Pet of the Week – Dottie

By Kailani Clarke

Elm Staff Writer

Animal shelters can be stressful places. There are lots of sounds and scents coming and going, people moving around, and the low hum of tension from many dogs barking at the same time. Walking the kennel row is not for the faint of heart or the tender of ear. While dogs often cannot be fully evaluated in the anxious setting of a shelter, seeing how they handle kennel life can offer a clue to their personalities. Some animals bark, some leap at their doors for attention, and sometimes — in rarer cases — a dog is silent, still, and curious. 

Dottie, this week’s Pet of the Week, carries a gentle quiet with her. 

Dottie is a young pointer mix who has called the Animal Care Shelter for Kent County home for a few months. She has the poise of a southern debutante, and the looks of one too. 

A true stunner, Dottie’s wise amber eyes are framed by a perfect black mask, and the freckles from which she gets her name splash across her snowy chest and muzzle.  

She is often quiet in her kennel and on walks, and she loves to snuggle with staff in the meet-and-greet room for long, relaxing naps. But get this girl out in the woods and she goes full pointer. 

Dottie has a nose and a half and following her exploits in pursuit of a wayward mouse or long-past deer can be quite entertaining. Her focus pairs well with her brains; though tunnel vision can sometimes set in for a particularly exciting scent, she listens well and picks up on cues quickly. 

While initially shy when meeting new people, a few minutes and an open yard sees this spry girl explode into zoomies. She is also a social butterfly among four-legged folk and loves to tear up the play yard with rambunctious pit bulls twice her weight. 

Despite her cool exterior, even sweet Dippin’ Dots feels the stress of the shelter. She carries a deep sensitivity from when she was surrendered. 

Sudden input from new people or a new situation can be a little scary for her at first. But Dottie is brave and curious, and one gets the sense that in a loving family she would blossom into even more of a delightful dog. Until then, she will keep sniffing out her most elusive quarry: a forever home. 

Though adoptions are currently on hold due to COVID-19, if you are interested in Dottie please contact the Animal Care Shelter for Kent County at 410-778-3648 or email info@kenthumane.org.  

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