Tuffy has been failed too many times and now understandably demands you earn his trust. His owner had a stroke, and the family wanted Tuffy euthanized the next day. Thankfully he was spared that fate, but then he landed in a boarding facility for sixteen long months. That's when we discovered he existed. We immediately brought him into rescue and vowed to do right by him. Whoever adopts him must understand that you need to follow his lead. When we brought him into rescue, we were told we would not be able to pet his back end, that he was food aggressive, that we could not pick him up, that he would not walk on a lead. Since welcoming him into his foster home, we have seen no sign of food aggression, he walks like a dream on a leash. We still haven't been able to get a harness on him because he really does not like anyone touching his underside. He had allowed his foster mother to pick him up four times between days 4-5, but each time she had to earn his trust in order to do it. Tuffy wants to love you so much. And his kisses are sweet as any $50 pound chocolate you can find. If you violate his trust, it is really hard for you to re-earn it. He will let you pet his back end once he feels comfortable with you. But picking him up is still a very sensitive issue with him. He will jump into your lap when he wants to, he will jump in the car, he will jump on the bed on his terms and he will jump off the bed on his terms. He will follow you wherever you go and he does not like a closed door between the two of you. He is such a good boy who was given such a rocky start and came out a champion. It is imperative to let him lead. He knows you're the boss, but he wants you to read his cues which he is very good about showing you so that you do not cross any boundaries. After all this boy has been through, we want only the absolute best home for him, and that home must commit to allowing Tuffy to be himself, and giving him all the love he missed out on for so long.
Tuffy is a male ShihTzu/LhasaApso who was born approximately 5-1-14 and weighs 15 lbs. He is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, given flea/heartworm preventative and intestinal dewormer. He has a Grade III heart murmur that is not causing any symptoms at this time or requiring treatment but will need to be monitored as he ages. Adoption fee is $250 to help offset the many expenses we have for vetting costs. We rely strictly on adoption fees and donations to continue to save the lives of orphaned & abandoned pets; 100% goes towards their care. If interested in adopting one of our available dogs or puppies, you must first complete an online adoption application at https://dollyslegacyanimalrescue.org/adopt/ You will be contacted by our adoption coordinator via email after your application has been reviewed & approved to schedule an appointment. Our website is updated daily, pets that are listed are still available.
***If you are serious about adopting, you must first complete and submit an application on our website. Our Adoption Team will respond via email from [email protected] once you have completed an application. If a pet is still listed, it is not yet adopted as we update daily. All information regarding adoption policies are on our website***
