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Posted over 8 years ago
| Updated over 8 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
Silky Terrier
Color
White - with Tan, Yellow or Fawn
Age
Senior
Size
Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less (when grown)
Weight
–
Sex
Female
Pet ID
0983
My details
Purebred
Shots current
Spayed / Neutered
Housetrained
Has special needs
My story
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Here's what the humans have to say about me:
Shelly is an incredibly adorable 9 year old Silky Terrier who transferred into our Sammi Fund for Senior program from Seattle Humane Society. She is an energetic, cuddly, happy girl whose favorite thing in the world seems to be going for a walk - even if we just pick up keys on a lanyard, she will get excited and start smiling and dancing, anticipating an outdoor adventure with her person! She has little legs so doesn't need a long walk... but she will LOVE the bonding experience heading out with her new person!
Shelly has only one tooth! We are giving her a soft canned senior diet and she seems to do just fine with that; she can even eat small pieces of kibble or broken-up treats, though they need to be small enough to swallow safely without chewing.
She had a blood panel which didn't turn up any major issues - we'll provide a copy to her adopter, to give you a baseline reading for future testing, which your veterinarian will like to have in her file. She has what is currently considered a minor heart murmur, which our veterinarian thinks may be a result of long term gingivitis (which likely also led to her lost teeth) causing some damage to the heart. The only symptoms Shelly shows of this heart murmur are occasional bouts of wheezy coughing. At this time, the vet feels they are not frequent enough, and her energy doesn't lag enough, to require treatment; should this worsen in the future, the treatment is generally diuretics, just like with humans. This should not be an expensive medication, if she did end up needing it, but you may want to discuss the progression of heart murmurs with coughing with your veterinarian prior to deciding on adoption.
When she is in her shelter kennel, rather than being walked, cuddled, or adored, she will sometimes try to get our attention by letting out an amazing squeal that sounds like a combination of a parrot with its toe stuck in a banana, and a litter of baby pigs trying to get back to mama. Crate training is not advised (ha). She is quiet and polite when loose around the shelter.
Shelly appears to be cat and dog friendly, though she can show some mild jealousy and resource guarding over people or food. She would be a wonderful only companion for a retired person, or could be part of a multi-pet family that is dog savvy and can redirect her occasional resource guarding. Of course, with only one tooth, she isn't a bite risk at all... but you wouldn't want her to be injured by your other pets! It also wouldn't be kind to her to have to feel like she needs to defend her dinner, so homes with toddlers that may stick their hands in her food bowl are not a great fit for Shelly (even though she couldn't actually hurt anyone).
She spent a weekend on a home visit, where it was discovered that she likes to sleep on the bed, and is not a "morning person" - happy to sleep in with you! She had a little trouble with stairs, but Shelly also enjoys being carried, and weighs just under 10 pounds so is just about the same as a 10# bag of sugar... just as sweet, too! If you're looking for a lap dog, Shelly is a great choice. For home grooming, she needs her eyes wiped with a damp washcloth or cotton ball daily to help prevent crustiness. Shelly has been pretty reliable about using a potty pad in her shelter kennel, but would do best in a home where she can go outside every 2-3 hours for a quick potty break - an aging, tiny bladder just isn't wired to wait a full work day for relief.
She is looking for someone to treat her like a princess for the rest of her years... and yes, her pretty dress comes with her. She is a very loving companion who will be a great partner for the right person or family.
Shelly comes with a 30-day money-back trial adoption period.
Spay/neuter, worming, microchip and all age-appropriate shots are always completed before placement, and are included in the adoption fee (suggested minimum $50, or adopters over the age of 65 may name their own adoption fee in our Seniors for Seniors plan; additional donations over the adoption fee are gratefully accepted and placed into the Sammi Fund to help the next senior!)
Can't come to Republic? Don't let that stop you! We have monthly transports to both the Seattle area and Spokane, delivering adopted pets to their new owners. If you can add a little to your payment to help us cover our volunteer driver's expenses, that would be great!
