PETUNIA Shih Tzu Richmond Hill, ON

** APPLY ONLINE AT MUTTSDOGRESCUE.CA **

Sweet Petunia is a seven-year-old local mill discard. Once she was done making the mill tens of thousands of dollars, she was dumped. Her decompression period has lasted longer than normal, but each day, she gets a little braver. Petunia is looking for a patient family who’s ready to spoil her rotten and ensure she doesn’t work another day in her life!

When Petunia arrived in our care, she was a wreck: terribly matted fur (so bad that the vets couldn’t get a true assessment of her physical state and suspected a possible knee issue), rotting teeth, smelling strongly of the barn that she lived in for her entire life, and terrified of the outside world. Thankfully, Petunia landed in the right hands and our incredible team of caregivers quickly got to work! She’s now freshly groomed and has had just over 50% of her teeth removed. Her spay led to the discovery, and subsequent removal, of some lumps (see “medical needs” for more). Now that Miss Petunia is much more comfortable, she’s able to focus on adjusting to life outside of the mill. So far, it’s been a slow burn. Petunia is now comfortable around her foster family and favours the company of her 10-year-old foster brother most! She’s been introduced to a few neighbours who’ve visited, and though she’s not overly excited to say hello – she sits and stares – she’s fine to be in the same room. New experiences are still overwhelming for her, so all introductions (whether to new people, pets, or spaces) should be taken slowly.

Petunia’s foster has communicated overwhelming evidence that Petunia may, in fact, be a cat! She stares blankly at her fosters, she is picky about who she likes, she pretty much only ever uses her pee pads (so she could easily be litter trained!) and sleeps like it’s her profession. She’d be an ideal pup for a condo, given her low energy, small size, and love of napping! Petunia is not a fan of the outdoors – it’s much too scary and wild for her at this time. To encourage some exercise, her fosters set up little trails of treats around the house. Turns out she’s got a great sniffer and rarely misses a hidden treat! There may come a day when Petunia is comfortable enough to explore the great outdoors, but until that time comes, her adoptive family will need to be creative with indoor activities. She’s been described as “leash reactive”, by which we mean reactive to the actual leash… the leash itself is the enemy! When on the leash, she “alligator death rolls”, which is her way of saying, “Get this thing off me!” It’s possible that Petunia would be a great dog stroller candidate!

Petunia has met a few neighbourhood dogs (all on leash, so as not to overwhelm her). She sniffs and then sits back and waits. She is curious but prefers observing over interacting. Her fosters believe she’d benefit from a dog sibling (ideally a calmer pup!) to show her the ropes and help build her confidence. Right now, Petunia isn’t a playful or affectionate pup, but with time, this may change. She’s starting to realize that this “living in a house” gig isn’t actually as terrible as she feared! She spends lots of time hanging in her crate, preferring that the door remain open. Other than a few whimpers when her foster mom leaves the room, Petunia doesn’t have any separation anxiety. Noises are still scary and new, but she’s already conquered lots of big, loud sounds (chip bags, kettle whistles, kids, alarms, school buses, loud TVs … just to name a few!).

Petunia is spayed, microchipped and up to date with her vaccines. She’s currently using pee pads and hasn’t had any accidents. In time, she may learn to go outside for her bathroom breaks, but for now, she prefers an indoor option.

Petunia’s story is certainly heartbreaking, and her journey outside of the mill is just beginning. It’s time for this sweet girl to find the soft landing that she deserves!

Sociability: Humans (adults and children) and dogs
Energy: Low
Quirks: She may, in fact, be a cat
Training Needs: Continued decompression time, slow introductions to outside, potty training, basic obedience
Medical Needs: She had lumps removed from her mammary glands which were biopsied. Most were benign but one lump turned out to be a malignant tumour. The vet performed x-rays to ensure no spread to the lungs. The lab report results indicate that recurrence is low.
Foster Location: Etobicoke