This doggo and his humans at the shelter found a creative way to finally get him adopted.
Bentley, the bulldog mix, arrived in the Pennsylvania shelter on October 2016 after the Humane Law Enforcement rescued him from his former owners.
The Humane Law Enforcement rescued an American bulldog mix in October 2016 but the details to Bentley's previous home life was treated as confidential. So, the shelter workers at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Pennsylvania had no idea what the dog had been through.
Whatever Bentley experienced, however, affected his behavior and demeanor at the shelter. The dog was afraid of almost anything and showed signs of stress despite his big and tough-looking built. Bentley would always stay and lie down at the back of the kennel. He never interacted with the other dogs or the shelter workers, according to the center's lead behaviorist Kayla Dorney.
The staff at the Pennsylvania SPCA surmised that Bentley did not trust people. They could see it in his confused face and sad eyes. Dorney and her team, therefore, decided that Bentley must be allowed out of the kennel and into the SPCA's office. Will this help him loosen up and learn to trust the humans?
Getting Comfortable with Humans
Putting Bentley out to mingle with the shelter workers proved to be a successful strategy as Dorney revealed that the dog eventually learned to be comfortable around people. Soon enough, the shelter discovered that behind the frightened demeanor was a big baby that has a lot of love in his heart.
Bentley would wag his tail as soon as he'd see the humans come into the office. He then became the office dog that would also help the shelter workers feel more positive around the workplace.
There have been improvements in the change of his behavior in the two years since Bentley arrived at the at the Pennsylvania SPCA. Now at 6 years old, Bentley has not just become friendly and nice to the humans as he has also made friends with the other dogs.
However, Dorney's team are still working on him for the occasional fears and anxieties. But it is evident that Bentley can be placed in a good home if someone will only adopt the dog.
‘The Office' Starring Bentley
So, the shelter workers at Pennsylvania SPCA decided to make a parody of the hit series “The Office” featuring Bentley. The hope is that someone out there would see this dog's personality shining through to consider taking Bentley to his forever home.
The parody video was shared on Pennsylvania SPCA's Facebook page. It has since garnered less than 100,000 views in two weeks and has been shared over a thousand times on the social media platform.
https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaSPCA/videos/187101375519585
As of press time, however, Bentley has not yet been adopted despite a number of people expressing their interest in the dog. According to the shelter’s adoption page, Bentley would best fit a home with adults since he's a big dog that can still scare easily.
Bentley has been getting training at the shelter. He can understand basic commands like “sit” or “paw.” He's described as a playful dog who also enjoys a lot of naps.
Qualities of an American Bulldog
The American Bulldog is a working dog that's quite comfortable in a farm setting. In the old days, farmers had American Bulldogs to catch vermin, hunt for boar or cattle, or guard the property.
This dog can be very emotional and fiercely loyal to a human who will love him unconditionally. This breed can be super attached to its master. The young pups are usually aloof around strangers. The older ones, like Bentley, can be assertive and confident, especially when well-trained and well-socialized.
