Rehoming Small Special Needs Dog

Huntsville AL

Description

We are considering rehoming our 13lb, 5 year old boy dog. He is neutered, housebroken, microchipped, and up-to-date on shots. He is mostly white with longer hair that sheds, tan markings on his ears, and a fluffy tail. He is a very good dog, and we love him very much. However, we are struggling financially and don't know if we can provide the home he deserves anymore. We are not in a rush to re-home him since we would want to make sure he goes into a really good home if our situation doesn't change. If we find a good home, it would be a permanent placement. We've had him since he was about 5 months old when we adopted him from a rescue that fixed him up (see special needs below). He would do best if he were the only dog in the household. He does get along with other dogs, but at home, he likes lots of attention/cuddling on the couch or bed with his person. He does not like it when dogs are overly clingy or affectionate towards him. He sleeps at night in his own bed or in his crate. He loves kids, but they wear him out quickly and needs time to recover afterwards. He has visited a home with cats and is curious with them but tends to be fearful of them unless they are very friendly towards him. He has met some farm animals and is pretty fearless with lambs, cows and chickens. He's good with car rides, road trips, and visiting other people's homes as well. SPECIAL NEEDS: he is missing one of his front legs and has a metal plate in the other front leg. When he was a puppy, the rescue believes he was hit by a car and had to remove one leg and pin the other leg together with an internal plate. This means that he cannot run, walk or play for very long before his front leg gets sore. If he overdoes it, it is difficult for him to walk for a couple days. He does love walks and hiking and 15-30 minutes seems to be his sweet spot right now. With this, he also needs to keep his weight down and cannot be allowed to overeat or too many treats. If he gets overweight, he can develop arthritis very quickly. He is most likely going to develop arthritis earlier than 4-legged dogs and will need regular vet visits, especially as he ages. He should not be allowed to jump from high heights or jump from your arms when holding him at risk of his metal plate shifting and causing a fracture. Other note: We have had his teeth cleaned 2x since we've had him, but it looks like he is due for another cleaning. We feed him dry food and give him dental sticks about 1-2x/week, but tartar still seems to build pretty quickly. If you're interested in giving this special guy his forever home, reach out with why you might like to adopt him and what kind of lifestyle he would have with you or if you have any questions.