Rozzi

---

Update 11/08/12:

Now is your chance to “Fall in LOVE with a Senior!” MAESSR has a new program to match up our senior and special needs Springers with new, loving families. This is a wonderful opportunity to Fall in LOVE all over again with a dog that really needs you. 

Adoption fees are being waived for all seniors (age 9 and older) and for special needs dogs through the end of September. Keep your eyes open for that special one who would fit perfectly into your life! It could be Rozzi; it may be another. Let your heart guide the decision and all else will fall into place! 

Rozzi’s news continues to be great. Indeed, she’s ready to meet an adopting family what will dote on and love her as much as she adores her people. Having lived with Rozzi for several months now, her foster family has experienced her greatest strength – that she wants only to be laying by the side of the ones she loves. 

This lover continues to meet other dogs well when out and about with her people. When indoors though, she will challenge a dog she feels is invading her space. She stops short of contact with another dog in this situation but shows the defensive vigor of a mother bear defending her cub. Yes, to ensure a peaceful home life for Rozzi and her people, she needs to be an only dog. 

This is a small accommodation for the wonderful companionship that Rozzi brings to the people around her. If you are a springer lover whose family is complete with just one, please consider opening your home and heart to Miss Rozzi. You’re all she needs to complete her new beginning!

Update 09/12/12:

Rozzi has lived in her present foster home for a while now. With observations from several people who have lived with and spent time with her, a good picture of Rozzi has emerged.

It’s clear that this little girl is a sweetheart most of the time. She does, however, have a few personality quirks. Aside from these quirks, Rozzi is very fun and loving. It is important for potential adoptive families to be aware of her complete personality profile, which includes:

1. Rozzi will allow her person to brush her for a little while………but when she has had enough, she will snap at the brush. She does not bite the person with the brush in-hand, but it can be a bit of a surprise when it happens.

2. Occasionally Rozzi decides that she just does not like a particular dog, and, she will aggressively turn on that dog to let this be known. This happened a few times in her original foster home. While it looks and sounds like she is going to do serious damage to the other dog, there were never any injuries. There was one instance where Rozzi was in the process of starting a “disagreement” with another dog, and a person’s leg got in the way. Rozzi did not mean to get the leg; she was clearly after the other dog. In her current foster home, Rozzi goes to a dog park daily and has done very well. 

3. Cats cannot be part of Rozzi’s new home. She’s not a fan of cats!

4. Rozzi sleeps deeply at times. Occasionally she will startle awake and snap at a person who might be close to her. This is not intentional but rather a startle response.

While it’s important for potential families to have a clear picture of Rozzi’s temperament, her foster mom also wants it known that she thinks Rozzi is a great little girl. Equipped with this knowledge in advance, it’s clear that — paired with the right family — Rozzi will make a wonderful, loving companion.

Update 07/17/12:

Rozzi has been a very good little girl during her time in foster care. Because her foster mom noticed some vision issues, Rozzi was taken to the University of Tennessee to have her eyes checked. The doctors found that the blood vessels on the retina are subtly decreased and the reflection was subtly increased. This indicates a condition known as beginning progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). Because these changes are so early, this diagnosis is tentative; if correct, the specialists suspect she will be going blind over the next 6 months to 2 years. 

MAESSR has started Rozzi on Ocuglo which is a supplement that can help slow the progression of PRA. The cost of this supplement is modest, averaging $25 a month. Rozzi also has a small lump where one leg meets her body. Testing determined that it is fatty tissue. Removal is recommended the next time she is put under for a procedure. 

Overall, Rozzi’s health is good and she is coping well. It is recommended that she find a home with only one or two others dogs or one in which she is the only dog. This will eliminate some of the stress she has in a multi-dog foster home. 

Rozzi is a very sweet girl who loves to ride in the car and sleep in the bed with her people. She is going to make a wonderful addition to some family that is willing to look past her vision issues. Rozzi may have problems with her eyes, but she is all heart!

Original:

After she had growled at a young toddler, Rozzi came into MAESSR’s care from Pennsylvania. Her surrendering family had a young child and they became increasingly worried that Rozzi might not be a good fit for their baby. The heartbreaking decision was made to allow Rozzi to find another home without young children.

Rozzi has been an absolute dream in her foster home. She has wonderful house manners and is a great snuggler. When she is excited, she does the cutest “dance.” She kind of jumps and turns to the side………all at once. It is just precious!

In her foster home Rozzi has not counter-surfed but she had been known to succumb to temptation in the past. She walks well on a leash and sleeps on a dog bed on the floor for naps and at day’s end. Her groomer loves to see her come and getting her to the shop is easy………this girl loves to ride in the car. She knows her basic commands including “sit,” “down,” “off,” and “stay.”

At 35 pounds Rozzi is a tiny girl. Her foster mom did not know you could pack that much sweetness into such a small package. She is in excellent health and, with a dental just done, her teeth are in great shape too. Rozzi loves to be with you and involved in everything you are doing. She’ll settle with an adopting family easily. If there are few or no “little” people in your daily life, and you’re ready to give yourself the pleasure of a soft, gentle and loving Springer, please ask about meeting Rozzi.