Bennie

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In-Shelter Summary 8/24/2026

Bennie's 8/5/2026 Dog-To-Dog Evaluation states that he was adopted and had conflict with a resident dog. As context, this is the same adopter who adopted him on 8/3/26 returned him due to an unsuccessful introduction with the resident cat. The resident dog was elderly and ill with cancer and the adopter knew he would be putting the RD to sleep the next day (the dog's condition and euthanasia were disclosed on his Instagram account on 8/4/2026). Bennie was forward when meeting the RD but no altercation was reported.

This does not change the shelter's recommendation that Bennie is best as a solo dog but I wanted to provide the context around the statement that there was conflict with the resident dog - Sandra S (volunteer).

In-Shelter Summary 8/4/2026

Bennie was surrendered by prior adopter because of an unsuccessful introduction to the resident cats within an hour of adoption. Successful placement with cats would demand a strict, slow, and carefully managed integration. However, even with carefully managed introductions, it is unknown whether Bennie may be a good match for a home with cats.

In-Shelter Summary 5/7/2026

Bennie had a minor altercation with another male dog during PG where he went after him and grabbed him by the neck/shoulder after the other dog gave Bennie a correction. Bennie would be most comfortable as a solo dog in the home.



  85853
  Available
  Bennie
  Dog
  Bull Terrier / Mixed
  White
  2y 7m/o
  Medium
  46.2 lbs
  Male
  Yes
  Dog F:5
  YELLOW
  Dog Selective*

Owner/Guardian Surrender

08/03/2026

  Moderate
  Maybe
  Unlikely
  Unlikely
  Unlikely
  No
  Some

No/Unknown

Foster Notes 9/15/2026

Summary of foster notes:Bennie spent 10 days in a single-adult foster home. He had a few urine accidents during his first two days but none afterward and began signaling at the door when he needed to go out. Bennie is an excellent loose-leash walker who frequently checks in with his handler; he generally ignores dogs but may pause, stare, or become bouncy and pull toward some dogs to investigate, and is typically easy to redirect. He becomes excited and pulls toward wildlife including squirrels, geese, and lizards but can continue walking when prompted. Bennie is friendly with unfamiliar people and was affectionate and wiggly with children he met, though he can become mouthy when overly excited. He knows sit, is learning down, look, come, kennel, and a cue for getting into the car. Bennie strongly prefers staying near his foster and may whine, bark, or jump at a door when separated; during one hour alone in his crate, he alternated between barking for approximately 10-minute periods and settling with a chew or lying down. In the home, he otherwise settles easily, entertains himself appropriately with toys, and was not observed chewing inappropriate items.

Foster Notes 8/29/2026

On 8/29, foster was walking Bennie at Shoreline Park in Alameda, which is a park where dogs are required to be on leash. Bennie was on a 6 foot leash at all times. A black pug jumped out of a stroller holding multiple small dogs and charged at Bennie from a distance the foster estimated at 50 yards. She and Bennie tried to get away, and Bennie was behind her when the pug reached them. The pug attacked Bennie, and Bennie bit the pug on the neck and held on. The foster and a bystander were able to get Bennie to release the pug, and the pug owner took the dog. Bennie showed no interest in the pug once he let go. The foster saw no obvious injuries to the pug but the extent and existence of any injuries currently is unknown.B

Other Notes 8/23/2026

Bennie was surrendered by adopter on 8/3/26 because of an unsuccessful introduction to the resident cats. Bennie was introduced to resident cats within a few hours of adoption. Successful placement with cats would demand a strict, slow, and carefully managed integration. However, even with carefully managed introductions, it is unknown whether Bennie may be a good match for a home with cats.

Dog-To-Dog Evaluation 8/5/2026

Updating to Dog Selective. Dog generally got along with other dogs in AM playgroups until a dog gave him a correction. Bennie grabbed the dog and required handler intervention to release. Dog did well meeting 2 dogs owned by a rescue, but was later adopted and had conflict with a resident dog. Dog likely will be most successful in a solo dog home.

Foster Notes 7/20/2026

Summary of field trip notes: Bennie loaded into and out of the car without issue, though he appeared nervous at first and panted during the ride. On the outing, he walked nicely on leash with an energetic, galloping gait and frequently looked back to make sure his handlers were keeping up. He showed friendly curiosity toward people and dogs, pulling lightly as if he wanted to greet them, but was easily redirected and maintained appropriate distance. Benny was uninterested in bikes, strollers, birds, and the ocean, but enjoyed running on the sand, rolling in seaweed, and showed moderate interest in squirrels. He appears to respond well to physical hand signals for "sit,". Overall, Benny was described as a sweet, affectionate, fun, and energetic dog who remained quiet throughout the outing.

Staff Notes 7/10/2026

Background: Adopted from OAS in May 2026. Dog was surrendered to San Francisco Animal Care and Control on July 5, 2026. SFACC behavior notes were consistent with those entered during this dog's previous stay at OAS.SFACC behavior notes as follows:07/07/26 16:03 ADDED TENDER GUY TO FETCH FOR PARK OUTINGS AS HE AWAITS RETURN TO SHELTER OF ORIGIN. CHANGED NAME FROM 'BLANCO' TO 'BENNIE' AS THAT WAS DOG'S NAME WHEN HE WAS AT OAKLAND ANIMAL SERVICES. KEJ 07/07/26 16:03 PASS DOG/DOG, TEST DOG PRESENTS AS PRO SOCIAL ALBEIT A BIT SOFT AND SENSITIVE. WILL WRITE UP FULL NOTES IF NEEDED, VIDEO AVAILABLE. KEJDog can be made available for adoption. Handling and dog-dog evaluations are current. No additional behavior evaluation necessary. Yellow for volunteer handling d/t being somewhat timid and environmentally sensitive.

Handling Eval 4/27/2026

Background:B Sweet dog that the finder states was left at Ross. Brought in stray.B Handling 4/27/26: Standing at front of kennel on approach, stood still for leashing but slightly hesitant. Pulls moderately outside, low body and tucked tail while walking out. Eliminated right away in small yard, allowed all over handling, including teeth check. No interest in toys currently, no reaction to squeaker. Dog willingly engaged w/ handlers, sought attention from both people. Did not take any treats during outing, spent some time sniffing yard. Went right back into kennel easily.B

A: Dog was reported to be "reactive" but no barking/lunging was observed during outing, and dog is currently in playgroup. Dog may be deaf.

P: Potential adopters should have some experience with deaf dogs and/or be prepared for further rewards-based training for special needs dog. Affiliative with people, may be okay with older, dog-savvy children over 12 y/o.B

Dog-To-Dog Evaluation 4/26/2026

S: Dog-dog evaluation with a male and female tester dog. Tester dogs selected due to their ability to politely greet and not escalate conflict.

O: At the gate, dog was calm and non-reactive. Tail completely tucked while inside the catch pen. Inside the yard, dog was approached by the testers. Ears back, then walked away. Walked to the other side of the yard with the testers following. Body language relaxing as he moved around the yard with the testers following. Testers walked away, dog followed. Tail now wagging loosely and dog bounced around while engaged in gentle play with the female tester.B

A: Gentle, Medium Energy, Low Contact, Neutral Social Dynamic, no Corrections or Conflict observed, Playgroup Size 2-3.

P: Recommend placement with appropriately matched dogs, or placed as a solo dog with appropriate dog friends.

Field Trip Notes: 7/30/2026

Question Answer
Date 7/30/2026 10:14:54
Location Harbor bay lagoon trail to ferry terminal
Behavior In Cars He jumped right in and was pretty good. But if the window is down enough, he stands on the door and sticks his entire head out. So, I had to close the windows most of the way. He moves around, looks in the front seat for pets and is non reactive to anything he sees outside. On the return trip, he was tired, so actually laid down and went to sleep!
On-Leash Behavior He is excitable, and he is also really good. When he gets excited, like with the geese, he jumps around, like a goat, but doesn’t lunge towards them. Just jumps side to side and up and down. lol. It’s pretty funny… but he is strong. He likes to sniff and mark, so that slows him down. But all in all, he didn’t pull much, seems to understand leash tension, and even walked next to me often. When he is out in front, he turns to check in. I couldn’t get him to consistently sit at street crossings, but really… who cares?
Behavior around strangers He was great. Everyone got a Waggy tail and some he wanted to meet. Many he just ignored and we walked by. Two adults petted him and he loved it. We also stopped to watch a group of really young kids playing on one of the docks and he just stood close by, observing. It was sweet.
Dog-to-dog behavior Same as people. Even the fence barkers. He was pretty mellow about it, but there were a couple of dogs he would have liked to meet and play with. He easily walked by all the dogs we saw, and we saw a lot.
Behavior around sm. animals Squirrels got him going, but the ducks and geese, just the jumping business. Squirrels he wanted to chase and it gave him the zoomies. One or 2 squirrels, he would prob be fine. But out by the ferry terminal, there are literally 100 out at any given time. So even my dog can’t take it, so all in all, he did pretty good with such a huge trigger.
Commands/Tricks Sit was okay, just not consistent… unless you had a treat. I never got him to lay down, he would just jump back up, even with treats.
Other Observations? His bio says he is deaf, but I don’t think he is totally deaf. When I made kissing sounds, he turned to look at me and he jumped a bit when a large truck went over a bump and made a loud noise. He heard dogs barking in the distance and turned towards them… so I think he hears things. He is def playful and silly and I knew anytime we went by wet grass, he was going to flop down and do his wiggle worm. We worked on impulse control with treats as he almost ate my entire hand one time. He was a fast learner, because he got it and understood when I showed the treat, he needed to sit and wait. He was really good at by the time I dropped him off. Another great dog, with a fun personality. I can’t understand how he has been adopted and returned. And it makes me sad he is on the priority list because I know he would love to be with people and play. Oh, and he is pretty athletic. Jumps on all kinds of things easily and enjoys some parkour. May even like to jog with someone. And he is a total lap dog!
Photos/Videos? Emailed pics/video
animalName Bennie
ACR 85853
RG Animal ID 22420298

Description

Bennie is a 2-year-old, 46-pound pittie mix who's really come into his own. Once a little unsure, he now happily plays fetch and flops over for full-body wiggles.

On field trips, Bennie enjoys running on the beach, exploring trails, and greeting people with a wagging tail. He walks nicely on leash, often checking over his shoulder to make sure you're still with him. Squirrels definitely bring out his bouncy side, but he responds well to hand signals for "sit," and is a quick learner when treats are involved. After an adventure, he's happy to nap in the car.

Bennie may be a little hard of hearing. Our volunteer groomer reported he startles easily, but recovers quickly with a little reassurance. Otherwise, this sweet and cuddly guy was wonderful for his bath and nail trim.

While Bennie has been social and relaxed meeting other dogs, he had a disagreement during a playgroup session and might be best as the only dog in his future home. That way he can focus on what he loves most: exploring with his people, chasing tennis balls, and claiming a well-earned spot in your lap.

Photos