Pet of the Week puts a spotlight on a furry friend who is available for adoption at the Lawrence Humane Society at the time of the article’s publication. According to ASPCA, dog adoption numbers are down nationwide, which adds additional strain on shelters that are already struggling to accommodate high volumes of animals. Lawrence Humane is no exception.
Through Pet of the Week, readers can learn about a pup before they visit the shelter. The featured furball is selected by shelter staff members, who provide all details on the animal’s personality and history.
Azalea, a 3-year-old pit bull, is calm, cuddly and kind when she’s not cooped up at the shelter.
She arrived at the humane society as a stray in November and hasn’t been reclaimed. In four months, she hasn’t had any adoption or foster interest.
As of Wednesday, she hadn’t left the humane society for 116 consecutive days, and the longer she stays at LHS, the more her stress rises.
“She’s struggling to settle, panting a lot, hyper-salivating, and is hyper-fixated on the drain in her kennel, barking at it,” said Elina Alterman, chief development officer at LHS.
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Staff is trying enrichment, behavior medications and as many Mass Street Mutts (MSM) outings as possible, but “it’s really becoming a desperate situation and we need to get her into a foster or adoptive home,” Alterman said.
Folks who take her on MSM outings meet a completely different dog than the one Alterman described.
“She is incredibly kind and has the most squishy happy face,” one volunteer wrote. “She was very good and patient in the car and really liked treats.”
Alterman said she was cool and collected on an outing where another person’s dog escaped, running up to Azalea and the volunteer.
“The volunteer reported that Azalea did not bark or growl and was very calm,” Alterman said. “And in fact, the volunteer felt that after the dog got back to its owner, Azalea continued to check in with the volunteer, as if reassuring them that everything is ok.”
The shelter doesn’t have a full picture of how Azalea handles children and cats, but on one MSM outing, she reveled in pets from a full Girl Scout troop. On another adventure, she seemed scared of a volunteer’s cats but walked past them before the felines were sequestered.
Azalea does not do well with female dogs. Staff would facilitate any meeting with potential male dog siblings.
She is spayed, vaccinated and microchipped. Her adoption fee is $150.
Pet of the Week stars and where they are now
Dudley, who is built for the out-of-doors, hit the road to Colorado on Wednesday. Staff transferred him to a foster-based rescue that specializes in Labs.
These furry friends could use a foster or forever home:
• Bellamy has an abiding love for humans and a boopable nose.
• “Some pig” Maylene has recovered from her cold and is back at the shelter.
These pups are living it up in foster care and hope to find their forever families soon:
• Jasper is a pup who’s ready to take a roadtrip or a nap.
• Unflappable brindle shepherd mix Cardi B. is not the drama.
• Flycatcher is a shepherd mix who lives up to his name.
• Ruby and her speckled tongue have gained confidence with a behavioral specialist.
• Kiba is a gentle giant thriving in foster care while waiting for an adopter.
Those interested in adopting Azalea can email the Lawrence Humane Society’s adoptions team at adoptions@lawrencehumane.org or call 785-843-6835.
People can also go straight to the shelter at 1805 E. 19th St. to meet her. The Humane Society is open to potential adopters from noon to 6 p.m. every day. People can also sign up for the Mass Street Mutts program to get to a know a dog before adopting.
Potential foster parents can email the Foster Coordinator at foster@lawrencehumane.org and fill out an application here. The Lawrence Humane Society provides foster parents with all necessary supplies and food, and they cover bills for medical care, behavioral support and more.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.
Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.
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