misty

The first step in the adoption process is to complete the adoption application at www.emmetcountyanimalshelter.org

Meet Misty! Or Misty Lucy, aka Scooter Patooter, aka Hotwheels! Misty is a true story of resilience, perseverance and character. She had been hit by a car when she was just a pup and was subsequently paralyzed on her back legs. During this time she was surviving on her own in the winter and had to drag her lower half around in search of food and shelter. When she came into our care her legs were covered in sores and she had to be shaved from the waist down due to matted fur. After a course of antibiotics and some wound care she is all good! She does on occasion still get little raw spots if she's been particularly active on rough ground or in the yard playing with her foster siblings. Misty does have some issues with bladder and bowel control as well. That often comes along with spinal damage and back leg paralysis. She is doing much better on Proin (bladder control medication) and of course a routine potty schedule. Her foster mom is pretty proficient at expressing her bladder and bowels and Misty is more than compliant with that as well which makes that job so much easier. In fact, after she has been in the dog yard playing or lounging and all the other dogs go to the door to go inside, Misty knows to wait until her foster mom comes out to give her tummy a squeeze! She will run down to the spot she gets expressed at and do a little twirl and flip herself around so she is in position before her foster mom catches up to her. She's really a very smart girl! Which obviously she had to be to survive on her own with a disability. Misty is also very used to being picked up and carried under one arm. She is about 22 pounds, so she is very portable. Her foster mom carries her upstairs to go to bed with them each night and she sleeps in her own little nest. She also gets carried down into the car every day because she gets to go to work with her foster mom and her foster siblings every day! Oh, and as for the car...she gets very excited to go for a car ride and if she sees anything a person, dog, deer or cow she barks to make sure they know she's there and she's going to protect!!! Misty is also comfortable wearing a doggie diaper and is very cooperative with putting one on.

So now let's talk about some of Misty's favorite things..... She LOVES food! In fact, she is pretty astute about listening for something to fall on the floor so she can fly over and snatch it up! Misty loves people too. All people she just gets excited to run up to them and give her little 'smile' while everyone fawns over how adorable she is!! Misty loves playing with toys all on her own. She likes to select one out of the doggie toy basket and lay on the big blanket and play. She loves to play with her foster siblings and don't worry this little gal can hold her own in a puppy play match! She loves ear scratches. Chew bones are a must! She loves to just lounge outside no matter the weather. She is usually the last pup to ask to come inside and will often choose to just chill by herself while watching the wildlife in the back yard. And don't worry....she will let you know when a critter comes near, she's really quite the watch dog! Misty loves her naps too! Especially in her big dog bed that has bolstered sides so she can lay her head as if on a pillow. She may not love them, but she is very agreeable in a bath as well which is nice since she gets them a couple times a week to keep her legs clean.

Misty also gets along with the all the cats and kittens in her foster home and when she goes with mom to work. Although she does have a strong prey drive so a small critter like a bunny, hamster or something similar might not be a good fit.

Misty does have a special custom-made wheelie cart that was built just for her but she really is quite capable of maneuvering herself around and all the flooring she come in contact with is smooth, so it doesn't cause her any sores on her legs. However, she would probably do very well going for walks or hikes in her cart so she can fit in just fine in a household that would like to go on walks too! Her foster mom never lets her run around on concrete, blacktop or other abrasive surface so as to avoid causing her little legs any irritation.

While Misty might require a bit of additional care than your regular 4 legged friend she will certainly be worth every minute of time you spend making sure her needs are met. And having a special needs pet isn't always a fit for everyone so some things to consider before thinking of adopting Misty..... are you familiar with or would you be comfortable learning bladder expressions? Is your home mostly smooth flooring or do you have a lot of carpeting and which part of the home would Misty spend most of her time? Are you able to lift a 22ish pound dog and carry her when its not possible for her to walk on her own ie up and down stairs? How do you feel about a dog have accidents? Are you able to know that is part of the package with a paralyzed dog and just clean up and move on? Are you financially able to afford her bladder control medication? If you have other dogs are they friendly? While she does hold her own playing with other dogs she will not be able to run away or jump up out of the way if another dog were to be aggressive with her although she would give a real good try because this little one has a big spirit! Misty does not require a lot for exercise but she truly loves being able to hang out in the yard. Do you have a space that she would be allowed to do that?

If you have read this far and think maybe this adorable little cutie might be the girl for you, we can tell you that other than her paralysis she has been very healthy! She is spayed, up to date on vaccinations and microchipped. Her adoption fee is $250.00 and she will come with her wheelie cart as well as a few other things to get her new family off to a good start in having a special needs dog!