Entered: 10/15/2014
Status: Adopted
Age: 5
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 38 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Girard, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, treatment for skin and ear infections complete, has gained to a healthy weight
Temperament: Good with adults, has not met children but should be fine with those 10 years and older, good with other dogs, good with cats
Update 02/04/2015:“Autumn is guaranteed to be a wonderful dog for all seasons.”
Autumn is now up to date on her vaccines and her skin and ears are looking great! She recently had her spay surgery and, once she’s healed, should be feeling great and looking for her forever home.
This sweet girl has really come out of her shell. She is more confident and outgoing than when she first arrived at her foster home. Originally Autumn would cower and shrink when approached; she would submissively go belly up, even when getting loving from her people. Now she comes looking for affection and will even put her paws up on her foster mom for attention. Her mom just doesn’t have the heart to tell her “off!” given the progress she’s made.
Autumn recently had the opportunity to welcome another MAESSR foster into the home. She has respected the older gal’s grumbling and given her space with no problem. After a few days, Autumn invited the new girl to play out in the yard with her.
It’s possible that Autumn’s skin issues may reoccur but, with a healthy diet and monitoring, they should not really pose a problem.
Autumn is guaranteed to be a wonderful dog for all seasons. She’ll be “available” soon, so ask about her today. You wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to have this truly lovely girl join your family!
Update 12/28/2014: “She was totally trustworthy off leash, never going too far and always checking back.”
Autumn has been wonderful to foster and is showing such improvement in her overall health. Her skin condition, however, has hit a plateau and she will be back on meds for many weeks. The vet felt her condition is quite deeply rooted, due to long term neglect from its onset. Complicating this sweetheart’s life, just 4 days before her scheduled spay surgery, she came into heat so that step will be rescheduled.
This beauty is up to almost 38 pounds which may be on the lean side, but seems like a healthy weight for her. Remember, when found, she was only 30 pounds! She has also started to show an interest in toys, occasionally picking up a plush friend. But, her favorite thing is still bones.
On Christmas Day, Autumn enjoyed an outing to the beach with her family! Although the weather was not exactly perfect for swimming (windy, waves, and temperatures in the 30’s), her foster sisters got wet. Autumn, however, preferred to stay high and dry on the sand, sniffing driftwood, clamshells, and whatever else had washed up on the shore. She was totally trustworthy off leash, never going too far and always checking back. When she returned home, she curled up on her favorite bed for a long nap.
Here’s hoping that after about another week of being in heat, Autumn will be spayed and ready for her forever home. A family is out there waiting for her and will enjoy starting the New Year with this wonderful Springer lady. Happy 2015 to those folks and this happy, healthy girl!
Original: “Clearly Autumn must have belonged to somebody……she has perfect house manners, walks politely on a leash, and is crate trained.”
How or why this wonderful girl ended up wandering a dirt back road in Pennsylvania is anyone’s guess. Her skin was red and sore, her body and coat thin, her ears infected. Fortunately Autumn became a MAESSR girl and was quickly cleaned up and vetted. She’s responded beautifully as her skin is clearing, her ears have healed, she’s gaining weight, and her coat is beginning to grow.
Autumn has been a real joy in her foster home. In fact, her foster mom indicated that she’s the dog that could make someone fail fostering! She is such a sweetheart who appreciates all that’s being done for her.
Clearly Autumn must have belonged to somebody……she has perfect house manners, walks politely on a leash, and is crate trained. She’s housetrained and has let her foster mom know if she needs to go out. She knows the “sit” command, but has no idea what to do with toys. However, she thoroughly enjoys the real bones she finds! Autumn gets along beautifully with her foster sisters and cats; if the kitties are playing a game of chase, she may join in……but all in fun! Although her house manners are mostly great, she may need a reminder that the contents of the trash can and litter box are not to be sampled……
Attending three different agility trials as a visitor allowed Autumn to experience walking in crowds. She was a bit cautious but curious. She had no problem with dogs, but was a bit timid with strangers. Food fixed that!
Autumn willingly goes in a crate in the car. She also is crated at home when her foster mom is at work. She was happy to sleep on a dog bed on the floor but, with the weather getting colder, was thrilled to be invited on the “big” bed with everyone else!
Considering the condition she was found in and how sore and uncomfortable she was, Autumn was pretty good at the vet and while being groomed. She tended to cringe and cower, but never displayed negative behavior. It’s possible that she may have never been groomed before.
At this point Autumn has not met children one-on-one. She should be fine with older, dog-savvy children since she is still building confidence with strangers. She also would fit in well as a second (or third or fourth) dog in her forever home as she would appreciate another body in the house with her, rather than being left alone. Her foster mom finds Autumn following her from room to room.
Going for long walks is a pleasure for her and she seems quite athletic, jumping over any obstacles. As she has settled into her foster home, she has become a good guard dog, barking at “strangers” walking outside what she now considers her fenced yard. Autumn has a very enthusiastic “mom’s home” happy dance that may be a bit too much for small children. She will still need calm guidance in building her confidence with people.
Autumn will need a little more time in her foster home as her skin heals. A fish oil supplement and good nutrition should help considerably. She put on some needed extra pounds and will be scheduled to receive her vaccinations and spaying in the near future. Time spent in her foster home will help her boost her confidence as she has more experiences with new situations.
This lovely girl is a gentle soul who has gone through a very tough time. She is so loving and sweet, deserving of a stable home and family to call her own. Autumn has much to be thankful for and would just love to spend the holiday season with her new family.