FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Meet Amphitrite: Potentially your new, adventure-loving bestie.
As Franklin County Humane Society’s longest canine resident, Amphitrite is more than ready to find her forever family. Spending most of her life as a shelter dog, Amphitrite deserves a place to call her own.
Amphitrite is 5 and a half years old and has been at the Franklin County Humane Society Planned Pethood and Adoption Center for 854 days, as of August 1, 2023.
WSLS 10 featured her last year during the 2022 Clear the Shelters campaign.
She arrived as a stray at Henry County animal control in December of 2021. Kennel manager Christina Thienemann said she was going there monthly to help pull dogs at risk of euthanasia.
“I thought there was nothing I could do for this dog. The months went by, and in March I went in and thought, ‘Who is this amazing dog? You are so sweet!’ She was all over me. I said, ‘Are you the same dog I said I can’t touch in December?’”
Due to capacity issues, Amphitrite became at risk for euthanasia.
“I got an emergency call and they were going to have to be euthanized and she tested decently with dogs and so I just took a chance and brought her here,” Thienemann said. “And she has been so sweet, but she still has that fear when she first sees people. The same thing that I saw when I first met her in December is what all our visitors see when they come to see her.”
She said that Amphitrite needs to gain the trust of her potential adopter, and recommends meeting her more than once.
“Those few visitors that have repeatedly come back, especially those who offer her treats, see the Amphitrite that I eventually saw in March, which is this sweet lovable dog,” Thienemann said. “So we are hoping that she can still find her forever family.”
She’s now spent most of her life in a shelter and has formed a special bond with Thienemann.
“Obviously being the one who pulled her, you’ll notice that the dogs - you can almost tell who saved them because they have a special attachment to that person. It’s like they remember,” Thienemann said, becoming emotional.
“It’s hard. But we also have our cases when we’ve had cases just like her and we’ve found them our forever homes. We know that there’s that chance if we keep pushing hard enough, we keep advertising them, eventually, their family is going to find them.”
She’s a water-loving mixed breed that’s spayed and would love another dog to join in her backyard playfests. The shelter has a kiddie pool in the summer and she loves to lay down in it to cool off. She loves to play tug and wrestle hard with her dog friends (she prefers boy dogs). She loves other dogs but isn’t good with cats.
Like most humans, sometimes Amphitrite gets nervous when she meets new people, but the shelter staff said she’s very treat-motivated – In the words of the staff, she’ll be your best friend for a Beggin’ strip. While she may alarm bark when meeting new people, she is very eager to please and loving toward people she does know.
And if you’re looking for a buddy for your new exercise regimen, Amphitrite is your girl – shelter staff said she loves to take rides in the car and go for long walks.
Amphitrite is ideally suited for a home with low human traffic, especially during her first few months of adoption until she can build trust with her new owners.
She’s a smart dog and has learned a few tricks over the years like “sit, “down, “paw.”
If you’re interested in learning more about this smart girl, you can visit the shelter’s web page, or call 1 540-489-3491.