After running wild for 5 months, Pua is up for adoption to be a therapy dog

A dog named Pua, who captivated a small Maine town when he went missing last June, is up for adoption to someone who will continue his training to become a therapy dog.

Pua, a Great Dane and German shepherd mix, ran wild for five months after escaping from his owner the day he was adopted and taken to his new home in the Piscataquis County town of Dover-Foxcroft.

The chronicles of Pua enthralled the town and surrounding region. People rallied around the dog and tracked his whereabouts on a Facebook page, noting sightings in Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset counties. They worried about him surviving winter in Maine, hoped for his safe return and breathed a collective sigh of relief when he was caught at a camp in Corinna in early November.

Many following Pua’s journey have continued to worry about his chances for adoption, unsure of the effect months running wild would have on the dog. But those caring for him say he is loving, calm and social. Pua has thrived with love, consistent training and structure in his life, so much that he has the potential to become a therapy dog, said Tyler Jones of Purpose Pups.

“He needs someone who will continue his training and see him to the end of that goal line,” said Jones, who trains Pua once a week in Newport. “Also someone who is able to give him adequate one-on-one time and a place to keep him safe. We don’t want him running away again.”

Unlike service dogs, which are trained to assist a single person with a disability, therapy dogs comfort people in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and other settings. 

Pua lives at the Somerset Humane Society in Skowhegan, where he works daily with staff, mainly Kassidee Pollis, the canine supervisor who also oversees 13 other dogs.

Every Thursday, she brings Pua to Jones, who has taught him the importance of eye contact and how to come, sit, stay, lay down and place his paw in a person’s hand, among other commands. They train for an hour, and Pollis spends the week practicing specifics with Pua until they return for the next session.

Sometimes they take Pua to places such as Home Depot or Tractor Supply to get him comfortable in busy settings. Earlier this week, he visited Foxcroft Academy, where students learned about his story and got to meet him.

The dog recently graduated from Bear Brook Kennels’ therapy prep class, during which Pollis worked with him on advanced commands, like laying his head on a patient’s lap. Pua was also exposed to wheelchairs, crutches and other devices.

At Jones’ facility on Feb. 15, which is his garage converted into a training space, he asked Pua to give him a hug, and of course the dog did, then was rewarded with a treat. His favorites to chew on are Pup-Peroni, Beggin’ strips and elk antlers.

Pua is black and gray, and his coat is marbled. He weighs 87 pounds and is muscular, though when he was on the run, people described him as larger.

Jones opened Purpose Pups in 2021 after he got out of federal prison for nonviolent marijuana crimes. While serving his nine-year sentence, he participated in the NEADS Prison Pup Program, which allows an incarcerated person to train a puppy to become a service dog, and came up with a business plan. 

He has trained 3,086 dogs, he said. Later this month, Jones will graduate four service dogs, including a yellow Labrador retriever named Holiday to comfort people dealing with traumatic experiences in Aroostook County, and his own black Labrador, Justice, who helps him with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Jones has worked with Pua since November. The dog was aloof and disconnected when they met. But now he craves attention and is eager to interact with people, and he has the traits to be a therapy dog, Jones said. 

The process requires a year of intensive training, after which Pua would need to pass a test and earn certification as a therapy animal.

“The look in his eyes when he began to trust and absorb love, then started to give it back, was a key indicator for me,” he said. “He wants to do this kind of work. He’s very tactile. He likes people. When you’re in his circle, you’re in it forever.”

Although Pua still gets anxious sometimes, as all dogs do, he is calm and has grown to be comfortable around people, Pollis said. He plays with toys, which he didn’t do when he entered the shelter. She believes his transformation is a result of the leadership and tenderness he has received from people.

Jones will select Pua’s new owner, who will work with him and Pollis to help the dog slowly transition into his new life. For Pua to thrive as a therapy dog, he and his handler need to be a strong team, he said. 

The handler must learn the dog’s strengths and weaknesses, and they must understand when the dog needs a break. They also need to be able to control their emotions, especially if Pua will work in emotional settings, because dogs absorb those feelings, he said.

“Pua has taken a special place in my heart,” Jones said. “I’m waiting for the right person to come along.”

Pollis, who has also built an intense bond with the dog, chimed in.

“He needs somebody who he can love, trust and who will be there for him,” she said. “We want to set him up for success.”