Cha Cha Pit Bull Terrier Mix Leavenworth, KS

Hi, friend! And I do mean that. I have never met a person who isn’t my next best friend. My name is Spice, although some people call me Cha-Cha. I don’t mind. Why Cha-Cha, you ask? Well, I have something called “Cerebellar Hypoplasia” which means I am very unsteady on my feet. I am always “dancing through life”…go ahead Wicked fans, sing if you must. My foster mom sings that at me all the time.
Anyway, back to Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH), or “Wobbly Dog Syndrome.” Because that part of my brain didn’t fully develop, I fall down a lot. When I’m excited my foster mom says I look like a bucking bronco, whatever that is. But I won’t get any worse and I will live a full, happy life. When I am calm, I do a better job controlling my movements, but I am a Pit mix, which means I am incredibly happy and waggy. Combine that with my back legs being the least stable parts of me, and down I go. Because of this tendency, I do have specific needs in my forever family.
I am looking for a home with few steps and plenty of either carpet or sturdy rugs. I need patient people who are pretty steady on their feet because I tend to bang into my favorite humans quite a bit. I don’t mean to do it. It just happens. Right now I am in a home with plenty of cats and one other dog. Foster Mama says if I go to a home with another dog that dog has to be incredibly patient and forgiving. I just don’t read dog language very well. I can’t tell when my dog friends are playing or warning me away. I also get really jealous when my favorite people pet my dog friend. I’m not mean about it, I just wiggle and bounce my way into the mix.
When I came to my foster home I was really underweight. In my first month here, I gained more than five pounds. And now my ribs aren’t quite as visible. I have no idea what that means, but Foster Mama seems pretty excited about that. I am always hungry, so Mama feeds me in my kennel. She says that keeps me and all my four-legged friends safe when food is about. She also says spending time in my kennel helps me gain weight. I don’t understand that, but I don’t mind my kennel at all. I like to chew on things, so I have a special Benebone in my kennel. I also get yummy peanut butter treats when I go in my kennel. I even sleep in it at night…well, until Daddy gets ready to go to work. Then he lets me outside. When I come back in, he lets me on the bed, and I get to snuggle under the covers with Mama until she gets up. It’s the BEST!
Do you have space and time in your life for a wobbly little Spice? Okay, maybe not little. I’m up to about 35 pounds now, and Mama says she thinks 40 pounds is probably gonna be a nice healthy weight for me. Oh, she also says that because I fall so much my new hoomans need to keep a close eye on me for scrapes and scratches to make sure I don’t get any infections. And while CH is not a degenerative disease, I may need a bit more vet care than your average pup. Mama also says that even though we are in Kansas, she is willing to travel to take me to the perfect home. I personally hope we can find a home a little closer, because I don’t love car trips. But I will gladly do it for a wonderful forever home!