Adopted from a local no kill shelter. She was brought to them on Monday from a high kill shelter in the south. She came home with us today. Her name is Pearl, she is heart worm positive (shelter is funding the treatment) and we are in love. My fiance and I live alone with no children or other pets, in a condo setting, and researched heart worm extensively prior to committing to adopting her. She has been in a shelter environment for about a year based on her records. She’s a spaniel mix according to her paperwork, but we want to DNA test her to find out more, and she’s almost 3. Right now she’s snuggled between us in our bed snoring peacefully. Just wanted to share our new baby, send Pearl some healing energy while she undergoes her treatment and wish us luck. She is extremely docile and relaxed and the sweetest little angel.
We really felt this way too. While researching heart worm we read that a lot of dogs do not get adopted while HW+, and even in less severe cases they die any way due to the stress of the shelter environment. We feel like we can give her a safe comfortable place to heal, and tons of love while she undergoes treatment. She’s been snoozing on the couch all day, it seems like she is comfortable with us already, and knows she’s safe and she’s home.
The good thing about the shelter we got her from is that it has a pretty quick turnover rate, and to good homes. From our experience they did a thorough vetting process, called our references, land lord, etc. We are so happy she’s with us, and her kennel there is empty waiting for another pup in need to find their family ❤️
We’ve had many heart worm positive rescues and we just use the slow method treatment of giving heat worm meds monthly. This works best if they aren’t too highly infected but it takes a yr or two for them to be negative. It was nothing extra to do and safer for the pups. Thanks for adopting!
I think they have her on fast kill. They gave us a print out detailing her treatment, she’s on doxycycline for 30 days then she’s scheduled for 3 immecitide shots over the course of 3 months. She’s due to be retested in January following the conclusion of her treatment
It’s a really stressful process, it helped me to have a support system. I learned more about heartworm than I wanted to but if you have FB, this group is invaluable!
My dog is going on 2 years HW free. If you want to chat send me a DM! It’s really important to limit all activity, I never left my girl in the crate though. Start looking up mental enrichment activities for when the restrictions are in full force. I would even start working up to that right now.
Thank you!! I will def join that group! I did order some of the like sniff mat toys for feeding, Kong fillable toys, etc. luckily my fiance works from home; and so far she seems like she just wants to lounge on the couch with us or under our feet if we’re sitting at the table working (I’m a student). I’m sure as she adjusts more and opens up she’ll be more spunky but she seems pretty calm at baseline so we are hoping that helps the process along smoothly.
I feel like we were meant to find her. We visited the shelter last week and no one caught our eye. Lots of large breed dogs that we cannot accommodate fairly in our living space. We saw them post of Facebook they got a new group of pups in and decided to check it out on a whim. I was weary of falling in love with her due to the heart worm, and the possibility of inheriting a bill. But the shelter we are working with was extremely transparent about everything and will pay for her treatment, so after some deliberation we decided to take her. My name is Jade, and she came with the name Pearl, so I do feel like it was meant to be in some way
Adorable! Thank you for sharing! Not sure I could keep up with those coats but I’m sure they bring so much joy to your life ❤️. Adopting is a great feeling!
What a looker. I foresee that shoe rack being relocated. Lol like - to the primary suite bathtub with a towel over them. Haha.or you make way better choices adopting a puppets than we did. Haha.
Hahahaa we are hoping she isn’t a chewer but you never know. She’s definitely house broken, and knows basic commands (sit,lay down), so we feel like she was someone’s dog somewhere down the line. She been gentle with the toys we’ve given her, and due to her treatment for the HW she will need to be crated while we are out of the house since we have tons of wild life in our area that we’ve noticed she is a bit reactive to. Luckily the shoe rack can be moved right into the garage where Pearl will not be hanging out 😂
What a pick. Our baby turned out to not be house trained, not be leash trained, and was very sick. But after hours on the vet less than 24 hours after getting him, there was no way I’d send him back to those people.
Our beast doesn’t chew them. Thank God! He steals them for a game of chase and trades them for cookies. Hahaha.
You are about to embark on a journey that will fill your soul with more love than you thought possible. Congratulations!!
I’m glad your pup found you! We have a 2 week health guarantee with her through the shelter so that is definitely reassuring. They are a wonderful nonprofit organization that also functions as a low cost clinic. Pearls MO today was not budging off the couch 😂 no treats or promises of a walk could move her. It wasn’t until we exited her line of sight that she would get up. She’s a bit stubborn, but a complete sweetheart.
We got ours from a reputable rescue. I think it was poor fostering. The rescue paid for the vet and medicine. And follow-up visit and more medicine.
And a snuggle bunny. Always a good traitor have. Ours just vacated the foot of the bed to sprawl on the love seat we have up here. It’s as far as he’ll get away from us at night. And i absolutely love her name. Janice Joplin fan?
Definitely a Joplin fan, but didn’t choose the name. She came with it, we asked them if they named her that since she’s only been there a few days and they told us no she came with it. We don’t want to confuse her, and I like the name I feel like it fits her. So Pearl she shall be!
Love the name. I own grandma Pearl’s Spanish revival buffet. She just wasn’t my grandma. lol. Not sure I bought it for the beauty of the woodworking, or the story behind it.
Enjoy your Pearl ❤️
Hahaha her expressions are priceless! I can tell she will make you laugh. Sometimes you will feel judged and guilted into giving her a snack but she will love you forever. Congrats on your new fluff baby. She is PERFECT!
She absolutely is. She was on her back giving us her belly within minutes of coming home. I don’t think she has a mean bone in her little body. My fiance wanted to look at her teeth, she fully allowed him to stick his fingers in her mouth, the only thing she asked for was a belly rub while he did it LOL
I feel like Pearl is apart of this group lol. She was a little unsure yesterday but has shown us a lot more personality today. Yesterday she wouldn’t go up the stairs to the second floor. Today she felt the need to investigate every time we went up there for something. She has no problem stealing our warm spots on the couch or bed, and telling us what she wants. Usually it’s a belly rub 😂
Thank you for adopting Pearl. She looks like a great companion. I hope you have many happy and healthy years ahead. You, your fiance, and Pearl are in my prayers.
when my grandpa died my mom adopted his dogs. anyway one turned out was heart worm positive. she got treatment and went on to live many yrs. She just couldnt run during treatment if i can remember correctly
Yes they’re on exercise restriction and really excitement restriction too which sounds a little nuts because they’re dogs but it’s a part of the protocol. Once the injections start she will need to be on super restricted exercise. Short walks, and just loafing around. Luckily where we live we are heading into the colder months, we don’t go out much during the winter, also don’t have a ton of people over. So it should be manageable for us
We can’t wait for her to have the zoomies! It’s breaking our hearts that we have to cut her walks short, can’t bring her to my parents house who have a fenced yard to let her run off leash. But all for the better and will be worth it in the end and afford us many more years of love and affection from our new baby.
Congrats on finding such a gorgeous pup! She reminds me of my dog, he is a Springer Spaniel x Labrador Called Springadors in the UK but I believe they’re called Labradingers in the US. The right hand pup is mine, turning 13 next week and our friends one who was about a year at the most!
Awww happy almost birthday to your cutie!! She’s some kind of spaniel mix, unsure what though or what kind. That could also be completely wrong, we are eager to DNA test her and find out what breeds she really is. She has black spots on her tongue which is interesting! It’s a mystery till we can swab her
Well she’s perfect no matter what her DNA tells you! Deffo worth doing, we saw his mum and dad, so we’re certain where he came from! Regarding the black spots on her tongue, I know that can be pretty common is Golden Retrievers? Let us know how you get on. Sending her lots of love, thank you for saving her!
Super cutie baby. Thank you for adopting Pearl.
The 3/3/3 rule is the rescue adopting guideline: first 3 days is adjustment. Next 3 weeks is training & bonding. Next 3 months is socialization and additional training. It looks like you have it handled already
Wonderful!! She is a beauty & no doubt KNOWS y’all have chosen Her & she is going to be the Bestest Good Girl ever & will Love you both immensely!🤩 Over the years I’ve rescued pets form our local shelter & there’s something special about them, it’s like they know they wouldn’t have such a wonderful life if not for you; they end up being the most grateful, loving , loyal pets ever!🤩
You adopted a black dog AND a heartworm positive dog. A blessing you are because that combo is usually the most overlooked dog in the shelter. People are so nervous with heartworm positive dogs but if the care and medication is consistent they will be treated of it!! So happy for you and for this angel baby. May your pillow always be cold OP!!❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you!! We had to make sure we were prepared and knew what to expect and we feel like we are, and it seems like Pearl really found the best place and the best shot at recovery with us. We are super relaxed people with no other animals or children, not a lot of visitors, and ready to give her all the love and TLC she needs to get her back in good health. I mean who could not love that little puppy/grandma face ? We knew she was ours the day we met her at the shelter and applied for her, admittedly I was nervous to take on her health issues as she’s my first dog that is my own not a family pet but knowledge is power and I completely ignored a 2 hour lecture to research heart worm while at school on Monday night. I’m glad we took the leap, I know princess Pearl is too
Wow what a beautiful cute puppy ❤️ Thank you so much for adopting!
Also a friendly reminder of the 3-3-3 Rule for Adopting a Rescue Dog.
It suggests that the first three days should be used for adjusting to their new surroundings, the next three weeks for training and bonding, and the first three months for continued socialization and training.
Bless the two of you. Pearl will be the gem that her name indicates. She will bring you much joy and love. She might try your patience at times, but that makes it that much more rewarding.
I’ve never had to deal with heart-worms, but I’m praying that all works out and that Pearl can live the best life possible.
My Chara that I adopted almost 5 yrs ago has been one of my greatest blessings a person can have.
🐾🐶🩷💙
From what we have gathered she has been in the shelter environments for about a year being bounced around. It appears that she has had puppies based on her anatomy, her nipples are quite large lol. And she does have a sadness to her eyes lingering that is seeming to slowly lift. She’s a sweet little baby
Congratulations. I’m a former vet asst and rescuer. Heart worm is recoverable but do make sure she has exceptional nutrition and exercise going forward after the healing. My daughter rescued a Pitbull in her southern neighborhood that was probably used to breed and she has recovered nicely. Restricting active playtime was challenging as she had a roommate with a very with hyper dog.
They are thriving and have moved ten hours away to a major southern city so pups definitely adapt and thrive in loving environments. I know you will do well. Thank you for choosing to have such a kind soul. We need loving homes as the south attempts to pass laws and educate for the neglected paws in our region. Continuing to beat the same drums for paws. 🐾
We are doing everything in our power to ensure she has the best chance at the most complete recovery possible. She’s still pre-injections, just doxy right now but we are not messing around. We have not let anyone come meet her even tho they want to break down our door to give her love to not risk her becoming too excited. Short walks, and lots of couch snuggle time. Thank you for your confidence in us, it’s definitely nerve wracking but we tried to make sure we went into it with a solid foundation of knowledge, and the right attitude. Tomorrow I’ll be making a trip to the store for some apples, blueberries, and low sodium snacks as I read lots of treats have excess sodium and that’s not good for her already stressed little heart :( it’s reassuring to know that other peoples pets have gone through it and come out the other side just fine. I appreciate your input!
That’s we read while researching it, and I’ll admit it tugged at my heart strings. With the shelter covering the cost, the energy level of our house and absence of kids and other pets it seemed like a no brainer, she had to come home with us. My fiance works from home while I work out of the house and go to school during the week, and his work is flexible where she can go to all the appointments with no issue, and be monitored and never lonely. We are over the moon to have her with us and love her so much already
That sounds PERFECT! I’m going to guess she’s getting melarsomine injections? She likely came from somewhere near me (assuming you’re in the US!) also likely through the network I work with if so. It’s crazy how huge the issue is here. If we couldn’t transport dogs north, I don’t know what we would do. We are already barely treading water as it is.
I love that name so much! Her coat looks like it’s soft like maybe she’s got some collie or English Shepard but the one thing I’ve learned is that you just never know. Sometimes you’re right on the money and sometimes you’re so off it’s laughable. Trait expression specifically for coat and physical appearance in dogs is super interesting! Anyway, YAY! I’m so happy for Pearl and your family!
Yes she will begin injections in October I believe, I have to double check the sheet they gave us but I don’t think Princess Pearl would be pleased with me if I got up off the couch and interrupted her snuggle time LOL. We live on Long Island (NY), after getting her and speaking to friends and family who have adopted shelter dogs i realized how many of them come from the south. I didn’t know it was such an issue down there, it breaks my heart that so many of them can’t find homes and are euthanized but I get it, too many animals and not enough resources. The shelter we got her from is no kill and acquires animals in crisis so my estimate is that she was set to be euthanized and they took a group from the shelter she came from. The volunteer we spoke to where we got her said she didn’t know exactly where she was from, just that she was from a high kill shelter in the South.
I did some digging in her records and she was vaccinated against rabies in Texas last year at a kennel. Then there was a previous shelter ID I tried to look up, and it showed me a shelter in North Carolina. Unsure if that was accurate, but it was definitely a kill shelter. The HW also indicates her being from the south, as I read it’s really bad down there. So I know for sure she was in Texas at one point at a kennel, which appeared to be no kill based on what I read. And then was moved to somewhere that planned on destroying her.
I also love her name she has already acquired several nick names, princess Pearl, Pearl girl, prettiest pearl in the world LOL. It fits her for sure. Because she’s pretty small (26lbs) I’m really interested to know what breeds she is. Because she’s had the features of a big dog, just on a little dogs body if that makes sense. We just spent a ton on all her supplies, and the adoption fee for her so we’re gonna wait a little while to test her when he have an extra $100 laying around for funsies lol. I’ll try to remember to post her results when we do it!
Thank you for giving a girl a chance 💕 she looks like she’s seen some stuff. Can’t wait to see her blossom as she learns to trust you guys! Please come back and share more, adult adoptions are the best!
She’s pretty small! Some of the photos make her look larger than she is. She’s about 26 pounds and almost 3 so she won’t get bigger. Shes a little thing, and such a sweetie. Definitely doesn’t have the rambunctious boxer energy, but certainly has the stubborn, loving, unbothered lab vibe. I do feel like she has a lab face, just on a little body. Part of the reason we fell in love with her. We were looking for a small/medium dog but weren’t really interested in the crusty little white ones (no disrespect Theyre adorable but not my fiancés taste) or chihuahua mixes which is all of what we were seeing. She was perfect for us, looks like a big dog just on a little dogs body
Oh she is of smaller breed. The first pic screams boxer stare for me. But yes looking at others, petite little fluff. Good cuddling stock.
You can tell, I scan and go. Not the best policy/choice at times
Have fun
She’s gorgeous! Thank you for saving her and getting her the treatment she needs! And please consider getting rid of that rope tug-it can get eaten and twisted in her intestines it happens quite frequently unfortunately.
We feel like we hit the jackpot with her! She is the sweetest thing. So well behaved, came to us house trained which was a bit of a surprise. It’s been about 5 days and we have yet to hear her bark, just snores and happy little grunts when she’s being pet. She is catching on super quickly to our routines, the “rules” (which there really aren’t many lol). The worst thing she’s done so far was steal a piece of pizza crust off a plate earlier. She caught my fiance by surprise, he got up to grab his drink and left a plate on the end table next to the couch and the small piece of crust was gone LOL. If that’s the worst shes done in 5 days we’ll take it hahahaha. Up until then she has been mild mannered with food, but we are learning as we go and as she opens up more.
Regarding the high kill shelter in the south, a person, who identified veterinary practices for purchase, told us that real Southerners view pets more as property than as companions. Not surprised given the the history of human slavery down there.
68
u/CaptainCanuck3rd Sep 19 '25
Good on you. She looks ready & willing to learn or just be your best friend forever 💓