by Cassie Gonzalez

Cassie Gonzalez is an Outreach Associate at Valley Animal Center in Fresno, California. VAC will be sharing their animal rescue adventures with us now every month. Check out KRL’s interview with VAC to learn more about what they do.

Darius is the Valley Animal Center’s very own two-year-old Boxer-mix. Darius has been a resident of our Dog Adoption Center for over a year and a half. Although he is a staff and volunteer favorite, he has had a very long stay with us and is ready to find his forever home.

Darius

Darius came to the Valley Animal Center on June 20, 2014 from the city of San Joaquin, a small community located 35 miles west of Fresno. He was brought to us in a 1982 Chevy pickup owned by the city’s animal control agency, after a man found him dumped in the country outside of town. We instantly fell in love with his lovable temperament and his big goofy puppy smile! He was six months old at the time, and weighed in at 37 or 38 pounds. Our adoption associate, Chris, commented, “I knew he was going to be a wild one.”

He is a great dog, is very energetic, and has lots of love to give. However, he tends to spin and bark when in his kennel, so a visitor’s first impression of him is not the most accurate. Our Dog Training and Enrichment Committee volunteers have been working with him to try to curb these negative behaviors, and also teach him basic obedience commands. Darius is also very high energy, which makes him unsuitable for families with younger children, yet another reason why it has been so difficult for him to find the right match. During the time that he has been at the shelter, he was adopted once, but sadly was returned because his temperament was too hyper for his new owners.

When adopting dogs into families with existing dogs at home, we always recommend having the dogs meet in our Canine Community Room prior to going home, to ensure that they get along. With Darius, a meet and greet would be a must for anyone interested in adopting him who already has dogs. While he gets along with most dogs, his high energy can be annoying to other dogs, especially seniors, if they are not in the mood to play. He would be the best fit for an active family with older children, or a young couple who has more time to spend with him. Darius needs to be walked one or two times a day, and would love a big yard to run and play in. A few trips to the beach or to the park would also be great to keep him healthy, active, and out of trouble at home.

Darius is one of a kind, and we hope that he will soon find his forever home, where he has the freedom to be the fun and spunky boy we all know and love. He needs someone who can look beyond the first impression, and see what a great and loving companion he really is. If anyone is interested in adopting Darius, you can visit him seven days a week at Valley Animal Center, 3934 N. Hayston, in Fresno, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you have questions about him, or any of his furry friends at the shelter, you can call our Dog Adoption Center at (559) 233-8717, or email them at dogs@valleyanimal[dot]org.

Keep up with VAC’s animal rescue adventures here at KRL, and learn more about adopting from them, volunteering, and donating to VAC on their website.

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to a local animal rescue.