Entered: 05/14/2013
Status: Adopted
Age: 1
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 53 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Fayetteville, WV
Health: UTD, HW-, resolving minor hair loss, has successfully weaned 3 puppies and gained to a healthy weight
Temperament: Good with adults, unknown with children, good with other dogs, ignored crated cats in vet’s lobby
Original: “Pansy is a beautiful field-bred Springer with classic movement and very athletic style.”
A grossly underweight young Springer was dropped by her owner at a Kentucky shelter. The next day she whelped a litter. Given her poor condition and the reality that the shelter, like most, was ill-prepared for newborns, an effort to move her as quickly as possible was launched. Since the springer rescue group serving Kentucky did not have a foster home available, MAESSR was contacted and shortly Miss Pansy and her 3 pups moved to West Virginia. Over the next month all in the family steadily gained weight. Eating 6-7 cups of kibble a day, Pansy was able to nurse her pups and put on pounds herself. By the time the pups were 6 weeks old, she had successfully nourished and weaned Cass, Gauley, and Seneca. Each pup was well-rounded, active, and eager to explore a bigger world. The pups moved on to another MAESSR foster home for their vetting and continuing socialization, and, Pansy remained in West Virginia to begin the normal life of a foster dog.
At her vet check, Pansy pushed the scales to 53 pounds, up from an estimated 35 when she entered the shelter. Overall, she is in very good health. Two to three cups of kibble daily now sustain her. Some minor hair loss on a flank is expected to resolve as her hormones return to normal. With no reason for delay, she was spayed which resolved a concern about continuing discharge after her delivery. Already eager to run and play, her “limited” exercise requirement during recovery is her biggest hardship!
Pansy has an incredibly steady and soft temperament. She was a good mother to her pups and oversaw the human care they needed but was never, ever defensive of them. The resident Springers were kept at a distance from the nursery, so Pansy wasn’t threatened by their curiosity. As soon as the pups were weaned, it was clear she preferred the company of the adult pack and she now wrestles with the younger ones.
In addition to her vet visit, Pansy has been out in public to a bustling pet fair. There she met lots of people and their dogs in a fairly small outdoor area. She was calm and totally unruffled by all, even when one dog was not all too friendly to her; she simply walked away from him. There were all sizes of children at the event and, though she didn’t directly meet any of them, she likely would have enjoyed their attention. She regularly asks her foster mom for lovin’s and is so appreciative of petting and paw massages!
Pansy knows some basic commands: come, sit, down and off. “Off” has been taught in her foster home due to her unabashed interest in what’s on the kitchen counter. She’s responding well and is also surfing less frequently. She’s working nicely on her loose leash skills but will pull if a smell or sight catches her attention. She’s ripe for further training and will be a joy for her adopting family to advance.
Having been accident-free since arrival, she has run of the house when her foster family is home, is crated when they are away now, and sleeps in the bedroom on her own doggie bed at night. She is a proven traveler, having quietly ridden for long stretches in a crate. She’s always excited to be going anywhere!
Pansy is a beautiful field-bred Springer with classic movement and very athletic style. She’s birdie and works the rough briar patch in her fenced yard with the expected enthusiasm. Her future is bright. She’ll be ready soon to move on and will be a fantastic companion for one very lucky family!