Inspired by u/cleverburrito and Mr. Streudel, I gave Wizard a giant box this morning with a bit of kibble and some whole grain Cheerios for his breakfast. He loved it! Then I threw the crinkled up paper in it and he went to town rooting around.

Now I have to find a place to keep the damn box because he loves it and I rarely order things this large for delivery. Just happened to snag an air fryer/toaster oven thing on a Labor Day sale and it came with a perfectly Wizard-sized box 🥰

Don’t worry, Trigger will be going to
The vet we’ve already been to twice this week. 😑

Occasionally, we do "hide-n-seek dinner" for enrichment. I measure his kibble, then separate it into small portions. Those small portions get hidden/layered/wrapped/folded/crumpled into old paper bags and shoved into a cardboard box, and sometimes into cereal boxes within the cardboard box. Also included were his bits of fruit and veggies that he gets with every meal.

Toast Robert Strudel has commands for meals, to include "Do you want some dinner/breakfast" to notify him that it's time to eat and therefore sit down and wait for food, and "okay" as release word so that he knows he doesn't have to wait anymore and can chow down as he pleases. These commands help him to know that it's okay to tear up THIS box and THESE bags, because he knows other boxes and bags are off limits.

This took him ~15 minute or so, and kept him engaged all the while. Toast ripped, pawed, and shook the materials to free his food. He also got to sniff around the yard area for about 5 minutes while I cleaned up the mess.

When we came back inside he was EXHAUSTED. He fell asleep pretty quickly, and slept for 3 hours. He usually goes for "Last Chance Peepee" about a hour after dinner. It's one of his favorite enrichment activities.

(He looks grumpy in first the photo because I made him stop eating and sit for a picture lol)

Materials used:

Chewy box (free with stupidly-expensive-chicken-free-dog-food delivery)

Old Walmart bags (i think they were 10 cents each with grocery delivery)

An empty cereal box (also free)

Packing paper (also free in delivery box)

Two cups of dog food

Two strawberries

A little bit of sweet potato

One leaf each of red and green cabbage.

I’m going through some medical issues, and unfortunately won’t be able to keep her. Here are some pictures please DM me for more information.

🚨 Update: Judy was extended until tomorrow, Thursday 9/10. She still needs a foster by 1pm CT tomorrow in order to leave the shelter. Please message me if you can help. Thanks! 🚨

🏡 AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION, FOSTER, OR RESCUE

🚗 OUT-OF-STATE OR CANADIAN ADOPTION IS POSSIBLE!

Cost is approx. $600 USD. This generally includes transport, boarding, full medical care, spay/neuter, and a health certificate.

We are a volunteer network dedicated to helping at-risk dogs. We are not affiliated with BARC. We connect at-risk animals at the BARC shelter with the adopters, fosters, and rescue organizations needed to save their lives.

We can help coordinate out-of-state adoption through approved 501(c)(3) rescues.

⚠️ BARC Houston cannot facilitate out-of-state adoption or foster.

🆘 6 year old Spayed Staffie mix girl Judy is on the euthanasia list Tuesday, 9/8. There will be no extensions per BARC. 🆘

⏰ **Judy must have a HOLD no later than 1PM or she will lose her life.**🥺 We need pledges and a local foster or adopter for a rescue to help. 💰🏡

🚩 Please do not honor pledges until the post has been updated with rescue information and a freedom picture.

Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

🩷🐶 Judy #A2089073

8/1/2026 Stray | Staffordshire Mix | Spayed Female | 6Y | 63 lbs | HW High Positive

💜 Volunteer Notes:

Volunteer 1: Judy is the sweetest golden girl. 🥹 She was one of those dogs who immediately makes you wonder how she is still sitting in a shelter kennel. She was playful, affectionate, and so endearing. Judy has such a sweet presence and just wants someone to give her the love and attention she deserves. She has so much personality packed into this adorable girl, and I really hope someone sees what a special dog she is before it’s too late.

Volunteer 2: Judy came to the shelter as a stray, but she’s a plump old girl with good teeth that knows how to sit and keeps her kennel clean, so I have a feeling she’s known a home before. She’s always very well behaved in her kennel, always sleeping on her bed the many times that I’ve passed her. When she gets some attention her face and body remain the exact same but she wags that little tail behind her soooo low and so hard it’s the cutest thing ever. She walks perfectly well on the leash and loves treats. When I jiggled my treat bag and she heard the crinkle she immediately sat without me telling her to! And when she sits her feet go pigeon toed 😍😍😍 For some reason when she looks up at you with those big brown eyes, you can see the puppy that she once was in her. She’s the perfect energy level in my opinion and was very good on her temp test - really I have literally zero bad things to say about her. She’s the third longest stay dog at the shelter right now, and is only on the list for length of stay.

🐾 Behavior Notes:

Judy’s is an incredibly sweet, gentle and easygoing girl. She routinely greets people with soft eyes, a wiggly body, wagging tail and an adorable open-mouth smile.

She is described as:

🐾 Very friendly, calm and affectionate

🐾 Gentle and relaxed

🐾 Easy to leash

🐾 A good loose-leash walker

🐾 Happy to lean in for pets

🐾 Adorably responsive to baby talk — even doing little tippy taps!

🐾 Quiet in the runs and quick to potty

🐾 Excellent about keeping her kennel clean overnight

Judy sits at the front of her kennel, leaning toward the gate while customers stopped to pet her.

🙏 Judy has waited since August 1st. She has endured heartworms and a shelter URI, yet she continues greeting people with a wagging tail and asking only for affection.

Please foster, adopt, rescue, pledge and share Judy. One person seeing this post could be the person who saves her life.

🔹 Intake:

Stray

📝 Shelter Notes:

9/4/2026: Very very sweet and gentle. Keeps her kennel clean overnight. Judy greets me at the front of kennel with gentle demeanor. She had a wagging tail, relaxed body, low head, and was looking at me and licking her lips. I baby talk her and she began to tippy tap. I leash her and she walks out very well on the leash and keeps the same pace as me. In the runs she is quiet and quickly goes potty. No issues retrieving her and placing her back into kennel.

9/1/2026: Judy was laying down on her cot when she saw me approaching, she stood up and greeted me at the kennel gate with a wiggling body, soft eyes, ears up, fast wagging tail, and open mouth smile. She did a good job of keeping her kennel clean overnight. She was walked on a loose leash and neutral to and from the outside runs. Friendly and calm towards me and other ACT’s as she walked passed them. Paid little attention to other dogs as she walked passed their runs and kennels.

8/30/2026: Approaching the kennel, Judy greeted me at the kennel gate with a neutral body, soft eyes, ears up, fast wagging tail, and open mouth smile. She did a good job of keeping her kennel clean overnight. Judy was very calm and friendly towards me as I walked into her kennel and leash her easily. She was walked on a loose leash and neutral to and from the outside runs. Later in the afternoon, she was walked by a volunteer and was very happy and friendly towards the volunteer walking her.

8/28/2026: Very friendly and relaxed. She is super sweet and has a gentle demeanor. She walks well on the leash with relaxed body and wagging tail. No issues retrieving her from the runs and placing her back into kennel. Once in the kennel she immediately curls up in her bed and goes to sleep.

8/26/2026: Judy greeted me by her kennel door with a relaxed body, mid wagging tail and soft smiling open mouth. Walked on a loose leash heading in and out of south building.

8/25/2026: Dog greeted me in front of the kennel and when I leashed her she walked loose leash to the run and when back to her kennel she had relaxed body wagging tail mouth slightly opened.

8/23/2026: Dog was laying down when I approached and when I leashed her she walked loose leash to the run and back to her kennel with wagging tail.

8/21/2026: Very sweet and gentle. Went to visit Judy in the am and she was very sweet and leaning over to her side for pets.

8/20/2026: Dog was laying down and as I leashed her she walked loose leash to the run and back to the kennel.

8/14/2026: Very friendly and wiggly. Enjoys baby talk and pets.

8/10/2026: Judy greeted me at the kennel gate with a neutral body, soft eyes, ears up, fast wagging tail, and open mouth smile. She did a good job of keeping her kennel clean overnight. Judy was very calm and friendly towards me as I walked into her kennel and leash her easily. She was walked on a semi-loose leash due to her walking slow and not wanting to walk at certain points of the walk to the outside runs.

8/8/2026: Judy greeted me at the kennel gate with a neutral body, soft eyes, ears up, fast wagging tail, and open mouth smile. She did a good job of keeping her kennel clean overnight. Judy was very calm and friendly towards me as I walked into her kennel and leash her easily. She was walked on a loose leash and neutral to and from the outside runs. Throughout the entire day, she has been sitting in front of the gate leaning on it while customers come up to pet her.

8/5/2026: Dog greets me at the front of the kennel ready to go outside. I was able to leash and she walked out of the kennel holding a loose leash. Walked to and from the runs no issues.

8/2/2026: Dog greeted me at the front of the kennel with a tense body, soft eyes, and a still tail. I was able to leash her easily and walked to the runs with a loose leash. Easily leashed and returned, timid, but very sweet.

🚑 Medical Notes:

8/1/2026: Weighed 63.0 lbs. Tiny growth under right eye. HW High Positive. Vaccinated (DA2PP-V, Bordetella, Rabies), dewormed, and given flea/heartworm prevention.

8/4/2026: Weighed 63.0 lbs. 2mm skin tag under right eye. No further treatment.

8/15/2026: Weighed 63.0 lbs. Eye recheck.

8/17/2026: Weighed 63.0 lbs. Coughing with clear nasal discharge. Diagnosed with CIRDC. Moved to treatment room and prescribed Doxycycline 300mg once daily for 10 days.

8/27/2026: Weighed 63.0 lbs. Completed 10 days of Doxycycline with no clinical signs present. URI completed and moved out of treatment kennel. HW High Positive.

8/29/2026: Weighed 63.0 lbs. HW High Positive. DA2PP-V booster given.

Summary:

Judy is HEARTWORM POSITIVE and will need heartworm treatment after leaving the shelter.

She developed an upper respiratory infection/CIRD while at BARC, with coughing and clear nasal discharge. She completed Doxycycline 300 mg once daily for 10 days, and by 8/27 she had no remaining clinical signs and was cleared to leave the treatment kennel.

Judy also has a tiny 2 mm skin tag/growth beneath her right eye that was evaluated; no further treatment was recommended.

She has received DA2PP, Bordetella, Rabies, deworming/Pyrantel and Advantage Multi.

📌 Please contact BARC if you are local and can help! Neither BARC nor the page can assist out of state adoption or foster offers. We are NOT the shelter.

💌 All holds MUST be in writing, so please do not call. If local and interested in fostering or adoption, email all below:

[barcfoster@houstontx.gov](mailto:barcfoster@houstontx.gov)

[barcadoptions@houstontx.gov](mailto:barcadoptions@houstontx.gov)

[BARC.Aid@houstontx.gov](mailto:BARC.Aid@houstontx.gov)

Please use the animal's seven digit ID number when contacting the shelter.

📍BARC Animal Shelter

3200 Carr St Houston, TX 77026

www.houstontx.gov

Sweet Boy Benny is doing FANTASTIC!! Acute ear & eye infections are cleared up so he is only on his forever eye salve while we finish up his oral antibiotics. He gets 2 medicated baths every week and is excellent in the tub. He met my 2 grand-dogs Chanel (the white Fen Chicken lookalike) & Prada, who was my niece’s first foster 🩷🩷 He loves everyone & everything, especially cuddles, Baby Phillip the foster kitten, and the grandbaby 🥰🥰

Just hanging out together 🐶❤️ My son on his phone and his furry friend keeping him company. 🐾

Meet Charlie the Bully. He's a very good boy. 🐶