My name is Rosita (FKA Zusie)!

Meet Rosita — A Resilient Mama with a Heart Full of Love

Rosita is a stunning tan, mixed-breed girl weighing around 60 lbs—and truly, someone is missing out on an incredible dog. She is dog-friendly, appears to do well with cats, is potty trained, and does wonderfully when left alone in the house or kennel. With a medium, easy-care coat and minimal shedding, she’s as practical as she is lovable.

Rosita is highly intelligent and learns routines quickly. She builds trust surprisingly fast, especially considering everything she’s endured. When she arrived in foster care, Rosita was in very rough shape—severely underweight, anemic, and bleeding heavily. She required an emergency spay to stop the bleeding, all while nursing seven puppies. In her first two weeks alone, she gained nine pounds—an incredible feat given everything her body was handling.

This tough little mama amazed everyone. Even on the day of her surgery, she insisted on returning to her puppies to nurse. While we expected days of bottle-feeding, Rosita made it very clear that her babies needed her. We covered about 10 hours during surgery and recovery, but once she was cleared, she demanded to be back with them—and she carried on until she got her way.

Despite her past, Rosita does not resource guard. She allows her puppies to eat from her bowl, tolerates petting while eating, and would honestly choose a hug over a treat most days. Affection means everything to her. She loves full-on hugs—with her paws wrapped around your neck—a few times a day, as if making up for a lifetime without enough love.

Rosita is a champion cuddler and prefers as much body contact as possible. We’re currently working on teaching her to sit next to you instead of on you, but her intentions are pure—she just wants to be close. She gives a few gentle kisses but isn’t an excessive licker. She does well with people of all ages, though she may put her paws up as a soft request for affection.

She wants to play but is still learning how. Toys and chews are new concepts to her, suggesting she likely never had them before. Even so, she approaches everything with curiosity and grace.

Rosita may be the most patient and nurturing mother we’ve ever seen. She plays gently with her puppies and continues to nurse them—even now that they have tiny needle teeth. Her nurturing nature runs deep, and once her puppies are grown, that love will undoubtedly transfer fully to her humans.

Her spirit is not broken—not even a little. She will bark to ask to go outside and isn’t shy about voicing her opinion if meals are late or it takes too long to bring her back inside. One small habit we’re working on is food stealing if it’s within reach—likely a survival skill from her past. She’s learning that meals are reliable now and that patience brings rewards.

Rosita is affectionate, resilient, loyal, and deeply loving. She’s the kind of dog who gives everything she has once she knows she’s safe—and whoever adopts her will be incredibly lucky.