Expensive breed of dog sitting in Little Rock shelter; locals advocate for her release
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock animal lovers are coming together to try and track down a dog’s owner or get her into the hands of someone who will take care of her.
The dog, now called Eleanor, is a Neapolitan Mastiff, known as an expensive and sought-after breed around the country. Eleanor has captured people’s hearts on social media and racked up hundreds of signatures in an online petition in 24 hours, begging for her release from the Little Rock Animal Village.
Central Arkansas animal shelters urging community to help save pets’ lives
Debbie Nash and a few other locals have stepped up since discovering the dog lost in a Chenal Valley neighborhood.
Nash believes Little Rock Animal Village was called by another neighbor and an employee quickly got the dog, leaving those advocating for her worried how long she’ll stay at the shelter.
If not worried about Eleanor’s life, Nash said she’s worried about the other dogs’ lives as a result.
“It’s infuriating because dogs die in the shelter every day for space,” Nash said. “She frees up space. Let her go.”
Nash said she is also in contact with a Mastiff rescue organization willing to take Eleanor and put her in a home that will handle the breed well, whether that is in Arkansas or out of state.
She added that from her experience with Eleanor, and what she has heard from other volunteers at the shelter, the dog is well-trained and not aggressive.
The spokesperson for the city of Little Rock provided a statement in response to concerns about Eleanor.
“The Animal Village’s top priority is to identify the animal’s owner. Because it failed a behavioral assessment (the ASPCA’s SAFER assessment), it is not suitable for adoption at this time,” the statement read. “However, no other decisions have been made regarding this animal as the Animal Village is continuing to try to locate the owner.”
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
