More about PEPPER

Meet Pepper, the Old English Sheepdog mix! Pepper first came to the Shelter because her previous guardian was having some medical difficulties that made it hard to care for a large, active dog. Pepper was clearly very well-socialized and trained in that home - she rides well in a car, is sociable and friendly with most folks she meets, she plays well with toys, is quite manageable on leash, and she responds to quite a few training cues, like `sit,` `stay,` `heel,` and `come.` She lived with teens in that home and did well, but she was `too much` for smaller children. In her most recent home, she proved too exuberant and possessive for the considerably smaller dogs. Although not aggressive, she didn't seem to respect them much - crowding them out and stealing their food. Pepper seems to enjoy other dogs when out and about and may do okay with a resident dog closer to her own size, although feeding time may still need some thoughtful management.Sometimes large breed dogs seem to intimidate her a bit, so we recommend that any resident dog(s) in the home meet her prior to adoption. Pepper is probably not a great fit for a home with small animals, cats or livestock as she tends to want to chase. Her favorite things to do are play with toys, go to the beach, and go for walks and hikes. Her favorite toy in a previous home was a soccer-sized ball. The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Foundation is now offering “Pawsitivity Bucks” with every dog adoption. This $200 training voucher is a way for newly adopted canines and their guardians to connect with local positive reinforcement based behavior consultants and get their relationship started off on the right paw!Please note: Our Santa Cruz location’s Shelter hours are 11-6pm, 7 days a week! Although clients can walk through and see any animals in their kennels during open hours, we end “meet and greets” (aka meeting an animal out of the kennel) at 4:30pm every day. If you’d like to meet an animal out of the kennel, please arrive before 4:00pm to allow for time to discuss individual animals and meet them.