Philly

My story

Meet Philly – The Quiet Soul with a Gentle Spirit Philly joined the Freedom Frenchie Rescue squad from the Arizona Humane Society after being surrendered under a cloudy and unclear backstory. The previous owner never responded when the shelter reached out, and he was brought in by someone claiming to be a “trainer.” Sadly, it’s clear from his trembling, avoidant body language that Philly likely endured abuse and fear-based training. But here, with us, his healing journey has begun. Personality: Philly is about 4.5 years old and weighs around 22–24 pounds. He’s timid, quiet, and gentle for the most part. He will throw a warning growl so that just means back off and let him do his thing. His foster family has been giving him the one thing he’s probably never had—freedom to just exist without fear, without demands, and without harsh consequences. We don’t force him into anything. Instead, we let him come to us on his own terms—and he does. Slowly but surely, Philly’s tail has started to slightly wag. He’s learning that love is safe, treats are allowed, and toys aren’t scary. He still takes his time trusting new things, but when he decides you’re his person, you’ll have a little Frenchie shadow pop up throughout the day here and there to say hi. Philly has done well so far with other dogs in the home, though he doesn’t seek out play. We slowly introduced him over a few weeks time to the other dogs. He’s content coexisting peacefully minding his own business. He might sniff a butt here and there but that’s about it. As for cats, we honestly think he doesn’t notice—or doesn’t care. He prefers calm energy, so a household without young children is a must. We will only place him in a home with kids aged 15+ who can respect his space and read his subtle cues. He is already potty trained, though it’s likely it came from fear-based discipline. We ultimately prefer him with no kids but he does well with foster moms teenagers (they are also around rescues all day). Training: We are keeping his training to a minimum or mostly nothing because we do not want him to go backwards and live in fear. Philly is a “free feeder.” He doesn’t gobble his food at mealtimes—instead, we leave his bowl in his crate and let him eat when he feels comfortable. His crate is his safe space, and we honor that. He walks well on a leash, though he tends to pull—like he’s still trying to escape whatever darkness is behind him. But with each walk, each meal, and each gentle moment, Philly is learning: he is safe now. This guy has so much potential to be a lover—he just needs the right super calm, patient family to continue to bring that out of him. A home that understands that healing takes time, that trust is earned, and that the most meaningful bonds are the ones built slowly and with care. Medical champ: Medically, Philly is doing well and handled the vet visit like a champ. He shows no aggression, no resource guarding—except for one thing: his human. Once he’s bonded with you, he’s all in. He’s stubborn like many bulldogs (don’t expect him to come when he’s busy sniffing something extremely important), but that just makes him more endearing. Foster pupdate: Philly is an amazing little guy. He loves attention but if my son is near me and he is sitting in front of me he is guarded and will growl but has never once tried to bite any of us. We just let him do his own thing and he is really coming out of his shell. I was gone for a few days and at that point he stuck to my son like glue and was protective of him. Phill was definitely abused, he likes quiet places, under the bed in a corner somewhere away from the chaos. I know that in time he will learn that love is real and adjust to a new loving family. If you’re ready to offer a safe haven and a gentle heart, Philly will meet you halfway—and in time, he’ll show you just how much love he’s been waiting to give. Philly is neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped, you can apply for him on freedomfrenchierescue.org. He is located in Phoenix, AZ and his adoption donation fee is $1025.00.

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Philly, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.