Available

BUGSY

Rafeiro do Alentejo · Male · Young · 3 years

The BUGSY was found on the street with his mother and siblings. They were taken to the municipal dog shelter. The mother and some of the puppies were adopted, but BUGSY, one brother, and one sister remained behind because they were more shy. Time went by and now the possibility of being adopted is getting smaller. BUGSY is very loved. He is 40kg of tenderness and love. However, he remains quite shy with people. He comes near us, up to a certain distance, accepts the treat we have in our hand, but when we try to pet him, he immediately runs away. With some effort and several people we managed to catch him, but when we try to pet him, BUGSY becomes frozen and doesn't move. He doesn't walk on a leash, even if we put a collar on him. Of course, he could learn, but it would take time and patience, and unfortunately, we don't have enough volunteers to give BUGSY the attention he needs. However, BUGSY is spectacular with other dogs, whether male or female. He plays with everyone! He could go to a house where another dog already lives, since he is so shy with people and needs a canine example. He will be delivered vaccinated, dewormed, neutered, and with a microchip.

PT·Show original

O Bugsy foi encontrado na rua com a sua mãe e irmãos. Foram levados para o canil municipal. A mãe e alguns dos cachorros foram adotados, mas o Bugsy, um irmão e uma irmã ficaram para trás porque eram mais tímidos. O tempo foi passando e agora, a possibilidade de serem adotados é cada vez menor. O Bugsy é muito querido. São 40kg de ternura e amor. Contudo, continua bastante tímido com pessoas. Vem perto de nós, até uma certa distância, aceita o biscoito que tivermos na mão mas, quando lhe tentamos dar uma festa ele foge imediatamente. Com algum esforço e várias pessoas conseguimos apanhá-lo, mas quando lhe tentamos dar festas, o Bugsy fica petrificado e não se mexe. Não anda à trela, mesmo se lhe pusermos um peitoral. Claro que ele podia aprender, mas era preciso tempo e paciência e, infelizmente, não temos voluntários suficientes para dar ao Bugsy, a atenção que ele precisava. No entanto, o Bugsy é espetacular com outros cães, sejam machos ou fêmeas. Brinca com todos! Ele podia ir para uma casinha onde já residisse outro cão, já que ele é tão tímido com pessoas e precisa de um exemplo canino. Será entregue vacinado, desparasitado, esterilizado e com microchip.

Size

Large

Age

Young · 3 years

Location

🇵🇹Lisbon

Shelter

O Cantinho da Milu

Living with BUGSY

✓Vaccinated
✓Neutered
✓Microchipped
✓Good with dogs
✕Has special needs

Cared for by O Cantinho da Milu · Lisbon Learn about Rafeiro do Alentejo →

More dogs in Lisbon →More dogs in Portugal →

Listed 7 months ago

Bringing BUGSY home

What you'll need for BUGSY in week one.

Hand-picked · prices indicative

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About BUGSY

What life with BUGSY looks like

BUGSY is a large young adult rafeiro do alentejo dog waiting at O Cantinho da Milu in Lisbon.

A young adult dog fits most household rhythms once the first couple of weeks of adjustment pass. A larger dog like this one needs daily off-leash time when possible — a fenced yard or regular access to safe walking trails. Plan a "decompression fortnight" — quiet routine, no visitors, no off-leash adventures — to let them settle.

Note from the shelter: Extremely shy with humans, requires patient rehabilitation and preferably a home with another dog as companion

🇵🇹Adopting from Portugal

Portuguese rescues coordinate extensively with European rescue networks for cross-border placements, especially for galgos and podencos. Sterilization, vaccinations, and microchip ID are standard. Adoption fees typically cover the full vet workup.

Lisbon, Portugal — browse more dogs in Portugal.

Frequently asked

Adopting BUGSY, answered.

How do I contact the shelter about BUGSY?: Use the phone, email, or website link in the sidebar of this page. O Cantinho da Milu handles screening and the adoption contract directly — TailHarbor doesn't broker the conversation. When you reach out, mention you saw BUGSY on TailHarbor so they know which animal you're asking about.
Can I adopt BUGSY if I live in another country?: Yes, in most cases. Rescues across Europe routinely place animals abroad — O Cantinho da Milu will tell you what they need (EU pet passport, rabies titer, transport coordination) and whether they handle transport themselves or refer you to a partner. Transport is usually a separate cost, so ask for the exact figure before you commit.
Is BUGSY already vetted, vaccinated, and chipped?: Most dogs on TailHarbor leave their shelter with sterilization, current vaccinations, microchip ID, and an EU pet passport included in the adoption fee. The vet status on this page reflects what the shelter has reported — ask them directly if you need details on specific vaccines, recent bloodwork, or chronic conditions.
What happens if BUGSY isn't the right fit?: Every reputable rescue accepts an animal back if the adoption genuinely doesn't work — that's part of the standard contract. Talk it through with O Cantinho da Milu early rather than rehoming privately; they know BUGSY and can place them more successfully than a second-hand listing can.
Why does the description sometimes read awkwardly?: TailHarbor translates shelter descriptions into English from the source language (PT). Translation is imperfect — names of streets, donors, and shelter-specific terms occasionally slip through unidiomatically. For the cleanest read, click the source link to see the shelter's original page.