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Posted over 9 years ago
| Updated over 9 years ago
I found a new home! Plenty of my friends are looking for one too. Check out other pets at this shelter, or start a new search.
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My basic info
Breed
English Springer Spaniel
Color
Brown/Chocolate - with White
Age
Adult
Size
Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg) (when grown)
Weight
–
Sex
Male
Pet ID
2013-754IA
My details
Not good with kids
Not good with dogs
Not good with cats
Purebred
Needs experienced adopter
Shots current
Spayed / Neutered
Housetrained
My story
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Here's what the humans have to say about me:
Age: 6 years
Gender: Male
Color: Liver & White
Weight: 60 lbs
Variety: Bench
Why Marley hasn’t been adopted yet is a mystery to us. This handsome, well-mannered guy gets compliments where ever he goes. He has a moderate energy level, not exhausting, but game for any kind of outing. He loves to be petted, go for walks, and play ball – either in the yard or from the couch, your choice. Mostly, he just wants to be with you.
Marley could be the poster dog for ESRAs first two goals; to rescue and rehabilitate. His original owner went through a major life change, ended up working 12 hour shifts, and no longer had the time to properly care for Marley. She surrendered him to rescue. ESRA stepped up and arranged temporary care for Marley in a foster home.
Marley needed rehabilitation when he first came in to foster care. He had been suffering with allergies for over three years and they were being treated with prednisone and other medications. We soon discovered that the problem was that he was allergic to chicken! Once we got him off chicken, we were able to get him off the allergy meds.
Dogs with allergies are miserable. Medications temporarily relieve the itching, but can also make a dog miserable. Marley had a handful of food-guarding incidents before his allergies were addressed. He growled and snapped at people who came too close while he was eating. Once we got Marley off the allergy meds and started feeding him in his crate, there were no more food-guarding incidents. That was almost a year ago. As further rehabilitation, we worked Marley through a food-guarding desensitization/counter-conditioning protocol, sought the help of a veterinary behaviorist, and placed him on anti-anxiety medications. He is such a different dog today than when he first came to ESRA that it all seems like ancient history now. If you would like to read more about Marley’s journey (and see more cute pictures and videos), check out his blog “Mealtime with Marley” at: http://mealtimewithmarley.com/
We are now looking to fulfill ESRA’s last goal; to rehome. Marley has worked hard and is ready for his forever home. His new family will need to be careful label readers to make sure his food and treats are chicken-free. Also, while we believe that Marley’s food-guarding was closely related to his allergy medication, we can’t be sure. Therefore, we will not place him in a home with toddlers. Small children often have food and move in unexpected ways, which could trigger food-guarding. Marley would do great in a home with a single person, a couple, or teenagers. Marley lives in a home with other dogs, but he really prefers the company of people (and getting ALL the attention). He loves to run, so a fenced yard would be ideal, but this “need for speed” could also be met by regular trips to a safe dog park. He barks at and will chase cats.
Marley is house-trained, crate-trained, can be trusted loose in the house, knows the basic commands (sit, down, leave it) and is free of tick-borne illnesses. While he has been in his current foster home since March 2014, he was posted for adoption in September 2014. This delay was on the advice of the veterinary behaviorist who wanted to see how he did after being in one home for 6 months. He kept getting better and better!
If you are ready to meet the best little buddy anyone could ever have, please read the Adoption FAQ, get an Adoption Application approved, and then inquire about Marley.
An approved adoption application is the first step in a more thorough interview process that is designed to match each dog to exactly the right family, and that the final decision rests with the dog's case manager.
Contact: ESRA Case Managers, Ellie Starks and Rebecca Thompson springerrescuemidwest@gmail.com.
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