Thunder's Angels
Dog Rescue
Adoption Status: AVAILABLE
Gender: Male
Weight: 40 lbs - currently underweight and will mature to 60
to 70lbs.
ID: 2011-23
Breed Estimate: Dutch Shepherd
Age: Approximately 7 months
Adoption Fee: $375
Interaction with dogs: Acceptable. Romeo is still a puppy and loves to play with other
dogs of all types and sizes.
Interaction with cats: Likely acceptable. Romeo does not have cats in his foster home so
he has not yet been tested off-leash with cats but he has seen cats
through cages at the vet's office and has shown very little interest in
them. He has a wonderful docile temperament and will likely be fine
living with cats. If you have cats in your home, he will need to be
tested with them during your home visit (prior to adoption) to ensure
their safety.
Interaction with children: Acceptable. Romeo does not currently live with children but he
has a wonderful temperament and seeks affection from the
neighborhood children when on his daily walks.
Activity Level: Moderate. Romeo is still a puppy so he needs daily walks and playtime with
other dogs but when adequately exercised, he is not a high energy dog at
all. He is happy to follow you around the house and lay at your feet.
Leash manners: Acceptable. Romeo still pulls a little bit but it is minimal and he is learning
quickly. He loves jogging next to his foster dad on walks and his young
age coupled with his athletic breed mix will make him a great running
partner for someone!
Housetraining: Mostly housetrained. Romeo has an occasional accident in the house when
he is not taken out often enough. His foster family is teaching him to ring a
bell when he needs to go outside and he is picking up on that quickly.
Health status: Vaccinated, heartworm tested, neutered, dewormed. If you have been following Romeo's story, then you know that he was brought to us in very poor condition. Romeo was neglected previously and arrived underweight with worms and a terrible case of kennel cough. He has since been treated for the worms and for kennel cough and he is slowly but steadily gaining weight. Romeo was also the victim of abuse - his ear was torn off by a very cruel person. Romeo has healed much quicker than we expected - he still has a small wound on his skull and another on his leg but they will be completely closed up soon. After the trauma, Romeo suffered an intense ear infection but that is healing well also and he does not have any hearing loss....however, Romeo's ear will forever be missing. His missing ear does not pose any medical problems - it is purely a cosmetic issue and he does not seem to care that it's missing...he's a happy and well-adjusted dog who needs someone to love him for the wonderful dog that he is, despite his appearance!
Major Personality Traits: To say that Romeo's temperament is wonderful would be an understatement. Not only is he docile and loving but after all that he has been through, you can tell that he is truly grateful to be loved by people. When Romeo first arrived and we had to clean his open wounds, prod his infected ear, and force pills and cough medicine down his throat, you could tell that he hated it but he never once pulled away or tried to bite....he patiently sat through all of his treatments. He is the type of dog that sits and lets you clip his nails with no problem. Unfortunately, his trusting personality is probably what made it possible for him to be abused....but we are dedicated to finding the right family for him so that he will never have to know that pain again.
Special Needs: Despite the abuse he has experienced, Romeo is not timid or skittish with people - he is still very trusting. However, Romeo does not like to be confined. He needs to be adopted into a home where he will NOT be crated - confinement causes him serious anxiety. In his foster home, when left unattened, Romeo's access is just limited to the first floor of the home and does fine with that.
Amount of additional training needed: Average. Romeo has not had enough time in foster care yet to be taught basic commands - so far, he has only learned his name, "treats", "come" and "sit". He is doing great with housetraining and with learning leash manners. It will be beneficial for his adoptive family to continue with his positive reinforcement training to build his confidence and bond with him.
Minimum Adoption Requirements:
~ Compassion and understanding for Romeo's history and acceptance of his resulting appearance.
~ We do not adopt dogs to homes with children under age 5.
~ Adopters must reside within 90 minutes of Harleysville, PA.
~ Physical fence preferred but not required (no electric fences please).
~ Another dog in the home is preferred but not required.
If you meet these requirements and can give Romeo the life he deserves, please click here to review our adoption policies and procedures and to complete an application.
(more photos below)
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