Lily in Seattle, WA

Here’s Lily with her new family…

This is Lily! She is a happy, exuberant, 11-year-old Blenheim girl. Everyone who meets her, including the vet, is surprised that she’s older than seven years. Her vision is good and her energy level is amazing. 

Lily’s family released her to rescue because she was anxious around the young children and wasn’t getting enough attention to be her happiest. There were also a couple of nipping incidents when the kids startled her while sleeping and grabbed her when they were learning to walk.

Sweet Lily really wants to be on a lap! If a lap is unavailable, she paces until one becomes available. Additionally, she loves to be in the narrow space between the person providing the lap and the arm of the chair: starting at the front of the chair, she backs into the “barely discernable opening” and drops into that tight crevice. The snugness of the location seems to give her a feeling of security.

When Lily sees us getting our coats, she is “at the ready.” When she sees her harness, she is “at the GO!” She is fully aware of the significance of the harness and starts bouncing and voicing her excitement! She acts like she has always worn a harness and pushes right into it. Additionally, if she gets tangled in the leash, she steps out of the tangle without a misstep, as though she knows exactly what she’s doing: what a smart pup! This girl is a terrific walker! She can easily and happily walk at least a couple of miles.

Lily is a talker: she is outspoken and opinionated, especially when a meal or a walk isn’t happening fast enough. When she first arrived at our home, she was not interested in eating. Now, when she is hungry and we’re not feeding her, she goes to the kitchen and bangs her dish around. At home she is fast and agile, easily jumping up onto the dining table: did somebody say cake? She is very food motivated and care must be taken to keep your food and beverages far from her, though she doesn’t beg when we are eating. Hope springs eternal. 

On walks, or anytime she is outside, she does a lot of “reading.” She is always sniffing and trying to assess which animals have been there ahead of her. She is a hunter, both at home and when out-and-about. Let the fun begin! Note: this hunting behavior is very strong, and she definitely should not be walked without a sturdy harness. Lily could easily get out of anything ill-fitting or light weight and we are sure she is a “runner.” She could also easily and quickly get through an open door because she is small and very fast!

Lily doesn’t appear to know how to play with toys. She is, however, playful on a one-to-one basis. When she sees me tapping on the floor she races forward and back, talking and barking with a lot of energy to burn! She likes adults and generally enjoys meeting them. She had one incident here where she was on a lap and slightly snapped at a houseguest who tried to pet her. It was a gesture and she didn’t actually make contact.

She saw a vet in January who said, “she appears very healthy.” Lily has a faint (“quiet”) heart murmur, which doesn’t require medication at this time. She has a history of skin allergies and scratching and had medication for this in her original home, but the itching seems minimal at this time. Bathing with a soothing shampoo and conditioner helps and she is very easy to bathe, sitting patiently in the sink for the process.

She weighs 17 lbs. and is eating salmon kibble, which is preferable for dogs with allergies, and she has been getting fish oil while living here. Her teeth are in good condition and she has most of them. Her eyes are clear and vision is good. She is hard of hearing and responds better to a whistle than a voice. She is spayed, chipped, and current on her vaccinations.

She has at least some level of separation anxiety and is really unhappy when crated. We have started giving her a Kong toy filled with something tasty, which she loves and keeps her occupied, whenever crating her. She is reliably housebroken.

The lovely Lily will be a wonderful addition to a household where she is supervised and gets lots of exercise. This girl needs consistent walks and lots of cuddles and lap time. A home with another dog would be a possibility, depending on the demeaner of that dog, though not necessary for her. She visits the neighborhood pet supply store where she is greeted by many other pet owners who are also there with their dogs; she is happy to see the adult people, and greets the other dogs, then promptly turns her attention to other things. A home with cats or young children would not be her “happy place.” Because she is such a talker, apartment life would not be optimal for her or for those around her.

If you live within driving distance of Seattle and are interested in adopting Lily, please complete the online application (if you haven’t done so previously) and then email rescue coordinator Melissa Cincotta at happycavaliers04@gmail.com so she knows to consider your application. Please take a moment to read about our adoption process at the following links: Process & FAQ

Online Application