Bernie Urgently Needs Your Help

You may remember Bernie, our Ellington Animal Control shelter pet on July 23. At this point, no one has adopted and his time may be running out.

Bernie was scheduled to be put down but was given some extra time due to him passing a behavioral evaluation. While his life has been spared, Bernie is extremely stressed in a kennel setting and needs to be adopted as soon as possible.  

According to Assistant Animal Control Officer Ashlee Leone, when Bernie is brought into the office, he did settle down after a little while and seemed less stressed. She said that he does not like being in his outdoor kennel.  

"We are afraid his mental status may deteriorate if left here much longer," she said.

Leone said that they cannot be absolutely sure about how Bernie will be with children, but that he did not show any reaction to the doll that they use for testing.  

"He may be fine with older children, but he is very playful and we fear he may knock smaller children down," she said.  

In addition to not reacting to the doll, Bernie also did not show any signs of food aggression. Leonoe said that he walks pretty well on a leash with a confident and firm handler.  

She added that he shows much potential for further obedience training and that most of all, he loves to play and has lots of energy.  

"Bernie will need to go to a home with a high fenced yard or to someone who can give him lots of attention and exercise," she said.

Bernie has been tested him for Heartworm, Lyme and two other tick borne diseases and was negative for everything.

For adoptions to a Connecticut resident, the fee is $50 and this includes a State of Connecticut voucher which gives the owner money towards neutering and two vaccines.  

The adoption fee for out of state residents is $5. is also microchipping all dogs adopted out for a fee of $25, which includes the registration.  

Please contact Ellington Animal Control if you are interested in making an appointment to meet Bernie.