walker

Walker is living in a foster home. Please submit an application and email dogs@heartlandanimalshelter.org to see if you're a match.

Scroll through his pictures to see his adorable videos!

Walker is a true southern gentleman. He came to us from our shelter partner in rural Alabama. Back in February, he was found in a zip-tied crate on an abandoned property and brought to the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. With more than 20,000 animals in their care and far fewer adopters than animals who need homes, their staff knows that sweet, friendly dogs like Walker have a much better chance of finding their people here in the Chicago area. So Walker hitched a ride to Heartland!

We know it can sometimes be hard to get a sense of a dog's personality from photos alone. That is definitely not the case with Walker. He is exactly what he looks like: easygoing, gentle, warm, and an absolute joy.

And then there are his videos. Walker likes to PARTY. He can hang with dogs of all sizes, personalities, and play styles, and he is what we affectionately call a "helper dog." That's the rare dog who seems to speak fluent canine and can roll with just about anyone. We can pair him with dogs who need a little help learning how to interact appropriately because Walker isn't interested in escalating anything. If another dog tells him to back off, he doesn't take it personally. He simply moves along, confident that they'll come around eventually.

They always do.

While Walker speaks fluent dog, his people skills are still... intermediate. He is absolutely a dog's dog first, but he does genuinely enjoy human companionship and will seek out affection once he's had a little time to warm up.

Walker doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He is, however, a sensitive and somewhat skittish guy. Fast movements, lots of noise, or a busy environment can send him looking for the nearest escape route. When he first arrived, if we approached his kennel with a leash in hand, he would retreat to his bed, curl himself into a little ball, and tremble.

Now? He comes to the front of his kennel with a wagging tail because he knows it's time for a walk. He loves our volunteers. He loves our staff.

And it is still sometimes hard to reconcile that timid kennel dog with the Walker we see in the play yard every day—running, jumping, playing, and wearing the biggest smile imaginable on that adorable head.

We believe that Walker—the bouncy, playful, goofy, all-smiles Walker you see in his videos—is the truest version of him. We also know that someone meeting Walker for the first time at the shelter may not get to see that version right away. And that's the hard part. Dogs like Walker need someone willing to take a little leap of faith. Someone willing to look past the nervousness and give him the time and patience to show them who he really is.

But dogs like Walker are so, so worth it!

If you think you might be Walker's person, come meet him during open hours or email us and ask about him. We would love for you to get to know this very good boy.

Walker’s adoption fee is $300. This animal is neutered and up to date on core vaccines.

Like many dogs who come to us from the South, Walker tested positive for heartworm disease. The good news is that heartworm is treatable, and he will receive her treatment through us.

Heartworm disease is common in dogs throughout the United States. It is a mosquito-borne disease and is not contagious to humans or other pets.

Heartworm disease is both preventable and curable. Once cured, a normal quality of life can be expected.

Walker will receive three injections to treat his Heartworm (the first one will be on 9/22/26, with the next two on 10/20 and 10/21). All treatments will take place at our shelter with our veterinarian.

That will complete the treatment, but he will need a quick retest at the adopter's vet 9 months post-treatment to make sure that he is Heartworm-free.