Size
(when grown) Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less
Details
Spayed or Neutered,
Story
Abigail’s Backstory Abigail was labeled “stray” and taken into an overcrowded animal control facility where they euthanize due to lack of space. Animal Saints Rescue Society was asked to get her out safely to give her a second chance at life. Abigail was very shy and frightened there — and understandably so! She arrived there dirty and covered in mats. Her swollen stomach made it clear she had just had a litter of puppies. It appears she was a “breeder dump.” This is when a puppy mill or backyard breeder no longer wants their “stock,” they leave them in a field or side street. Thankfully, Abigail’s sweet disposition and desire to trust humans again is allowing her to overcome the past wrongs inflicted upon her. Breed and Hair Notes Abigail has hair and not fur. She is Shih Tzu perfection to all of us here at Animal Saints Rescue Society. She is an example of why we started our focus on helping Shih Tzu and other hair-not-fur breeds. PLEASE NOTE: Abigail’s hair will grow indefinitely, and she will need professional grooming every 4-6 weeks. Only apply if you understand the additional maintenance and cost that these dear hair-not-fur souls need and are willing to commit to life for such care. Get to Know Abigail Age: 5-6 Weight: 15-16 pounds Spayed: Yes Current Vaccines and Tests Rabies vaccine: yes Distemper vaccine: yes Bordetella vaccine: yes Flea and tick prevention: yes Heartworm test: yes, negative Anaplasma test: yes, negative Ehrlichia test: yes, negative Lyme disease test: yes, negative De-wormer treatment: yes Potty training: working on it Additional Care Bloodwork: October 2024. Normal ranges with nothing concerning. Dental: October, 2024 dental cleaning with multiple tooth extractions. Monthly Grooming and Daily Brushing: Abigail is patient and sweet for baths, haircut, and brushing. Other Notes: Based on the condition of Abigail’s teeth, she was kept in a metal crate 24/7 as a breeding dog before coming into our care. She fractured several of her teeth by chewing on metal crate bars longterm. She has deep grooves in her back teeth from chewing on round bars from the hard metal mesh on crates. Some of her teeth were shattered from the constant chewing. Her mouth is now stable and doing well. Please note that Abigail will need to have a dental once a year. Only apply if you understand the importance of annual dentals for Shih Tzu like Abigail and are able to see this through for her. We have X-rays and notes about the initial dental if you’d like more information about her continued care. If you are up for brushing your dog’s teeth, Abigail is certainly a candidate for it! The great news is that Abigail is comfortable and doing well after the dental Animal Saints provided her. Her appetite is incredible, and she does not have issues eating. She will just need to eat only soft food moving forward. She should also not chew on hard chew toys or rawhide. Adoption Fee Abigail’s medical care with New York area average pricing exceeds $2,500. Requested adoption donation fee is only a minimum of $700. This is to partly cover her medical expenses and care that our 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue incurred to give her a second chance at life. Personality Abigail is observant and watches our every move. She doesn’t miss a beat as she wants to know where the humans are at all times. Abigail can be shy at first when meeting new people. Once she realizes they can be trusted, she will start walking up to them to garner their attention. Once she knows she can trust you, she will want to be your best friend. She loves to be hugged and gives such sweet kisses to show her affection. To have her soulful eyes look at us with such love and gratitude blows us all away. She reminds us of why we make the effort to save the lives of these Saints. Abigail is currently housemates with two other fosters. She sometimes sleeps next to a senior canine foster that does not compete for attention. She only gets along with very laidback dogs who are not a threat to her. Abigail’s needed recuperation time has been longer than some of the dogs we have saved. She needed this entire winter and spring to come to understand that other dogs are not a threat and that humans can be incredibly kind. She has not made the generalization yet that all humans and dogs are okay — she still needs time to trust everyone she meets, and rightfully so. Her past abuse hurt her deeply, but her resilience is far stronger. She is incredible, and we are so proud of how she’s flourished and gained confidence. When it comes to mealtime, Abigail requests her own space. She has food insecurities from her past. For the time being, she needs to be in a quiet and safe place with no other competition around for her plate. Abigail is smart and quick to learn. We have been working on some foundational skills with her. She has learned sit, the recall word here, and stay. What Abigail Needs in Her Family Is it you? To say we all adore Abigail is an understatement. She is a gem in every sense of the word. As the advocates who saved her life, we have given her months to recuperate here in our sanctuary. She is extra sensitive and extra special. We know her ideal person and family is out there, and we look forward to finding them. We think she’s ready now! Abigail needs someone to meet her where she is and give her the space, time, and patience to learn how to completely trust her human. Abigail is learning, most likely for the first time in her life, that people can be trusted. Kind people are wonderful to be around — so much so that she would prefer having them by her side 24/7. Now that she realizes what love feels like from them, she craves it. Abigail is in need of having her people around most of the time. If you mostly work from home or are retired, this is ideal. If you’re away from home for a few hours during the day, she can handle it as long as she has puzzles and lick-a-mats. She likes to have something to do, rather than focusing on the fact that people are not around. Abigail is also a terrific traveler in the car. Expect a sidekick to come with you, no matter where you go. Just remember that she does not like to be crated. A plane ride in a carrier would send her in a panic -- at least right now it would. Abigail will do best in a quieter neighborhood or rural setting. She likes to go for walks but a busy NYC Manhattan neighborhood would be way too much for her right now. At night, plan on sharing your sofa with Abigail as you relax. She will want to sleep near you through the night, too. This keeps her calm and content. Being near her people is very important to her healing. If she has to be separated in another room, especially at night, this will be incredibly stressful for her and everyone else in the home. She does not need to be in your lap all the time; she does not require it. She can be independent and lay contentedly several feet away in a bed while you’re working. But she needs to know you’re there, and it keeps her calm to have trusted humans in her presence. Based on her past, crating is an absolute NO. She spent the first few years of her life crated far too much to the point she broke some teeth from chewing on one. She doesn’t need to be in one ever again unless it’s for safe travel or a medical emergency. Foundational skills training sessions with a certified professional trainer are required for Abigail’s adoption. Abigail is very observant and eager to please. She will gain such confidence from the classes, and they will ensure a successful transition into her lifetime family and home. Even though Abigail has a newfound love of people, she can still question her safety around them at times. Because of her past experience with neglect and humans being unkind to her, it is best for Abigail to be in a home with only adults who have experience with dogs. Abigail needs a quiet and laidback home with patient people who have good mobility and like to get outside with their dogs. We don’t say this often about dogs, but we think she could be content as an only dog in the home, provided her humans are around all the time. Ideally, it would be good for her to continue meeting other dogs, even if she lives alone. This is important for her to gain confidence and flourish in her second chance at life. Love and Commitment At Animal Saints Rescue Society, our goal is to keep dogs out of overcapacity animal control facilities and out of a re-homing cycle. We place the dogs we save into lifetime families. With this in mind, we seek families who understand that an adoption is a lifetime commitment. The families who adopt from us believe that love is not a feeling, it is a decision. Some humans still believe it’s okay to try out a dog for a few weeks, a few months, or even a few years — then discard when they get bored or don’t want to deal with emotional or physical ailments. We are looking for the empathetic, kind, and patient humans in this world who view these Animal Saints as family, and they will do whatever it takes to give them what they need. Will that family be you? We look forward to finding out and receiving your application!March 15, 2026, 7:46 pm
