Trudy

Diagnosis: Dermatitis/Pyoderma

Dermatitis (Skin Inflammation): Your pet was diagnosed with dermatitis, which may involve bacterial (non-contagious) skin infections. This condition is often related to allergies such as fleas, environmental triggers, or food sensitivities. Treatment may include medicated shampoos, antibiotics, and sometimes anti-inflammatory medications. Some pets require additional or ongoing treatment for underlying allergies, though not all do. If treatment is still in progress, you may be sent home with medications to continue. We recommend scheduling a general health exam with your veterinarian after adoption. Your veterinarian can provide follow-up care, discuss long-term allergy management if needed, and make recommendations for further testing or treatment. OAS is not responsible for additional care or costs post adoption.

Dog Outing (11:30-4pm)Trudy was very easy to leash and put a harness on. She jumped right into the car and settled quickly.We first walked around Claremont, where she was calm and easy to handle. She walked well on the leash without pulling and showed no reaction to people, dogs, strollers, or other activity around her.We then visited a pet store, where another dog growled at her. Trudy turned and walked in the other direction without reacting. She was very interested in the treats we purchased at the store.Afterward, we went to Lake Temescal, where we walked around the lake three times. Trudy continued to walk on a loose leash and was calm and easygoing throughout. She showed interest in squirrels but was not difficult to redirect. I tried to walk her in the shade as much as possible as it was pretty warmB and she started panting, however she did not appear to tire, although she drank quite a bit of water.Throughout our outing, Trudy was quiet, calm, and relatively independent. She did not seek out much attention from me and seemed more interested in exploring her surroundings.I gave Trudy some time off the leash when we got bak to OAS. She played fetch and wagged her tail a lot. Re-kenneling her was very easy.Overall impression: Trudy was calm, confident, independent, and very easy to handle throughout our outing. She appears to enjoy exploring, walking, playing fetch, and receiving treats more than seeking physical affection.

Background: Brought in stray by finder on 8/23/26. Dog was noted to have scratches on her nose and large hot spot on hip. Given Yellow dot on intake. Dog allowed all handling for intake, but was leash avoidant and anxious. Summary of handler notes from 8/24/26 and volunteer handling notes to date (8/29/26).

O: Standing at the front on the kennel. Slightly avoidant of leash. Crouched/lowered body language with nails gripping the floor down the hallway. Regulated, neutral posture once outside. Zig-zag walking/pacing on leash. Dropped leash in the yard. Dog urinated and defecated. Approached handler when spoken to. Leaned into pets all over head, neck, chest, shoulders, back, with soft face relaxed musculature and soft high wagging tail. Walked away when handler stopped petting. Did not take offered treats. Did not follow toys. Paced the yard when not interacting with handler, stress panting. Walked to gate and put her nose at the gap. Zig-zag walking on leash back to the building with moderate pulling. Hesitated at kennel threshold. Followed handler into kennel. Removed slip leash by hand while petting dog around the neck and head.Volunteer notes indicate dog is easy to leash even while currently wearing a cone, walks well on leash without pulling, non-vocal or reactive towards other dogs in passing at 10' proximity. Eliminates outside. Approaches handler and leans in for all over pets. Follows handler into kennel when handler steps in first.

A: Affiliative. Approaches readily for pets/handling. Shows enjoyment with pets. Medium energy. Walks well on leash. Unknown if she knows any commands.B Does not show interest in treats or toys at this time. Green for volunteer handling. Volunteers report no issues with leashing, walking, and returning to the kennel. Dog is relaxed and shows enjoyment with being handled/pet.

P: Make available for adoption. Recommend adopters continue to work on basic manners (leash skills, recall, sit) using a patient, reward-based training approach. Unknown how this dog may behave around children. Potential adopters should be familiar with the characteristics of Husky breed dogs (require regular grooming, tendency to be vocal, jump / dig under fences, potential for prey drive) and be prepared to provide sufficient exercise and enrichment.

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. Inside the yard, dog approached the male tester. Stopped, stood over him and put her paw on top of his back. Moved away and explored the yard on her own for a while. Male approached so sniff at her nose. Dog looked up, some lip licking, tail wagged briefly, then turned and walked away. Male approached again, dog might have stiffened up slightly but walked away on her own. Male approached again after dog eliminated and she started skittering around a bit with him. Mouth closed, soft eyes, very tall and forward with the male tester who was play bowing to her. Very tall body language with some stand-overs, but eyes soft and tail swishing back and forth.B

A: Chase, Medium Energy, Medium Contact, Forward 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. If placed with another dog, other dog should like bossy female dogs.

Diagnosis: Dermatological

This dog has changes to the nose, including loss of pigment and areas of erosion that have left the surface of the nose smooth & pink. These changes are consistent with discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE). DLE is a common condition in dogs where the immune system targets the skin, most commonly affecting the nose. Signs may include pigment loss, redness, crusting, and sores/ulceration. DLE is thought to be triggered by sun exposure, or ultraviolet (UV) light. Exposure to UV light can worsen the signs. No medications have been started while in the shelter. Treatment varies depending on severity and may include topical medications, oral medications, or ongoing sun protection. DLE can improve or go into remission with appropriate management, but may require lifelong monitoring and treatment for flare-ups. Because UV light can worsen DLE minimizing direct sun exposure is recommended, particularly during peak sunlight hours. Since this dog has come into the shelter and her exposure to sunlight has been decreased the nose has improved significantly. We recommend having the nose evaluated by your regular veterinarian after adoption. Your veterinarian can make further recommendations for testing and treatment as needed. OAS is not responsible for additional care or costs after adoption.

Trudy – Playful, Affectionate, and Curious

Trudy is an under-7-year-old white Husky/Akita mix weighing 80 pounds. She’s a big, playful girl who absolutely loves being outside.

• Playful and energetic: Trudy loves to run and enjoys galloping around the yard at full speed. She likes to explore her surroundings, taking in all the interesting scents.
• Affectionate and people-oriented: Trudy is very affiliative and seeks out affection from her person. She’ll happily sit for treats, although she can be a little impatient when waiting, politely putting a paw on her person’s leg to remind them!
• Curious and observant: Trudy notices what’s happening around her and occasionally run over to the fence to investigate when people were nearby. Trudy has also shown interest in other dogs and remains being non-reactive toward them.
• Finding her favorites: Trudy shows occasional interest in toys and wasn’t initially very interested in treats, but she quickly discovered that cheese was worth paying attention to.

Trudy would do best with appropriately matched dogs, or as a solo dog with appropriate dog friends. Click here to learn how to adopt and submit your adoption questionnaire.