Dog Name: Bellini
Breed: Mix
Sex: Female
Age: 6 years
Weight: 61 pounds
Medical Needs: None. (Bellini completed her heartworm treatment on February 13. Grass Roots will cover the cost of her heartworm recheck in mid-August as long as she is tested at one of our participating veterinary hospitals.)
Housebroken: Yes
Crate trained: Yes, she crates really well! She eats in her crate and sleeps in her crate or in my bed. She needs to be crated when you leave the house, even for a short time, or she WILL get herself into trouble. Crating can be a very effective management tool for many dogs, and is a must for Bellini.
Good in the car: Yes, she rides well in the back seat.
Good on a leash: Yes, although she is a strong dog who has been known to bolt suddenly to chase squirrels or outside cats. I double leash her to her harness and a prong collar for added control and security.
Energy level: Medium. Bellini is pretty laid back for the most part, although she enjoys playing with the other dogs. Otherwise, she finds it entertaining to “unstuff” any soft toy you give her or she’ll just hang out with you in the house.
Need a fenced in yard: Here’s an update for anyone who’s following Bellini’s fence saga — This little house hippo has figured out how to push her 61 pound self UNDER my chain link fence to get out and explore the world. I have had her on a long line in the yard since she ended up on the other side of the fence a couple of times. I assumed she went over it, but I was wrong. She went UNDER. I recently let her get near the fence again and she showed me the “scene of the crime.” I have put some garden fence in front of that section of the chain link and I watch her like a hawk when she’s out just to make sure she doesn’t figure out another route out, but for now, she can drag her long line, rather than being leash-walked in the yard, so she can again play with the other dogs, explore the yard, and get a little more exercise when she’s out. Much more manageable than when I thought she had gone OVER the fence.
Dog Friendly: Yes, with slow introductions. Adhering to the shutdown period is a hard requirement for her as she needs time to decompress and settle into her new household. Now that she’s had a chance to slowly meet and accept the other dogs in my home, she interacts well with them (size range from 14 to 90 pounds) and plays really well with a couple of them, in particular.
If yes, does your foster need another dog in its adoptive home? No.
Cat Friendly: According to the sending shelter, she is not. She will try to bolt after outdoor cats and squirrels in the yard or on walks.
Kid Friendly: Unknown.
If yes, what's the youngest child you'd recommend they be placed with? 8+, unless the kids are used to a bigger sometimes rowdy dog who isn’t always mindful of her space and those around her. Bellini is a strong dog who could knock over a small child. That said, she does well with kids who’ve interacted with her at adoption events, readily giving kisses and accepting “pets.”
Special traits that make your foster special or that we need to know about them? Bellini came to the shelter in SC with her teenage puppies, Curaçao and Margarita. It looks like street life might have been a little rough for this momma, and she has some lasting quirks that her adopters need to know and manage:
1. She will try to chase squirrels, cats, and probably other small game. When leash walking with her, be prepared that when the spirit moves her she will attempt to bolt after small critters she sees.
2. The grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence), right? She has figured out how to get UNDER my chain link fence by pushing hard on the bottom of the chain link panel. She did not dig her way under, just pushed hard enough at the bottom of the fence and it stretched just enough to let her hippo body out!
3. She needs a minute (or more) to settle when put into new situations. Her “Spidey-sense” goes into overdrive until she realizes that nothing bad is going to happen to her.
If you feel you have a home situation and lifestyle that would work for this land hippo, check her out. She’s got lots of love to give! She’s a beautiful dog and a really sweet girl who isn’t going to let her past challenges keep her from enjoying the rest of her life.
Fosters Location: Wilmington, DE
Application can be found here: https://www.grrde.org/adoption-application (if you already have an approved application on file email GrassRootsDE@gmail.com and ask the app team to pull your app).
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