Nikko Australian Shepherd Bartlett, TN

**NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE** ... We are so busy with rescuing and caring for animals and can't return everyone's calls. MANY of your questions can be answered by reading all the info below. If you are interested in adopting Nikko ... You must fill out the adoption application that can be found in the More About Us section to the right of this section … OR you can cut and paste this link into your browser: http://www.marlcares.org/adopt_app-dog.php

PLEASE READ all the following info about Nikko. We do not reply to inquiries asking if the dog is still available, if it is listed here, then it is still available.

NIKKO’s STORY: Nikko is approx 20-25 lbs, and was born 1/28/20. From what we were able to piece together about his story, this poor little guy has already been thru 4 homes that we know of since May 2020. He was given away on facebook in 2021, then given away on facebook again in 2022, only to be given away again a month later to a family with 2 kids. They had him 6 months before having a family member drive around offering him to anyone they could find late one night. That is how he ended up with us in July 2022. From what we could find out, he loved the kids and was very protective of them with the dad. We don’t know many details, but feel certain this is where the issues with men started.

He is adorable and sweet, wants to belong to someone so badly, never takes his eyes off you, knows how to "sit" and loves to ride in the car. Nikko, understandably has some separation anxiety and can be a little skittish at times in new situations from all the moving around. Nikko loves to sleeps at the foot of bed, loves snuggles, loves to be in your lap, keeps eyes on you and will follow you everywhere. He is kennel trained, house trained, and loves toys. He loves, loves, loves to play with other dogs. Nikko wants to bark at and chase cats, so he needs a home without cats.

**Nikko likes to meet people out and about, but at home he barks at men in the home when they come in. When his foster mom is gone, he will sit in the foster dad’s lap, and loves him, but when the foster mom is home, he treats the foster dad like an intruder when he comes home from work, every single day. Nikko likes to pick a person, and that is his person. He does not do this to relatives when the foster mom takes him out of town for the weekend, so we think he only does it when he gets comfortable in a home with the people he knows. He can get over stimulated sometimes by people coming and going and the other dogs in his foster home barking at the visitors, and he wants to “herd” them thru the room when that happens. He loves kids, but would do best in an adult home with less people.**

Currently, we feel that Nikko would be happiest in a calm home with other dog(s), without a lot of traffic from outsiders, especially men. He really does want a BFF in a human and is ready to worship that person. He did great being groomed, and meeting people at the vet. Mini Aussies can be quirky, so experience with the breed would be helpful for Nikko.

Nikko is neutered, vaccinated, heartworm negative, on heartworm prevention, microchipped, and kennel trained. $250 adoption fee.

To be considered for Nikko, you must fill out the adoption application at:
http://www.marlcares.org/adopt_app-dog.php

ADOPTION APPLICATION: If you are interested in this pet you must fill out the Adoption Application … Filling this out does not obligate you in any way. You can find the application in the More About Us section to the right of this section, OR by copy and pasting this link into your browser …
http://www.marlcares.org/adopt_app-dog.php
If this does not work for you then you can email us at midsouthpets@aol.com.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT US BEFORE READING THE FOLLOWING INFO:
ADOPTION PROCESS: Your inquiry may not get a reply if you have not read the info we have taken the time to provide. PLEASE READ about our ADOPTION PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS provided on this site before contacting us. You can find it quickly by clicking on the MORE ABOUT US section in the column to the right of this pet’s description. Many of your questions can be answered by reading the following info provided below. Our pets are fostered in the Memphis Area, a tri-state area, TN/AR/MS. Most are fostered in Red Banks, MS and Bartlett, TN.

We do not allow meetings with any of our dogs until we have your Adoption Application. Adopting a new family member should involve a well-thought out and deliberate process. This is not an impulse purchase. Please understand that we do not want these animals to be homeless again. We try to complete the process as quickly as possible and appreciate all the applications and will consider each and every one we receive.

Filling out the Adoption Application does not obligate you in any way, but simply tells us a little bit about you and whether you and this pet would be a good fit for each other. We will call you after we receive your application and answer all your questions and talk to you about this pet. If you and the foster home feel this is a good fit, and want to proceed with a meet and greet, we will set up a time to bring the pet to meet you and your family and pets or set up a time for you to meet the pet at the foster home.

**WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ANY ADOPTION** Our first concern is the happiness and welfare of the animal. We respect our potential adoptors and appreciate your interest in adopting one of our pets. We care about you too and that you are getting the right fit for your home, lifestyle, and current pets and family members. By following our process, TOGETHER we can make sure you are getting the right pet.**

DISTANCE: We prefer to adopt in the Mid-South AREA, usually no more than 1-2 hours away in driving distance. It is up to the foster home, how far they are willing to drive. We rarely adopt long distance, but will consider each and every application. It depends on the dog, the applicant, what works for one dog, may not be ideal for another.

WHY WE ASK FOR NO PHONE CALLS: Rescue is a full time job every day. Please know because we are so very busy with the dogs along with processing applications, updating webpage’s, rescuing, in many vet appointments, caring for seniors and hospice dogs, etc, etc that we are not able to return phone calls or emails asking if this dog is still adoptable, how much is it to adopt, is it house trained etc … We have included all the info we have on this dog at this current time and update the bio as we learn more about them. We kennel train all the dogs and will indicate if there are housebreaking issues that we have discovered. We update our site regularly so if the dog is listed here they are in fact adoptable, but may have applications coming in on them, so if you are interested, you need to get your application in now.


ABOUT US: MidSouth Animal Rescue League is an all breed, 501c3, non-profit organization that prefer to rescue senior dogs and special cases. WE LOVE ROTTWEILERS ... With over 20 years of experience with our beloved ROTTWEILER breed, and little help for this breed in our area, we try to focus on rescuing them and try not to ever have to turn any away that need us … especially the seniors that end up in shelters. Currently, we have several senior dogs, cats, and rottweilers in our hospice foster program. We always need more fosters so that we never have to say NO to them or other seniors.

We have also started a community relief effort specifically in the Red Banks, MS area not far from us, called The Dog House Project, where we go door to door providing dog houses to dogs on chains and other dogs and cats without proper shelter, including straw in cold temps, as well as food and other supplies as needed. We offer free spay/neuter services to those animals and continue to check on them. To date many have been spayed and neutered and some have been surrendered from their neglected lives on chains. We are making a difference and desperately need your donations to continue this program. We are always in need of igloo type dog houses to continue to provide life saving shelter to these dogs, otherwise they will never get them.

MidSouth Animal Rescue League relies on the kindness, generosity, and financial support of people like you so that we can continue to rescue and care for dogs like this one. We are a group of dedicated volunteers who respond to animals in need in shelters, strays, and from individuals. We receive no federal or state funds and are supported solely by private donations.

Many of the animals we save are in need of special medical care or surgery to bring them back to health before they can be placed. Veterinary care, vaccinations, tests, x-rays, medications, spay and neutering, heartworm prevention, flea/tick prevention, worming, food, kennels, grooming, and other supplies are provided for each dog while in our care.