Adopt Aunna: After a rough start, she is ready for her second chance

This week’s BND Pet of the Week is Aunna, a 1-year-old female labrador retriever mix. She was originally adopted as a puppy but returned nearly a year later to the Metro East Humane Society.

Her return to the shelter has been nerve-racking for the otherwise friendly dog. The constant noises and confined space stress from being in her kennel makes her bark and growl as people approach.

However, once out of her kennel, Aunna is an entirely different dog.

She is obedient to most commands, playful and never barks. Workers at the shelter believes this change in attitude is probably from previous owners keeping her in a confined space when she was growing up, leading to a common case of “kennel aggression.”

“Everybody wants a puppy, but puppies grow up,” adoption coordinator Kathy Bouse said. “You have to teach it manners. You can’t just expect it to just be a puppy 10 or 12 years.”

Going by many different names, kennel aggression is a dog’s way of telling everyone it is nervous or uncomfortable in its environment. It’s a response to being in a kennel, not the typical personality of the dog.

“If you walk by her at the shelter and she growls I still hope people can see past that,” Bouse said. “Ask to get her out and meet with her out of the kennel because you will see a totally different dog.”

Despite her quirks, the shelter thinks she is still on the right path to becoming a loving member of any family. All her shortcomings should be cured when she is adopted with someone willing to invest a little time into her.

“I wouldn’t call her wild, just a big ball of energy,” Bouse said. “Whoever adopts her is going to need to train her. I think she will make a very good dog with just a little bit a love and a little bit of work.”

The loveable Aunna is still working on being house broken, is friendly with other dogs and pretty much ignores feline friends.

“Just someone putting a little bit of time into her I think Aunna would be a very good family dog,” Bouse said.

For more information on Aunna, visit her at the Metro East Humane Society or call them at 618-656-4405.

Pet of the week

Last week’s pet, Cricket, is still available for adoption at the Highland Animal Shelter.

Sunshine was returned to the Metro East Humane Society and is once again available for adoption.

Petunia, Jazzica, Samson, Sadie, and Henry have all been happily adopted to warm and loving homes.

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Adopt Aunna: After a rough start, she is ready for her second chance."