Siberian Husky

MEET MEREDITH!

SEE MORE PHOTOS!  This dog has entire photo album online.   Just CLICK HERE and scroll to the album under his or her name.    

ALSO, lucky Meredith had an incredible opportunity to do some “modeling” at the park for a professional photographer!  Check out her portfolio at http://www.zeta-alphastudio.com/photos/pets/10_22_08/index.html.   Just click on the slideshow to see beautiful Meredith in action!!!

SEE MY VIDEO!  If there is a "video" tab above my photo, you can see me in action!   

Meredith Update: Well, she has really settled down and has become quite the little house dog.  She is not jumping on people anymore.  She is completely housebroken.  She goes into her crate on command. She is starting to talk, not bark.  She is VERY calm in the car, sitting quietly in the front seat and looking out the window.  In fact, looking out the window is her favorite thing to do.  She can spend hours sitting in the bay window just looking at the world. She went to the vet and is healthy and he guesses her age at about three. She is also cat-friendly.  When surrounded by kitties at the vet, she sniffed, wagged her tail and actually licked on a kitty that was brave enough to hang around. Even when the cats ran away, Meredith did not chase them.  So, I took her to my friend’s house and really cat tested her.  I let her off leash with the cat and Meredith at first ignored the cat.  The cat was persistent in wanting to play and even rolled over and exposed her belly to Meredith.  Meredith finally became interested when the kitty started to run around and then Meredith would chase her.  She spent thirty minutes with this adult cat and I am confident that Meredith is cat friendly.  Finally, Meredith spent her first day at Doggie Day Care.  This was just to get another evaluation on her temperament with other dogs and environments.  She did great.  They said “Meredith had a blast at camp today!   There was not a moment of hesitation when she got here and she played nonstop all day!   We hope to see her back soon!”   She was assessed a 10 out of 10. So, suffice it to say, this little girl is doing very well. She is more than ready to find her forever home!

About Meredith:   Meredith was surrendered to an Ohio shelter by a "back yard breeder" of Siberian Huskies.  She is smaller than what we normally see in a female Siberian, and -- in the absence of registration papers of any kind -- our assumption has been that she's the kind of Siberian one often gets from BYB's.   Interestingly, after some research (including consulting with an expert) our foster mom is convinced that Meredith may be an Alaskan Klee Kai (AKK).  She has always been referred to as a "miniature Husky" – which is, in fact, the definition of a Klee Kai.  This is a rare breed to find outside of Alaska and may explain why she was used for breeding.  One of the differences between a Siberian Husky and an Alaskan Klee Kai is that an AKK is a very agile dog, being small and short to the ground, and they do very well in agility classes.  Whatever she is, she's little and cute and a lot of fun!

Her foster mom says:  "Meredith can leap over anything and can jump from the ground to the hot tub (5 feet).  When the other dogs chase her, she just jumps over the top of them.  Very amusing!!!  When Meredith got here, it was obvious how happy she was to have the run of a large yard and the house.  She was like a brand new puppy and ran all over the place, exploring for days.  She still hasn’t finished.  Even though we think she's two years old, everything is a new experience for her!  Yesterday she barked at the TV, thinking someone was trying to get into the house.  So, needless to say, Meredith is very active.  She loves to run at the park and is very good on the leash.  Her size makes it very easy to control her.  She does get excited easily, but I think over time she will calm down.  She is starting to learn to relax and sit by the couch and get a belly rub.  She is very smart and housebroke quickly.  She has learned not to jump on people and now we are working on barking – or not barking.  She is very good in her crate and in the car.  She will go into her crate easily and not a peep out of her, even when she knows you are home.  She waits until you let her out.  In the car, she is excited but she stays put looking out the window (at all the things that she has never seen before).  She is eating well, but does not know any better to not eat out of the other dog’s dishes.  Luckily this has not caused any problems.  The other dogs are showing her the ropes per se.  She gets along with everyone and every dog.  She just loves her new life!

Meredith will need a home where there is patience.  She is a quick learner, but she needs to be taught.  Just because she is small does not mean she is easy.  She thinks everything is meant for her, plants, pillows, digging, chewing.  BUT, she quickly learns and just needs strict boundaries.  Remember that this poor girl has never had any life outside of making puppies, so everything is brand new to her.  She desperately wants to please, so she does very well with positive reinforcement.  She is absolutely adorable with the sweetest temperament.  She loves rawhide bones and will actually sit still to chew on them.  She is a tiny little thing so she is relatively easy as far as containing her and she is very good in her crate.  You just have to keep an eye on her out of the crate until she learns what acceptable dog behavior is.  And based on what she has learned in just a week, I do not think this will take long. 

Updates:   Check back soon or SEND AN EMAIL to request more information and/or an adoption application. 

This dog's adoption donation is $225.  If you know how much it costs to give a new dog responsible vet care, you can easily see that this is quite a bargain! This dog has had a complete health exam, has already been altered (spayed or neutered), is microchipped, has tested negative for heartworm, has been kept on heartworm and flea preventative, is fully vaccinated and free of parasites. 

What to do if you want to adopt this dog: Just SEND AN EMAIL to request an adoption application! We will review your application to determine if there is a good match between your family and this dog.   We may suggest another if we can offer a better fit in terms of lifestyle, experience, other pets, etc.  A vet check, reference checks, and a home visit will be conducted before an adoption can be considered for approval.

NOTE:   In the vast majority of cases, the dogs in our program are rescued from shelters, and Northern Lights has no means by which to collect or verify a dog's history.   We work in concert with our veterinarians, and breed and age estimates are based on a combination of professional input and our collective experience.   Our policy with information acquired while the dogs are in our care is that of "full disclosure".   It is our goal to ensure the adopter has all available information to ensure the best possible match between the dog and the adopting person or family.   In some instances, because of applicant interest, dogs are in our program for relatively brief periods of time.   If we have identified a temperament or health condition while the dog is in our care and custody, every effort will be made to correct it prior to adoption OR the adopter will be made aware of the issue or condition prior to adoption.   Northern Lights' screening process is designed to select only adopters who are willing, and have the means, to treat conditions which may occur after adoption, and adopter will be contractually responsible for doing so.

NORTHERN LIGHTS IS NOT A SHELTER.  We are a rescue comprised of individuals who open their private homes to foster dogs in need of a second chance.   IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOU CAN SAVE A LIFE BY FOSTERING FOR NORTHERN LIGHTS, EMAIL US FOR INFO AND AN APPLICATION!   For answers to FAQ regarding who we are, as well as our adoption policies and practices, please VISIT OUR PETFINDER HOME PAGE.       

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Northern Lights Sled Dog Rescue
PO Box 642
Westfield, IN  46074

Donations are greatly appreciated and always needed to help with spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, and unexpected veterinary expenses.  There is no gift too small to make a difference, and Northern Lights' minimal administrative costs are covered by adoption donations or donated by our volunteers, so you can be sure that every penny of your gift will go DIRECTLY to helping a homeless dog! The dogs helped by Northern Lights Sled Dog Rescue send you a tongue-lolling smile, and grateful "woos and wags" for your donation of any size!