Director each month, and a report is provided to the Board of Directors. Each dog is categorized and quantified as behaviorally declining, maintaining, or improving. If a dog is declining or failing to improve over a 3 month period, the Behavior Director (or other certified or experienced trainer or behavior consultant) will present a Behavior Treatment Plan. Plans will include timelines of expected improvement, and information will be disseminated to Behavior Team and Fosters.
INCIDENTS, REPORTS, AND OUTCOMES
Any incident with a dog resulting in an injury may be cause for immediate review. If a dog delivers a bite at or above a Level 2, an emergency review may be called by any member of the Board.
Volunteers are responsible for reporting any incidents to the Behavior Director and filling out an incident report.
Outcomes will be determined by standards. Hello Bully will involve an outside behavior professional for any case when behavioral euthanasia is being discussed, and their recommendations will weigh in our decisions.
DUNBAR BITE SCALE INFORMATION
Hello Bully relies on the Dunbar Bite Scale specifically for forensic grading, and not for behavioral prognosis, as this scale is intended for owned dogs.
Level 2 bites that occur during play will be reviewed, and may be excused based on age, experience, and history.
Bites that occur due to physical pain or distress will be reviewed, and may be excused based on circumstances and assessment of future risk.
About The Assilomar Accords