Zoe 3

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Updated 3/15/07: Sweet, sweet Zoe has made herself quite at home with her foster family and is living a life that many dogs might envy. With time to settle, she will now let her foster mom go anywhere in the house without barking, because Zoe realizes she is safe and that her foster mom will return. Zoe does require consideration in maintaining her bathroom schedule. During the day she is reliable when asked to wait no more than 5 hours between outings and a seven hour night is her max right now.

With mindful guidance from the humans around her, Zoe can go with the flow and go she does. Zoe loves to walk and will trot along at a brisk pace. With a human companion on the other end of her leash, Zoe trusts that she will not stumble across any obstacles. One of Zoe’s favorite outings most surely is to her foster mom’s place of business. You see, Zoe really likes pig’s ears. When she goes to mom’s store, Zoe gets to go right to the bin where the pig’s ears are kept. She sniffs out the one she wants and goes to town. Her foster mom does have to keep an eye on her or Zoe will keep going back for more. Wouldn’t you love to see that happen just once!?!?!. Zoe’s vision may be bad but her nose works great!!

Zoe’s maturity and fine springer temperament are serving her well. She has adjusted to a new family, new canine companions, and new adventures with grace. She would love one more family to call her very own, to walk with, to cuddle beside on the couch, and, yes, of course, she would love to be indulged with pig’s ears as often as possible.

Original: After owning her for 12 years, Zoe’s family took her a shelter in central Pennsylvania for no clear reason. MAESSR stepped in with a determination to find her a wonderful, loving, caring home for her golden years.

Zoe likely has PRA which is a degenerative condition of the retina. The vet believes she sees some shadows but would be considered legally blind so, no driving for Zoe! She also appears to have lost the ability to hear. These limitations do not seem to stop Zoe, however. Other than receiving antibiotics for Lyme disease and a urinary tract infection, Miss Zoe is in excellent health.

In the house, Zoe has exhibited excellent house manners and is housebroken. She gets along well with the other fosters and resident springers. With her limited vision, she does occasionally walk on one of the other dogs in the home, but so far, they are taking the adjustment to her in stride. Zoe needs help with the stairs, though. Her foster mom puts her on a leash and walks her gently up and down the stairs. Also, her foster mom keeps the stairs gated to prevent tumbling accidents. Once her foster mom helps her down the back steps, she is a bundle of energy in the yard and enjoys playing.

When Zoe is on her leash, she is off and moving. She is so spry that one can easily forget to watch out for obstacles that may be in her way. Although “sit,” “stay,” “come,” and “speak” are reportedly part of Zoe’s repertoire, because of her limited sight and lack of hearing, these commands are relatively useless. So, communication is interesting and creativity is required. When her foster mom stands in the light and waves at her, Zoe comes right to her. On a leash when her foster mom stops, Zoe knows that she will be either going up or down stairs. When her foster mom wants Zoe to follow her, she puts her hand on Zoe’s nose and waves in front of her eyes, giving her the signal to “come.”  Zoe is a smart girl and, in just a short time, she and her foster mom have worked out a simple communication system that works!

In the evening, Zoe has been given the luxury of couch sitting and loves snuggling up next to her foster mom to take her evening nap. Zoe likes to be nearby and always settles in when her foster mom takes a seat. At bedtime, Zoe sleeps on the floor on a bed next to her foster mom’s bed and the doorway to the room is then gated. When her foster mom tried crating Zoe, she got very agitated. So, since she does fine within the house with gates protecting her from stairways, Zoe has the run of the house with the other dogs. Her foster mother even takes Zoe to her business with her and Zoe has done very nicely in the public’s eye. She loves the car and quickly settles down to nap in the back seat. Zoe has proven herself to be a sweetheart with the groomer and is all tidied up as every gal likes to be.

Zoe is a sweet, sweet gal who deserves a comfy, loving home for every one of her senior years. Despite her limited sight and hearing, she enjoys life, loves to be loved and is full of love to return to those around her. Are you the family for Zoe?