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.
What do Elf the dog and Buddy in the movie “Elf” have in common? They both love to sing.
Elf is a 2-year-old bulldog mix who was transferred from another shelter to LHS in March. Maya Windle, one of LHS’ animal service officers, is fostering him, and he’s having the time of his life with their dog, Bushka.
“If you’ve ever heard of tonic immobility in sharks, he kind of gets that with belly rubs,” Elina Alterman said via email. Alterman is the chief development office of the shelter.
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“When I give him a new treat, he’ll sniff thoroughly, take it gingerly with his front teeth, then runs away with it to investigate it on his own time,” Windle said. “I have not yet found a squirrel stash of snacks from him.”
Elf is a personal space hog who is in it for the snuggles. Sometimes he can be slow on the uptake when you’re speaking to him, but he makes up for it by being a sweetheart, a goober and easy to live with, per Windle.
It’s a no for this dog when it comes to summer heat, but he likes wading in water. He’s got a 20-minute stamina for walks, but he will smell every single blade of grass — Alterman said he loves tall grass especially.
He prefers sheets, blanks and towels as opposed to beds for sleep. He can be out of the kennel for up to three hours, and will entertain himself with rope toys.
“And Maya reports that he has never chewed on their baseboards or destroyed their plants like other fosters have in the past,” Alterman said.
He is comfortable in a kennel for an eight-hour work day, but can stretch for 12 if necessary.
Elf needs to meet all household members, dogs included, but he can live with fellow canines. He does best with calmer kids 10 years or older “because Elf can get overly excited by rough play, sudden and fast movements, and could accidentally knock into or jump on a smaller child,” Alterman said. The shelter doesn’t know how he handles cats.
Elf is neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. His adoption fee is $150.
Potential adopters can email to [email protected] or call the shelter at 785-843-6835 to arrange a meeting.
Pet of the Week stars and where they are now
Following this article commemorating one year of the Pet of the Week column, silly Bob, short king Phineas and pup cup fiend Miley were all adopted.
These furry friends could use a foster or forever home:
• Cowboy is fixin’ to find his partner for the road.
• Happy-go-lucky Sammy needs someone to raise his spirits.
These pups are living it up in foster care and hope to find their forever families soon:
• Big-hearted Axel knows he’s the best boy.
• Dynamic doggy duo Charli and Bo share one soul.
• Unflappable brindle shepherd mix Cardi B. is not the drama.
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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 [email protected].
Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.
