Cricket in West Hills, CA

Cricket is a 10-12 year-old Tricolor Cavalier weighing about 24 pounds. This Golden Girl is on the road to a better physique with a measured good diet plan and more physical activity. Let’s let her tell her story…

Hi! My name is Cricket. Very little is known about me. After the sudden passing of my mom several months ago, I was passed around to different family members and friends. By the time I made it into rescue, no one even knew exactly how old I was. My foster family is delighted to see some curls coming in now that my fur is growing back after being shorn very short.

Cricket is not my original name. People used to call me Blanket. Could it be that my first mom was a Michael Jackson fan? It doesn’t really matter what people call me. I cannot hear much of anything due to having infections in both ears for a long time. After several weeks of treatment, some of my hearing has been restored. Will I always respond when called? Probably not, but I will give it my best. 

Along with being treated for the ear infections after arriving in my foster home, I needed to have an assessment on my heart with a Cardiologist before I could undergo a dental procedure for my bad teeth. The Cardiologist determined that I have a grade 4/6 systolic murmur with moderate left atrial enlargement. My ACVIM is stage B2 which means that I have some heart enlargement but will benefit a lot with medicine and regular monitoring. I am now taking a heart medication, twice a day and got the clearance for the dental procedure. I had 14 extractions, but I can have no problem devouring a bowl of food. I do feel much so better now and even perkier. I’m grateful to CR-USA for ensuring I got this medical stuff done. 

I am a very sweet, tail-wagging, cautious, senior lady. It does take me awhile to warm up to new people. Foster mom says I’m slowly coming out of my shell and will need my new family to be patient with me. I love food and am very food motivated. Treats work well in gaining my trust. My new home will have to watch my waistline. According to the vet and my foster mom, I should weigh between 19-21 lbs. I’ve already lost over a pound. I would do well as an only dog but wouldn’t mind a companion of any size. I would like my forever home to include someone home most of the time. A fenced yard to explore and bask in the sun are a definite plus. Respectful children are fine, but it will take time before I will approach them. I’ve not been a yippy dog while at my foster home but have recently found various reasons to bark while outside exploring the backyard. I’ve even learned that sometimes the squirrels and opossums will talk back to me. 

While I prefer not to be picked up, I’m slowly learning that it might be worth the ear scratches and belly rubs that I get in return. During the day, I am one of three office assistants helping foster mom get her work done. Our main job is to sleep in the home office thereby creating the white background noise aka snoring that helps mom get her work done. We are allowed breaks, which usually means snack time. Evenings find us all in the family room watching TV. While dogs are allowed on the furniture, I find myself preferring the dog blanket on the floor near my foster mom. Something tells me that in my previous life I wasn’t allowed on the couch. I did surprise all of us one night when I jumped up on the couch all by myself and settled in next to mom.

If you are interested in providing Cricket a loving home and live within a reasonable drive of West Hills, CA please complete our online application if you haven’t already and then email Donna Beirne at d_beirne@yahoo.com so she knows of your interest.

Online Application