10/16/2026
Creed, formerly known as Duke, is being returned to us. We need to be completely transparent about his past so we can set him up for success in the future. Finding the perfect home for him is not something we take lightly, and we understand that he is not the dog for everyone.
Creed was born on the streets and was fed by one of our street feeders for months before we had room to intake him. When he entered a foster home at 4–5 months old, it was the first time he had ever been inside a home. The first time he ever experienced a warm hug, a blanket, and absolute safety. He was fighting for his life every day. His mom was hit and killed by a car. His sibling had her paw chopped off before we took her in. He truly was in danger every single day.
Shortly after entering his foster home, a former adopter expressed interest in him joining their family. Of course, we were excited for him to have a wonderful life and forever home. Unfortunately, that is not what happened.
Because of his background, Creed was understandably an anxious boy. Could you imagine living in fight-or-flight mode for your entire life? While we expect dogs to eventually settle into and find comfort in their homes, that did not happen for Creed. Over the last year and a half, Creed has still never had a moment of peace. The training we strongly expressed he needed after entering a home to build confidence was never provided. Creed has never felt peace in his life, and that absolutely breaks our hearts. When we adopt dogs out, we try our best to match dogs with homes that will strive to make sure the dog gets everything they need. This feels like a failure on our part.
His family did love him, really. This isn't a situation of abuse by any means. While he was physically always safe and loved, he was never mentally calm. They did not give Creed the training he so desperately needed to feel safe in this world. And that's how this all started.
In the home, Creed had multiple bite incidents. The incidents occurred in response to the high-pitched barking of another dog in the home. We believe his behavior may have been related to his perception that he needed to protect her, as she has mobility issues and could not protect herself. But regardless of why it happened, we will never minimize the fact that Creed has a bite history. A bite is serious. We understand that asking someone to open their home to a dog with this history is a very serious decision, and we will never pretend that understanding the circumstances surrounding his bites makes the risk disappear.
At the same time, we cannot ignore the other side of this story: Creed was living in an environment where he was chronically stressed, fearful, under-stimulated, and without the behavioral support he desperately needed. He was not given the tools or opportunity to learn how to feel safe. His behavior did not come from nowhere. His environment played a significant role in how he learned to cope.
But we need to be very clear: understanding why a dog behaved a certain way does not mean there is no longer a risk of that behavior happening again. Creed has a history of biting, and that history matters. He is still predisposed to certain behaviors, and we have to take that seriously. His progress does not erase his past. We can advocate for him without minimizing the implications of a bite history.
That is exactly why we are going to be SO specific about where Creed goes next.
We are not going to place him in just any home because we feel sorry for him. We are not going to overlook red flags because we want a happy ending. And we are not going to put Creed, his future family, or anyone else in an unsafe situation. His adopter will need to understand his history completely, recognize his triggers, respect his boundaries, and be committed to continuing his training and management. The right home will need the experience, stability, structure, and willingness to work with his trainer that Creed requires.
We have to get this right. For Creed. And for the people and animals who will share his life.
Multiple trainers were concerned they could not rehabilitate him and safely place him back in that home. So, the decision was made to return him back to our care to hopefully get to the root of the problem. The Creed we knew before being adopted was not aggressive. He was gentle. He was kind. The complete 180 in behavior absolutely shocked us.
Truthfully, behavioral euthanasia did come up, as it does with many aggressive behavior cases. However, the question we needed to ask was whether Creed could thrive peacefully in a different environment or if these behaviors were so ingrained in him that an environment change would make no difference. If the latter was the case, behavioral euthanasia would have been the route Creed was headed down. However, after many, many conversations about his behavior and environment, we made the decision to take him away from the only environment he’d shown aggressive behaviors in and see if, in hands capable of handling and familiar with these behaviors, he could overcome them.
Luckily, an incredible trainer with 12 years of experience with heavy behavioral cases agreed to take him on. After extremely honest and lengthy conversations, the trainer was very confident in telling us: Creed is not a bad dog. The environment and ownership are what were responsible for his behavior. He lived at a level of stress and fear every single day that nobody can survive without something bad happening. Creed was fending for survival. Every. Single. Day.
Within two weeks, Creed is fully leash trained, despite it being something he always associated with aversive results. He formerly destroyed multiple kennels and was destructive in the home. Now, he sleeps without making a peep the entire night in the kennel. He previously resource guarded, and now he lets a dog in the home walk up and eat his food right in front of his nose. Every single one of these behaviors was due to the constant stress he was under, paired with the lack of support for his needs. He is being trained in recall and heel. He has basic obedience down. He is potty trained. He will hold place for hours.
He finally, after two years, has found peace. We are seeing the Creed we knew and loved come back out. He has not shown an ounce of aggression to any human or animal since leaving his adoptive home.
Here’s what we need for Creed now: A loving, understanding home who is willing to continue his training and who is genuinely equipped to handle his needs.
Creed’s trainer’s main note is that Creed needs to gain confidence. He is insecure and unsure, understandably. He needs someone who is familiar with insecure dogs and can continue working with his trainer on proper integration into their home. Access to training will be available, and required, moving forward to ensure Creed is set up for success. We will not let him be failed by humans for a single day longer. Now, it’s time for Creed to truly live.
EVERY dog deserves a second chance. It is not Creed’s fault that his owners waited so long to help him. To see what he truly needed. We are determined to make sure Creed’s story does not end in heartbreak, but rather a true forever home who understands him, respects his limitations, and supports him. He deserves that.
If you can or know someone who may be a fit for Creed, please reach out. We’d love to talk more in depth, answer any questions, and provide support every step of the way.
