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Matilda, a sweet and calm puppy who traveled all the way from Puerto Rico, is available for adoption at the Humane Society of Broward County.
Matilda arrived at the shelter a few weeks ago through one of the organization's partner rescues and came with a sibling named Clementina, who is also still at the shelter and accepting applications.
Matthew Seligman, a representative from the Humane Society of Broward County, described what makes Matilda stand out.
"She's very lovely and sweet. Pretty calm for a puppy, I would say so far," Seligman said.
For families with other pets at home, Seligman offered some guidance on introducing a new puppy.
"When it comes to puppies, they're almost always pretty easy to go. When you're introducing an adult dog to another adult dog, that's kind of where you want to go through a little more of the protocols," Seligman said.
Seligman also recommended a medical quarantine period for any new puppy coming from a shelter.
"Keep them separate for at least ten days going from shelter to home. You want to make sure no germs are tracked in with your new dog," Seligman said.
Prospective adopters should also be prepared for the demands that come with a puppy.
"Puppies are going to require a lot. You can kind of equate it to a newborn, where you'll be waking up late at night. The dog is going to have to go out at least several times a day as it's learning to be housebroken. Patience is key," Seligman said.
The adoption process is straightforward and designed to be simple. Seligman walked through what families can expect.
"It's just filling out the application, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes — actually quite simple compared to a lot of procedures for adoption. We review it on our end. That also takes about 5 to 10 minutes. You come in. We always advise people to game plan for at least an hour at the shelter. You want to spend half an hour meeting the animal and then another half hour picking out the items that you're going to need to prepare your home for the animal, as well as going through our paperwork and us explaining to you all the aftercare required," Seligman said.
To view all available animals and start an application for Matilda or Clementina, visit HumaneBroward.com.
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