K9 Mania Dog Training Launches New Shelter Initiative, Giving "Unadoptable" Dogs Like Cookie a Second Chance

LONG ISLAND, NY - January 26,2026

Long Island's leading dog training team launches a community program to help shelters rehabilitate and rehome "unadoptable" dogs starting with one named Cookie.

When Cookie, a timid mixed-breed dog from Save-A-Pet Animal Shelter in Port Jefferson, first arrived at K9 Mania Dog Training, she wouldn't make eye contact. Every sound made her flinch. Every hand made her shrink back.
Now, just a few weeks later, Cookie is walking calmly beside her trainer, wagging her tail, and learning how to trust again.
Her progress is historic. Cookie is the very first dog in K9 Mania Dog Training's new Shelter Initiative, a Long Island-based program designed to help local shelters rehabilitate anxious or misunderstood dogs through behavior-based training and socialization.

"Cookie's story is where it all begins," said Trainer Stella Parthenis, dog trainer at K9 Mania Dog Training. "She taught us that even the most fearful dogs can rebuild trust with time and structure. She didn't need to be fixed; she needed to be understood."

The program's goal is simple but powerful: to bridge the gap between shelters and trainers, helping dogs like Cookie become calm, confident, and ready for adoption.

"This isn't just about saving one dog," said David Loehr, Program Evaluator of K9 Mania Dog Training. "It's about proving that every shelter dog deserves a fair chance and that training can make the difference between being overlooked and being loved."

The Shelter Initiative began with a partnership between K9 Mania Dog Training and Save-A-Pet Animal Shelter, a Port Jefferson-based nonprofit that has been rescuing animals for over 25 years.
Through the program, K9 Mania Dog Training's certified trainers volunteer time and expertise to evaluate and retrain dogs who struggle with fear, anxiety, or reactivity, the very issues that often lead to euthanasia or long shelter stays.

Every year, thousands of shelter dogs across New York are labeled "unadoptable" because of fear-based behavior, not aggression.
By focusing on behavioral rehabilitation, K9 Mania Dog Training's Shelter Initiative helps reduce euthanasia rates and increases successful adoptions across Long Island.

Cookie is just the beginning. The team plans to expand partnerships to additional Suffolk and Nassau County shelters by early 2026, creating a model that can be replicated statewide.

Learn more about Cookie's journey at:
https://k9maniadogtraining.com/adopt-a-dog

Elliot Rosenberg
Founder, K9 Mania Dog Training
seo@k9maniadogtraining.com
(516) 217 1604
Long Island, NY

K9 Mania Dog Training is one of Long Island's leading canine behavior and rehabilitation centers, specializing in transforming reactive, fearful, or hard-to-train dogs into confident companions.
With training locations across Nassau and Suffolk Counties, K9 Mania's mission is simple: to help dogs and humans live better lives together through understanding, structure, and education.

This release was published on openPR.