Bentley’s Adventure
Most cats and dogs at Rescue Village have an average length of stay of 1-2 weeks. But for some, it can take months, and sometimes multiple attempts to find just the right home. For Bentley, the third time was a charm!
Thanks to the dedication of Rescue Village’s Behavioral and Medical team, behavioral health programs were introduced in 2022 for animals that have a longer length of stay.
Like 60% of the animals who seek refuge at Rescue Village each year, Bentley came to us as an owner-surrender in November 2023. With Bentley’s owner getting ready to move, and unable to take him along, Rescue Village was there to help.
When Bentley arrived at Rescue Village, he was growling and his body would stiffen when we got close. It was clear he was scared, missing his owner and needed time to learn to trust us. He wasn’t aggressive, but we knew that Bentley would require additional behavior interventions to get him into the right home.
For the first couple of days, Bentley only interacted with the Dog Behavioral Health Manager to assess his behaviors and triggers. Satisfied that Bentley was a great candidate for adoption, he was soon introduced to the Shelter Specialists, and it didn’t take long for him to warm up to everyone!
By mid-December, Bentley was made available for adoption and soon went to his new home. However, within 48 hours, he was returned to the shelter because he was exhibiting guarding behaviors, which he did not display while at the shelter. Days later and armed with more information, he was adopted a second time, only to be returned weeks later because of chewing, growling, guarding and charging behaviors.
All the back and forth was very difficult for Bentley, but we knew with a bit more work, time and patience, we would find him just the right home.
While Bentley waited, he got plenty of enrichment, training and TLC at Rescue Village. Over a month later, the waiting was over and he finally got a home! With help from a scholarship for a 4-week training program through Rescue Village’s partnership with GoodPup, Bentley’s fearfulness and guarding behaviors quickly faded and he turned into a dog that loves adventure — he even gets to ride along in his own, private airplane!
His new owner told us, “I’m not sure who rescued whom. Two broken things found each other and made each other whole again. I get to see a familiar face each day and Bentley is getting the well-deserved love and attention he needs. We absolutely adore Bentley.”
Rescue Village is committed to providing the care, enrichment, and tools to find each homeless animal their perfect match. No matter how long their stay or the amount of times they come back to the shelter, Rescue Village is committed to finding every adoptable animal a permanent home — one that suits both the family and the pet.
In true Beagle fashion he loves having a job and was easily trainable, only taking a couple of days. He has learned 12 commands, and has household jobs like putting shoes on the rack and putting loose laundry in the basket. For his charging and guarding behaviors, we used a muzzle and high value treats, but Bentley quickly learned who belongs in the family and stopped his fear-driven behavior to protect his pack.
Bentley’s Mom, Nancy