Size
(when grown) Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg)
Details
Needs special attention,
Needs experienced adopter,
House-trained,
Spayed or Neutered,
Shots are up-to-date,
Story
(Adopter needs to be within an hour and 15 minutes of the greater Cleveland area no long distance adoptions. No exceptions.)
Sweet Macy has a zest for life even though her past life was anything but pleasant. She was found as a stray roaming the streets of Cleveland. She was taken to the City of Cleveland Kennel and it was apparent that she was a new mom, emaciated and shut down. Her ears were filled with cyst-like growths, the result of untreated ear infections and a very bad ear cropping. She needed a rescue to pull her immediately to get her the medical attention she needed and to save her from being euthanized due to an already overcrowded kennel. Thankfully, a foster home was secured and we were able to rescue her.
Once in our care, and evaluated by our vet and a specialist, it was determined that she had severe infection in both ears, one of her eardrums ruptured and one side of her head was filled with infected fluid. We were told she had to be in horrific pain and she would need a total ear ablation, removing both of her ears, to give her relief. It was quite obvious, from the condition of her body when she was rescued, that she was used for breeding, probably lived on a cement floor or in a crate, and her only interaction with other dogs was for mating.
Macy did amazing after her surgeries and is fully recovered. She is deaf now but that doesn’t stop her from doing anything and everything other dogs can do. Her foster parents say she is a smart girl and has been quick to pick up hand signs for behaviors that make her a polite girl and a great family member.
Macy currently lives with three other dogs in her foster home that she was integrated with very slowly and everyone gets along well. Her fur siblings are teaching her how to be a family dog! Even though she is doing well with the other dogs in her foster home, we are requiring a furever home with no other animals or just one well-mannered, calm, medium-sized dog to ensure Macy the best chance of success with her new family. We don’t want to set her up for failure by putting her into a home where she will feel insecure and/or overwhelmed. Due to Macy’s deafness she will need time and patience to allow her to adjust to change and she needs to be introduced slowly to new people and situations.
Macy is crate-trained and house-trained.
Her foster family describes her as amazing; inside and out! She is so deserving of a loving home with a person or family that will spoil her immensely. Her passions include sleeping in (after breakfast), eating, exploring the outdoors, car rides, going on walks, and lounging on the couch with her person. She thrives on attention and would love to be with her human 24/7. She will be your shadow, but she also enjoys her crate and her alone time. Somebody who has the ability to come home to let her out midday, if they work full-time, would be ideal.
Macy is allergic to dust, mites, and storage mites, so her dry food needs to be kept in the freezer to prevent storage mites from getting in her food. She may at times need a shot for her allergies. She’s also on a serum that is not 100% needed but we thought we should try since it was a recommendation by the vet.
Her foster mom is noticing Macy’s eyes don’t always close all the way when she’s sleeping. This might be from her surgery since it’s possible nerves in the area may have been affected. She may need natural tears eye drops to prevent her eyes from drying out if it continues to occur.
She has not been cat tested so we are recommending a home without cats for that reason.
We recommend a home with children over the age of 10 who are well-mannered with animals and can learn how to approach and interact with Macy due to her deafness.
The perfect home for Macy would be one where she is the center of attention. She would be happy as an only dog because she absolutely loves her people and attention. She seems to connect with people more than other dogs, but she would do fine with a calm dog that isn’t jumping on her and that doesn’t want to play constantly. We are being very considerate and careful, since she cannot hear, and she has a harder time reading the signals of other dogs since can’t hear them.
A fenced yard is preferred but not required. No invisible fences.
Macy is an all-around sweetheart that has so much love to give! She is a little low-rider butterball, weighing in at a healthy 48-50 pounds now. (She only weighed 32 pounds upon intake, which was horribly underweight for her breed.) Although she cannot hear, she listens with her eyes, and loves with her heart. She is very smart, treat-motivated, and learns quickly. She is a wiggly, happy, silly girl who is finally coming out of her shell and loving life. Her tail never stops wagging. She just needs that forever person or family to give her all the love and attention she deserves.
If you are interested in Adopting Macy, please complete an application on our website at www.dogsunlimitedrescue.org (http://www.dogsunlimitedrescue.org/)
Also here is additional information provided to Macy’s foster parent’s regarding deaf dogs. Mary is one of the specialists who works at the Shelter that we pulled her from:
Per Mary:
“I work with both deaf dogs and hearing dogs and often deaf dogs are easier to train that hearing dogs because they do not get distracted. A few more deaf dog features:
- You don’t have to tip-toe around when you are trying to sneak a snack-won’t hear you.
- Thunderstorms and fireworks-not an issue
- Doorbells ringing is not a signal to go crazy
- You can sing off key and there is no judgement
- They have a stronger sense of smell and sight
- Most importantly, they make great family members.
A good resource would to visit Acorn’s Facebook page and see what it is like living with a deaf dog.”
https://www.facebook.com/awesomedeafinitely (https://www.facebook.com/awesomedeafinitely)
Acorn has 3 books available on Amazon that are great resources. Also, there is a free resource-The Acorn Project, a site with ideas and instructions for working with a deaf dog: https://www.acorn-project.org/ (https://www.acorn-project.org/)
