From scabby and scared to floofy and fabulous
Age is nothing but a number when it comes to Rose Nylund, an eleven-year-old Poodle Pomeranian mix. Although she is a senior dog, Rose’s mom Erika says that she still has a lot of “spunk and moxie.” Seattle Animal Shelter foster parent Krista shares similar observations from her time with Rose and mentions that her favorite thing while fostering her was her sassiness.
This little golden girl went into the care of Krista in April 2016. Before moving to Seattle, Krista and her husband fostered in their home state of Maine and have been fostering for nearly 10 years. When she settled into her new home city of Seattle, Krista was drawn to the community-based group of volunteers at Seattle Animal Shelter, and how much other support and resources the shelter is able to offer. Rose was Krista’s first small dog foster and was a change of pace, having fostered larger dogs like pit bulls and boxers in the past.
While Rose behaved well, she had issues with her physical health. She was very under-weight and had rough scabs all over her body, in place of the little fur she had. Krista, her husband, and the veterinary team at SAS all provided Rose with medicated baths multiple times a week to help with her skin condition.
With this careful and consistent care, Rose made great strides in a short period of time. Her scabbing reduced and was replaced by a fuller coat of fur as time went on.
Erika adopted Rose in July 2016 and is happy to report that Rose is now “a glorious 13 pounds of pure floof,” a huge improvement from being very skinny and scraggly when she first arrived at the shelter. Rose is small but mighty, and her mom shares that she is “like a little princess cloud who knows she’s better than everyone else.” That being said, Rose is amazing with humans and enjoys the sweeter things in life, like a good lingering walk and a nice long nap. She enjoys napping so much, she can disappear for a few z’s without you noticing.
“One time I could not find her,” said Krista. “But she had snuck into a bedroom closet and hopped into the clothes hamper for a nap.”
Size also does not stop Rose from enjoying a good treat. While tiny, Rose can enjoy and destroy her favorite treats. She is also a sucker for belly scratches and will often almost roll off the couch in scratching bliss.
Erika was looking for a smaller dog who would be better suited for apartment life. She was won over by the pictures she saw of Rose that exuded her sassiness. Although they’ve moved on from their apartment to a house in Tacoma, Rose is still a little royal ruler of the household.
If you are interested in supporting SAS’s programs like foster care and for critters to have their medical needs met, consider donating to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation.