Hazelnut

She is beauty.<br/>She is grace.<br/>She is… an adorable chaos-missile with a precious puppyface.<br/><br/>Meet Hazelnut, a brilliant, spirited young Rottweiler who came to us after what we can only assume was a classic “cute puppy impulse purchase” situation, with zero consideration for what living with a high-drive, high-energy working-breed youngster actually entails. Based on the enthusiastic tornado that greeted us on intake, we feel confident saying the answer to “Did anyone train her?” and “Was she a good match for their lifestyle?” is a resounding NOPE!<br/><br/>But here’s the good news: Hazelnut is unbelievably smart, wildly eager to please, and she absolutely thrives on learning. This girl doesn’t just pick up new skills… she inhales them. She has learned an entire metric ton since staff began working with her, and she has a BLAST during every training session. Hazelnut is a sponge with legs. Very fast legs.<br/><br/>Because of that, we think she would be an absolute rockstar in a dog sport home; obedience, agility, rally, trick dog work, nosework, you name it. If you’re already involved in dog sports or have seriously considered dipping a toe into that world, you may have just found your future partner. What she needs is an active, engaged, structured home - one that works her body and her brain every single day.<br/><br/>Where Hazelnut will NOT thrive:<br/>• Novice dog owners<br/>• Homes where people are gone long hours<br/>• Couch-potato households<br/>• Someone looking for “a couple walks and a game of fetch”<br/>• Anyone who doesn’t plan to continue training<br/>• Homes with very young children (not because she isn’t friendly, but because she will bowl them over like tiny bowling pins)<br/><br/>We know, she’s painfully cute. But her cuteness will NOT negate her energy. If your lifestyle isn’t a match, she will drive you bananas, and that’s not fair to you or to her. But if you’re the right person? She is going to be pure, sparkly, endless MAGIC.<br/><br/>As for other animals:<br/>Hazelnut has done wonderfully interacting with a variety of other dogs similar in size after appropriate introductions and with proper management. That said, her play style is… ROBUST. Possibly “tackle-happy.” She may be too much for smaller dogs, fragile seniors, or cats, but we’ll continue to test her and update as we learn more.<br/><br/><br/>THE BASICS<br/><br/>Breed: Rottweiler<br/><br/>Age: Roughly 1 year & a few months<br/><br/>Size: 65-70 lbs and still growing<br/><br/>Energy Level: HIGH. Very high. This is a dog who needs:<br/>• Long walks or runs<br/>• Structured training sessions<br/>• Puzzles and enrichment<br/>• Nose work<br/>• Backyard agility<br/>• Mentally challenging activities<br/>If left to her own devices, Hazelnut will absolutely invent her own entertainment… and you will absolutely not appreciate it!<br/><br/>If you are searching for a honey-sweet, loyal to a fault, unbelievably intelligent partner to explore the world of dog sports with, and you live a dog-centric, high-activity lifestyle, then Hazelnut is very likely your dream dog! <br/><br/>Think you’re her match? Fill out our adoption application!<br/><br/><br/>Hazelnut’s adoption fee is $150. <br/><br/>This animal is or will be made current on core vaccines, spayed or neutered, and microchipped by the time of adoption. Additionally, cats will be tested for FIV and feline leukemia virus, and dogs will be tested for heartworm disease and tick borne illness. Courtesy of our nonprofit partner group, Friends of the Wallingford Animal Shelter, all senior cats and dogs will have a full senior work up. <br/><br/><br/>**ADOPTION PROCESS - PLEASE READ**<br/><br/>The very first step of our current adoption process is to fill out our online adoption application. However, you don’t necessarily have to be interested in a specific animal in order to apply! Feel free to submit an app that includes whatever desired criteria (size, breed, age, energy level, coat type, etc.) and we can keep it on file to contact you in the event an animal comes in who fits the bill! <br/><br/>Our pet adoption application can be found here, or you can request one via Petfinder: https://www.wallingfordanimalcontrol.com/pdfs/WAS-Adoption-Application.pdf<br/><br/>You can submit your app using whatever method works best for you, whether that be faxing it to 203-294-2181, mailing it to Wallingford Animal Control at 5 Pent Rd, Wallingford 06492, dropping it off in our mailbox at 5 Pent Rd, or attaching it to an email and sending it to animalcontrol@wallingfordct.gov. All necessary information for any of these methods is also located right at the top of the application. Easy peasy lemon squeazy!<br/><br/>Please keep in mind that animal control duties and animal care are our primary responsibility and, depending on our general workload at any given time and how many other applications we have to process, it could possibly take up to a couple of weeks for us to get to it. We do try to process apps in a timely manner so that we can get our animals the heck out of dodge and into loving homes! We know that adopting a new pet is super exciting and that you’re probably very eager to get the ball rolling, but please try to be patient with us!<br/><br/>Please also note that we operate on a *best fit for the animal basis*, not a *first come first served basis*. As such, you may apply for one animal, and we may instead suggest an animal we feel would better suit your lifestyle, household, etc. Our goal isn’t so much to get every animal out the door as quickly as possible as it is to ensure a permanent and successful placement that is in the best interest of both the adopter and the adoptee!<br/><br/>Once your application is approved, WE WILL CONTACT YOU to schedule an appointment to come and meet the animal(s) of interest! There may be more than one animal we feel could mesh quite well with your household, so you could end up meeting multiple potentials during your appointment. We do require that all members of the household come in to ensure compatibility. If this takes multiple appointments to accommodate all of your family members’/roommates’ schedules, that’s okay with us! If you are adopting a dog with an existing dog or dogs already in the household, they will of course have to come meet your potential new pup too! It’s often best for just the humans to come first, and to then schedule a second appointment for dog introductions, assuming you choose to move forward with the adoption. Sometimes, multiple dog interactions will be necessary prior to us sending your new dog home. <br/><br/>Please also note that we do not have the time or resources to contact every single applicant if the application was not approved or the animal you applied for was adopted by another applicant. Feel free to call and check in if you do not hear from us in a couple of weeks. <br/><br/>So it’s great match, everyone is in love… now what?! <br/><br/>Before we send your new best friend home, they will need to be spayed or neutered! This could take an additional couple of days up to a week or so, all depending on our vet’s availability. If the animal has already been fully vetted, it may be possible to take them home the same day as your meet and greet! Though this is decided on a case by case basis, we’ll certainly make sure you’re prepared for this prior to coming in for your appointment that day. The adoption fee for cats and dogs is $150.00. Prior to adoption, all animals will be made current on core vaccinations, will be microchipped, cats will be screened for FIV and feline leukemia, and dogs will be screened for heartworm disease and tick borne illness. Senior animals will also receive a full senior work up, much thanks to our wonderful nonprofit partner group, the Friends of the Wallingford Animal Shelter, for making that possible! <br/><br/>Though our entire process could *potentially* take up to a few weeks total and sometimes longer (granted it doesn’t always!) we have found over the years that this truly does ensure the absolute best match and the most successful and permanent adoption possible, which is of course what we want for all of our animals, and for your family too!

She is beauty.
She is grace.
She is… an adorable chaos-missile with a precious puppyface.

Meet Hazelnut, a brilliant, spirited young Rottweiler who came to us after what we can only assume was a classic “cute puppy impulse purchase” situation, with zero consideration for what living with a high-drive, high-energy working-breed youngster actually entails. Based on the enthusiastic tornado that greeted us on intake, we feel confident saying the answer to “Did anyone train her?” and “Was she a good match for their lifestyle?” is a resounding NOPE!

But here’s the good news: Hazelnut is unbelievably smart, wildly eager to please, and she absolutely thrives on learning. This girl doesn’t just pick up new skills… she inhales them. She has learned an entire metric ton since staff began working with her, and she has a BLAST during every training session. Hazelnut is a sponge with legs. Very fast legs.

Because of that, we think she would be an absolute rockstar in a dog sport home; obedience, agility

She is beauty.
She is grace.
She is… an adorable chaos-missile with a precious puppyface.

Meet Hazelnut, a brilliant, spirited young Rottweiler who came to us after what we can only assume was a classic “cute puppy impulse purchase” situation, with zero consideration for what living with a high-drive, high-energy working-breed youngster actually entails. Based on the enthusiastic tornado that greeted us on intake, we feel confident saying the answer to “Did anyone train her?” and “Was she a good match for their lifestyle?” is a resounding NOPE!

But here’s the good news: Hazelnut is unbelievably smart, wildly eager to please, and she absolutely thrives on learning. This girl doesn’t just pick up new skills… she inhales them. She has learned an entire metric ton since staff began working with her, and she has a BLAST during every training session. Hazelnut is a sponge with legs. Very fast legs.

Because of that, we think she would be an absolute rockstar in a dog sport home; obedience, agility, rally, trick dog work, nosework, you name it. If you’re already involved in dog sports or have seriously considered dipping a toe into that world, you may have just found your future partner. What she needs is an active, engaged, structured home - one that works her body and her brain every single day.

Where Hazelnut will NOT thrive:
• Novice dog owners
• Homes where people are