My name is Tessa!

What is your name?
I'm Tessa! But I have many nicknames, such as Tessie, Tessa Monkey, Tessa Lou Who

How old are you?
Best guess, between 6-7 years old. But age is only a number!

How much do you weigh?
At last weigh in, I was 67 lbs and lookin' good, if I do say so myself!

What do you look like?
I'm a hunk of woman: gray and white, with floppy ears and a big, beautiful smile!!

What do you like to eat?
My foster Mom likes to mix it up a bit, so I don't get bored, being careful not to create tummy upset either. Currently, she's got me on Doctor Harvey's Miracle base mix with a good protein added.

What kind of personality do you have? I'm a happy girl who loves everyone! Nobody is a stranger!

Describe your perfect day:
I love to eat, so starting the day with a good meal is essential. A walk afterward would be nice, followed by a little mid-morning sunbathing. Then a nap! After my nap, I'd enjoy a game of fetch with a frisbee or Chuck It ball. Then dinner! After dinner, I'd like to relax for the evening, chilling out cuddling while watching tv.

What is your favorite toy?
I love my Tuffy frisbee, but I think my favorite toy is my Chuck It ball! I also like to chew on Nylabones. I especially enjoy toys that squeak!

Do you know any tricks?
I'm a sensitive girl, so I want to please and I'm pretty smart. I'm not much for tricks, but I do know sit, down, and stay.

What scares you?
Loud voices scare me, as I'm a sensitive girl.

Have you been around children? Do you like them?
I enjoy people of ALL shapes, sizes and ages. I don't jump up, which makes me a good match for younger kids and older adults.

Do you like cats?
I'd rather live in a home without them.

How do you feel about other dogs?
I enjoy spending time with other dogs. In my foster home, I hang out and play with my two foster brothers and my foster sister. I like other dogs so much that when on leash during walks, I get super excited when I see another dog and vocalize loudly. Foster Mom says it's super embarrassing, and we're working on helping me behave better.

If you could be anywhere in the world, where would it be?
In a grassy backyard, with a frisbee or squeaky ball toy with my family hanging around with me. I enjoy sunbathing too, but know it's not very good for me.

How is your health?
I'm in good health. Healthy teeth, shiny coat, great figure. Two years ago, when I was rescued from the shelter, I was very thin, my coat was dull and brittle and I had a torn ACL. The nice people who saved me raised money to get my ACL repaired. Since then, I've had a couple of nasty lumps removed, but am in good health now!

Who do you live with in your foster home and who is your closest companion?
I live with my foster Mom, Dad and foster canine brothers and sisters. My closest companion is one of the other foster dogs who live here with me. Her name is Kylie and we do everything together. She's my best friend.

Where do you hang out when you are home alone?
In my crate. I'm fully crate trained and see it as my little safe place. But honestly if I was adopted and left home alone, I'd just sleep on the couch and not chew on stuff. I'm pretty good like that.

Where do you sleep at night?
On the living room couch with my canine foster sister, Kylie. Sometimes, foster Mom and Dad let me and Kylie sleep in bed with them - it's a super treat!

Do you like walking on a leash?
Yes! I enjoy going for walks and am pretty polite on leash, but do get excited and vocal when I see another dog. I am so excited and want to meet them so badly, that I'm not sure how to behave. Foster Mom is helping me to change my behavior.

Do you have any "not-so-great" habits that we should know about? For instance, do you bark or dig in the yard?
I don't typically bark while out in the yard, but if there is a snarky dog on the other side of the fence, I will run along the fence and bark at them. I'm not sure if I'd dig if left alone in the yard, as my foster folks let me stay indoors when they aren't home.

Are you house trained? (Meaning do you go potty outside)
I am housetrained! I rarely have accidents, but when put out to potty in the evening before bed, I have to be watched to insure that I'm actually going potty, cuz I sometimes get distracted and forget what I'm outside for! Then I might have an accident during the night.

Do you like playing in water?
My foster Mom and Dad bought us dogs a kiddy wading pool and I'm just about the only dog who won't go in it. But, we went to Donner Lake one day and I enjoyed playing in the water along the shore with my foster sister.

What do you love about your foster family?
My foster Mom and Dad have been very patient and kind with me. They nurtured me back to health and took good care of me after my surgeries. They have taken me to several training classes and have worked with me on impulse control.

What was your life like before being brought into NorCal Bully Breed Rescue?
I don't remember a whole lot. I found myself at the shelter shortly after I had puppies. My puppies did not arrive with me. The volunteers at the shelter were very nice to me and took me for walks every day. Then my leg started hurting, but I didn't want to show it, because I was afraid I'd be in trouble. The shelter folks didn't want to fix my leg, so they were going to send me to doggy heaven. Some nice volunteers worked hard to find a safe place for me, raised the money for my surgery and the rest is history.

NorCal Bully Breed Rescue is a foster based rescue with foster homes spread all throughout the Sacramento area. We usually require our adopters to be within a 50 to 100 mile radius of us, depending on the dog, and depending on the home. This is because we need to do a yard check to guarantee that the potential adopter's yard is secure, and also have them be close enough should any behavioral issues arise, and the assistance of our trainer is needed. We are, however, willing to adopt out of our area, including the Bay Area, Tahoe, and even further. We've even adopted out of state on very special occasions. We try our best to match our dogs to the perfect homes, and match them based on their personalities, not their looks. Adoptions are not done on a first come, first serve basis, rather in the order of what homes are the right match for that particular dog. Our adoption fees are based on the dog and range from $200-$350. In the case of senior dogs (6+ years), fees will be waived to the right home. This includes spay/neuter, vaccines, microchip, and deworming (if necessary).

Tessa's adoption fee is $200

Interested in meeting Tessa or any of our available pooches? Complete and submit our adoption application on our website norcalbullybreedrescue.com and we will respond to you within 24 to 48 hours.