Mutts Matter: A Little Chihuahua With A Big Heart

Treasure, photo via Mutts Matter Rescue Treasure_2 Treasure, photo via Mutts Matter Rescue Treasure, photo via Mutts Matter Rescue

This biweekly column is written by Suzanne Lawter, Director of Community Outreach for Mutts Matter Rescue, a local nonprofit, all-volunteer dog rescue. Mutts Matter is a network of volunteers who love animals and want to make a difference by helping forgotten and discarded dogs find loving families. Since our founding in 2010, we have successfully rescued and placed more than 1,400 dogs in the local Washington Metropolitan area.

Treasure is a sweet, little Chihuahua who weighs only 10 pounds but has a huge heart. She gets along with everyone she meets, and is appropriately named because it is rare to find a dog who is so accepting and fits with so many different types of families. She does well with dogs of all sizes, kids of all ages, and even kitties too. She’ll make an excellent family dog, or a devoted companion for a single owner who is looking for unconditional love.

Treasure is a survivor, rescued out of an Amish puppy mill in Lancaster, Pa., escaping what is a bad life for any dog. We think she may have been one of the lucky few who was freed from her cage periodically, and taken inside the home. These glimpses of kindness gave her a chance to experience family life and socialize with the women and children on the farm. She’s still a little fearful of men when she first meets them, and that’s most likely because it was men who mistreated her, confined her and forced her to breed.

That tough life is far behind her now, and things are looking up for sweet Treasure. She’s being fostered by some of our veteran foster parents, Lisa and Tommy, and lives with several other small dogs that she can romp and play with. Freedom must feel so good for this little pup, and she has quickly taken to living life in a home. She has learned how to walk on a leash, sit, and gently take treats, and is also mostly house-trained. Treasure is also learning to trust visitors to her home, and if you engage her, she will jump up in your lap now to snuggle and give you kisses.

Lisa has been working with Treasure on socialization and regularly takes her to work to give her more exposure to the outside world.  She’s still fairly young at only four-and-a-half, but since she spent almost four of those years in confinement, she’s just a baby when it comes to new experiences. Because of this, Treasure is still a little fearful of loud noises and hectic environments, but she’s resilient and will continue to get better with time.

Lisa describes Treasure as a quiet, sweet dog who just wants to be loved. She says she is “a true Velcro dog and her biggest joy is when she’s with her person being carried, held, and loved on.” Treasure loves to play, loves her toys and bully sticks, and she shares well with her canine buddies.

She is so good with other dogs that Lisa puts her to work in her pet sitting business by being in charge of welcoming new dogs to the home. Treasure is the first dog a new client meets from Lisa’s pack, and has such an unassuming way about her that she quickly bonds with the new dog to make them feel at home.

Everyone who meets Treasure realizes immediately that she is an awesome dog, so it’s hard to understand why she hasn’t been adopted yet. Her unique coloring of white fur on her face makes her appear like an older dog in pictures, but she is very much a young, energetic, and playful pup who would do great in any home. She adores kids and is very gentle with them, so she’d be ideal for families with kids of any age who want to add a wonderful little companion.

If you are looking for a sweet, social pup who can be your dog’s best friend, greet family and friends who visit with warmth and enthusiasm, be a playmate for your kids, or a snuggle companion for your retired parents — Treasure is your dog.

To learn more about Treasure, go to the Mutts Matter Adoption Page and fill out an application, or you can contact Suzanne at suzanne@muttsmatterrescue.com.

Follow Mutts Matter on Facebook to learn more .

Photo via Katherine Carver

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