Rehome | From One Loving Family to Another

In August 2022 I had to euthanize my almost 18 yr old male long-haired dachshund, McKenzie, who was my “purpose” in life. I knew this day was coming but was not at all prepared for how difficult this would be for me emotionally. Despite being a Hospice Social Worker, and although I knew in my heart it was time, I had an extraordinarily difficult time taking this step. The day after euthanizing him I had major surgery & shortly after that the grief of losing McKenzie came crashing down on me along with numerous other losses in my life that I had not properly dealt with over the past several years. After several weeks I became incredibly focused on adopting a dog in the absence of McKenzie. I am single, never married & have no children thus my pets have taken on a major role in my life. When I set my sights on adopting a dog, I decided that I wanted a totally different sort of dog (different breed, medium vs small, obviously younger, etc). I think I also “romanticized” the whole notion of “rescuing” a dog. My decision to adopt Zoe was a very emotional one based on all the above-mentioned. She was transported up to this area from Mississippi, where she was found as a stray. They labeled her as being a Blue Heeler & the shelter in Alexandria indicated she was an American Foxhound. There is no doubt in my mind that she has A LOT of Blue Heeler in her based on her looks, color, energy level amongst other traits. Zoe is a very well-adjusted pup & didn’t skip a beat when I brought her home almost 6 weeks ago. I strongly feel that any family who can meet her high-energy needs would be very fortunate to have Zoe in their lives. She truly is an amazing pup & companion. She’s in great health and in addition to the usual shots/vaccines she recently got the Lyme vaccine & flu shot.

==>> Please CLICK HERE to meet Zoe!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=nYs0drHjsKc

Dog: Primary Breed: Other, not listed

Primary Breed (if not in list): American Blue Heeler/American Foxhound

Birthdate, estimate is okay: 02/26/2022

Age Category: Young

Where did you get your pet?: Animal Rescue League - Alexandria, VA

Adoption Day, when did you adopt your pet? An estimate is okay.: 09/17/2022

Gender: Female

Size (at full grown): Medium

Weight (in pounds) at full-grown size. Example: 35: 31

Primary Color: Gray or Blue (Mostly)

What are your pet's favorite toys and activities?: ANYTHING & EVERYTHING outdoors Zoe loves to do!! She sprints across the yards we visit on Sniffspot.com at a pace that is amazing. She loves playing fetch with balls of all sorts, sticks & just about anything she can get her teeth/mouth around. She is always very busy sniffing throughout every one of our walks. If something is there Zoe will find it! She has a keen sense of smell not to mention her eyes & ears are always on high alert. She also loves to just sit out on the patio “people & dog watching.” She infrequently barks so when she does, I know she’s trying hard to tell me something. Zoe LOVES for her belly to be rubbed for as long as a human can stand to do it. She also loves every part of her body to be scratched. She’s especially loving at night as the day comes to an end when she gives lots of kisses & curls up next to me. She can be a real cuddler in bed but as of late ½ way through the night she seems to be leaving the BR & goes to the LR to curl up on a chair. I chalk that up to her becoming more confident & comfortable. She does like to chew treats especially antler chews, Yak cheese, bully sticks & cow hooves. These have been a great way to entertain her & keep her preoccupied. She also has a basket full of toys which she also loves playing with especially if her human will join in on the fun. She also does great riding in the car (strapped in of course) & loves hanging her head out the back window watching the world go by. More than anything she seems to love being as close as possible & as often as possible to her “human” & will most often follow me around the condo which is another reminder that she’d prefer to have companionship than be left alone.

Medical History and Care:

Vaccinations up to date

Spayed or Neutered

House/Litter-Trained

Microchipped

Special Diet

Special Needs

Never Vetted

Unknown

Personality:

Playful

Constant Companion

High Energy

Medium Energy

Low Energy

Stubborn

Timid

Needs Training

Friendly to Strangers

Good with Other Dogs

Good with Young Children

Good with Cats

Bonded Pair

Requires A Fenced Yard

Crate Trained

Purebred

Is there anything else you'd like your pet's new family to know?: Zoe has an infectious personality. Not only is she a beautiful pup but she's also a very sweet, silly, happy, loving, friendly, confident, head strong, independent, smart, curious & playful pup with an extremely high energy level. She loves humans & dogs & can barely contain herself when we come across one or both when out on our walks. She gets very excited, her tail wags furiously but she has no sense of boundaries & jumps a lot & almost does somersaults! She shows no aggressive behavior toward other dogs that I've observed & I've been with her 24/7 since the adoption. She’s been experiencing separation anxiety thus crate training has thus far not been successful. For this reason, & after collaborating with my vet, Zoe was recently started on Prozac. She loves more than anything in the world to be with her “person/people” & at this time has little to no tolerance for being left alone (at least not in my small condo). I’ve been out on an extended medical leave of absence from work thus I’ve had the ability to be with her 24/7. During this time, we’ve been out for lengthy walks 3-4x/day in addition to accessing acre sized yards I rent for an hour on Sniffspot.com almost daily. It’s clear that she’s totally in her element when outdoors. When I return to work on Mon 10/31 she will go to doggie daycare Mon-Fri. Unfortunately, this is in no way financially sustainable on a long-term basis. I want what’s absolutely best for Zoe which is to ensure she gets the essential ongoing physical exercise on a daily basis which I can’t give her. And better yet that involves other dogs as she loves the socialization & it really exhausts her!

Why are you rehoming your pet (primary reason)?: Housing is Inadequate for Pet

Rehoming reason details (if necessary): Making the decision to “rehome” Zoe has been a very difficult & painful one for me. I did little to no research re: Blue Heelers/American Foxhounds thus was ignorant re: her need for an immense amount of daily physical activity. I also didn’t think through the training that would need to occur not to mention that it might be possible that leaving her in a crate when I had to return to work wouldn’t be an option. There’s so very much that I didn’t think through, not to mention that my decision to adopt Zoe was purely & simply based on my emotions. I did everything I could to prepare for her to come home with me but that was essentially the extent of my preparations. Zoe & I have built a bond that strengthens every day. When I look to the future, I have to be honest with myself & accept the fact that I cannot meet her physical needs hence financial needs if that involves paying for daily doggie daycare while I’m at work. Since crating Zoe isn’t an option right now due to her separation anxiety, I did a lot of research re: what options would best meet her daily physical needs while I’m at work. Given that her activity & energy levels are extremely high I ultimately decided on a doggie daycare that has a 2-acre outdoor area where she can run & run & absolutely poop herself out! Unfortunately, this cost isn’t something that I can afford on a long-term basis. She needs & deserves to romp around a large, fenced backyard all day every day and/or have someone who has the ability to walk/hike/run with her numerous times each day. She also thrives on racing around & playing with other dogs. A guaranteed way to exhaust Zoe!

How long will you be able to keep your pet before you may need to consider surrendering him or her to a rescue?: One month

Who is your veterinarian?: Lake Forest Animal Hospital

What do you feed your pet?: Kibble with wet dog food mixed in

Would you consider a long distance adoption?:

Yes

Maybe

City, State: Gaithersburg, MD

Zip Code: 20879