Meet Poppie

Poppie is an adorable 7-8yo, 16.8-lb. possible chihuahua/pug mix. Her curly-Q pigtail is the cutest thing. She came to LR obese, weighing 21lbs. so she has made great progress with her weight loss. She has been slowly losing weight with controlled food, short walks and lots of yard time where she loves soaking up the sun and chasing lizards. She is a Georgia gal whose owner passed away and left nowhere for her to go. She is currently living with 5 other dogs from small to medium size, as well as a senior cat. She is cat friendly 90% of the time, but she does sometimes bark at the cat, so it may be best if the home is cat free. Poppie loves pets and belly rubs; her chosen place to sleep at night is beside her person on the human bed, sometimes under the covers. She likes to chew on stuffies, but they aren’t allowed because she pulls the stuffing out which she could swallow, and she has no interest in chew bones. Poppie is house trained as long as she is taken out often. She doesn’t give cues when she needs to go out, so it's up to you to take her out every few hours, but sleeps through the night without needing to go until right after she wakes up. Sometimes she burrows under a cover, thinking she is all hidden yet her booty is exposed lol. Poppie loves meal time, and treats get her attention right away - but due to her full figure, she is fed low-calorie veggies like raw or cooked zucchini or cauliflower, and cooked broccoli, which she loves. She does well riding in the car. She is friendly with everyone at the vet, until a needle comes out, but who can blame her for that. Poppie does great in any crowded setting, she doesn't bark at other people or dogs, and is super friendly to everyone who greets her. Poppie had dental disease when she came into rescue, and 7 teeth were extracted during her dental surgery last month. During a walk, her foster mom noticed a “hitch” in her step, so an appointment was made with our rehab vet where it was determined that Poppie has a luxating patella on her left hind leg, a grade 2 out of 4, which is a milder grade. This condition is when the kneecap pops out of its normal groove, causing a “skipping” gait. This does not cause her any pain. Her rehab vet has her on a home exercise routine 4-5 days per week to strengthen the ligaments surrounding the knee; her forever person will need to continue these easy 10-minute exercises forever to prevent the luxation from worsening. Poppie looks forward to her exercises because they involve treats. Poppie walks well on leash and loves going on walks. She is non-reactive to other dogs and people. Her foster mom takes a stroller along and she walks a little and rides a little, and repeats this during the walk. We want this routine to continue for her. So Poppie needs someone who can easily handle picking up an 15-17lb. dog. She is on a daily supplement to support her joints, but no other meds are needed. Besides the knee “hitch” she is a healthy girl with no heart or lung issues. She can jump up on the low couch by herself, and goes up and down doggy stairs to get on the taller bed. Poppie has a funny personality at times, she can be talkative - when she wants you to pet her, or when she wants to go to sleep and wants you to stop petting her. This adds to her charm. Sometimes when you stop petting her she will touch your hand with her paw for more pets. And who can resist that? We are requiring a fenced yard for her to chase lizards and bask in the sun. Whoever adopts Poppie will get the best girl with a wonderful personality. If you live in the Central Florida/Orlando area and believe you have the perfect forever home for Poppie, complete an app and tell us more about you.