Lillibet Shih Tzu & Brussels Griffon Mix Fort Montgomery, NY

GET TO KNOW SAINT LILLIBET!

Lillibet’s Backstory:

Lillibet was 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. Lilllibet was loved by someone at some point in life, but her care was neglected for some time. Mats were so tight on her legs that they were cutting off circulation in her feet. She needed a dental with tooth extractions. This all changed with us.


Breed and Hair Notes:

Lillibet has hair and not fur. She is a beautiful blend of Shih Tzu and Brussels Griffon. Perhaps another breed is represented as well? Whatever the blend, she is a Saint.

PLEASE NOTE: Lillibet’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 Saints need and are willing to commit to life for such care.

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Get to Know Lillibet:

Age: 5-10
Weight: 11.5 pounds
Spayed: yes

Current Vaccines and Tests:
Rabies vaccine: yes
Distemper vaccine: yes
Bordetella vaccine: yes
Coronavirus vaccine: yes
Flea and tick prevention: yes
Heartworm test: yes, negative
De-wormer treatment: yes
Fecal test: yes, negative

Lillibet’s age is challenging to pinpoint because we do not know her history. She has a lot of teeth remaining that look good, which is indicative of 5-8 years of age. Animal control guessed 12 initially because she was so matted and neglected; she looked much older than she really is. Her energy level is laidback, but she has a skip in her step that shows us she wants to live and love life!

Lillibet is hard of hearing, most likely due to an untreated ear infection before coming into our care. It has resolved, and her ears look healthy now. But she does not have razor sharp hearing. She responds to an elevated voice level and hand claps. She has her eyesight, and this makes up for any lack of hearing.

Lillibet had a lesion on her front foot when she first came into our care. She had sutures that have been taken out. It is healing well, but it is still healing. Sometimes, when we see her walking in the garden, she will pick it up to put less weight on it. She still walks and romps well, though! Watching the video will show you how well she is healing and gets along.


Additional Medical Care:
Bloodwork: 9/27/2024. Normal ranges overall with a few elevated numbers due to infection and inflammation from neglect. These have been resolved.
Dental: October, 2024 dental cleaning with two tooth extractions.
Grooming: Lillibet was just de-matted and groomed. She was very patient and agreeable for the baths and haircut.


Potty training: working on it
Lillibet will go potty outside but tends to prefer going indoors. To get her settled into a routine and direction for where to go potty, you’ll need to keep her in a designated place with potty pads.

Veterinary care costs given to Iris by Animal Saints Rescue Society, based upon NYC area pricing, is $2,000-2,200.

Requested adoption donation fee is $650. This is to partly cover her medical expenses that our 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue incurred to give her a second chance at life.


Personality:

Lillibet is sweetness personified. She greets every human with a tail wag, and she wants to interact with everyone. She is not afraid of anyone she meets and will approach all humans who show her kindness and respect. She is gentle, loving, and so easy to hug. We all just melt in her presence. She is so dear and special.

An endearing quality is her love of food and how long it takes her to eat a meal. She has a small mouth, so she takes tiny bites and makes it last and last. A slow feeder is not needed with Lillibet — she has one built in! She savors every bite after going without for so long before coming into our care.

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What Lillibet needs in her lifetime family. Is it you?

Lillibet’s goal in life is to be by her person’s side during the day and to sleep next to them at night. With this in mind, we know she will be happiest in a home where her people are there most of the time.

Lillibet is the kind of girl who would enjoy coming along with you as you run errands. Her smaller size makes her especially easy for traveling in the car —either for running daily errands or longer roadtrips.

Lillibet would be okay as an only dog in a home, provided she could meet dog friends nearby often. However, we see Lillibet love the company of other dogs — especially Iris who is another foster (also available for adoption). During their daytime naps, we find them cuddling together. If you need to be gone for a few hours every day, having other quieter, gentler dogs in the home would be best for Lillibet.

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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! Go to animalsaints.org to make it happen.


Requested adoption donation fee is a minimum of $650. This is to partly cover her medical expenses that our 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue incurred to give her a second chance at life.