Toby needs a new home...

Toby is a young (definitely less than 2 years old, maybe less than 1 year old) purebred English pointer whom a good Samaritan found running loose in late November 2010 in Baton Rouge, LA. The lady who found him lives in an apartment so she cannot own a dog, but she didn't want him to go to the local Animal Control which is a kill shelter. She advertised in the newspaper and put fliers up, called Animal Control and all the local vets, but no owner has come forward to claim him. She tried to bring him to a local rescue group which does adoptions at PetSmart on Saturdays but without a vet history they wouldn't accept him. At PetSmart the lady happened to meet some people who know hunting dogs and who identified Toby's breed. Coincidentally these hunting dog "experts" are cousins of his current foster mom--they called her and she agreed to foster him until he can find a forever home.

His foster mom took him straight to the vet who neutered him and gave him his rabies, DHLPP and bordetella shots. He is HW negative and he has had his first dose of preventative medicine. The vet suggested Toby is about two because she saw a little tartar on his teeth But his foster mom think he's younger and so do her cousins because he looks so young, and he acts like a frisky puppy. He is very strong and somewhat of a bull in a china shop when he's indoors in that he likes to explore the house (but he's not destructive and doesn't seem to chew), and it's pretty clear no one has trained him. His dew claws have been removed, however, which the cousins suggest some hunters like to do with their dogs.

Toby seems to be at least partially housebroken and he is very good about sleeping and taking time-outs in his crate. He loves to eat his kibble and he also loves his three female foster sisters, who are large mixed breed dogs. He'd play with them all day if they had the energy. He also likes his foster mom's cats! He's not much of a barker but when he does it's a wonderful deep hound sound.

Toby needs someone who wants to take time to work with him and who has lots of room for him to run. One of the foster mom's cousins showed her how Toby pays attention to everything around him and his nose is always twitching, trying to check out the world around him. No one has tried to get him to point, but he does like to check out the wild life and he is extremely strong so walking him is a challenge when he gets interested in following an animal or a scent. You cannot ask for a more striking or better-tempered young man than Toby, and he is hoping for someone to take him in and show him how to be all he can be.

For more information about adopting Toby, please contact:

Animal Protection and Welfare Society of Baton Rouge
4075 South Ramsey Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808
225-252-6694 or 225-726-9700