Shy shelter dog greets people with a bear crawl during a sleepover

After meeting shy Poe at the shelter, @vivspowers and her husband brought him home for another sleepover. Her favorite part, @vivspowers said, was how much he loves people: “If he wanted to say hi to someone on our walk, he’d sit, lay down, start bear crawling toward them… then roll over for cuddles. It was so sweet. 😭”

It wasn’t their first sleepover with him. He’d been making dog friends at the shelter, and this time they got to see how much his confidence had grown. After 30 long days at the shelter, he was happy just watching sports and snoozing next to them.

Getting to know Poe

• Age and home base: Poe is 2 years old and was at Dallas Animal Services as of the Nov. 9, 2026 post.
• At the shelter: “So sweet and calm, but really shy.”
• On walks and at home: She also called him “still just a puppy who loves attention, does great on walks, and enjoys playing.”
• Out and about: He did great at an event, she said, but “definitely had a few things to say to the other dogs 😂.” The car left him puzzled: “He would be like why were the humans up front and why couldn’t he be right there with us?”

People were rooting for Poe

For people who can’t adopt, she suggested a daycation, a sleepover, or fostering him “while he waits for his family.” Dallas Animal Services asks Doggie Daycation volunteers to take plenty of photos and videos and fill out a report card afterward, because, as its Doggie Daycations page puts it, “The more photos and information we have for our adoptable dogs, the more they’ll stand out to potential adopters!”

She added, “We really loved getting to know him, and I hope someone else will give him that chance. 🫶”

Follow @vivspowers on Instagram.