Zellie in Kirkland, WA

Zellie, or Zelle Belle as we call her, is a happy, sweet, affectionate 7-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She came into rescue due to her owner’s declining health. She can be a little shy and hesitant at first but she warms up quickly and shows her outgoing, loving self in no time. She is even more outgoing once she is comfortable in her environment and confident in her human. She loves spending time with “her person” and will become your little shadow. Getting pets is her favorite and she loves to give all the kisses.

She can be very playful and will find a favorite toy to entertain herself. She enjoys walks around the block, and when she knows a walk is coming, she can barely contain her excitement. She walks so well on a leash! She is always right alongside you without any pulling or tugging. While she has spurts of energy, she truly enjoys a good nap on the couch. When it comes to car rides, she does well and sits quietly in her car seat. She’s a curious one, searching high and low for new opportunities without disturbing much in her path.

Zellie occasionally interacts with her foster dog siblings, but she is definitely more of a people dog. She also has cats in her foster home, and since they ignore her, she ignores them. Zellie will do well with dogs of all sizes but may be timid at first when meeting very large dogs. Though she has not spent time around children we believe she would do great with respectful older kids. She is nothing but gentle.

Zellie does not have a good recall and should not be off leash in a non-secured area. When out in a fenced area, she enjoys putting her nose to work sniffing every inch for full inspection! Zellie has had some training for commands such as sit and go potty. However, the commands lay down, stay, and come could use some additional training. Being a Cavalier, of course Zellie loves food. If in the kitchen she can be quick to grab anything you drop on the floor, and her new family should be attentive to this.

Zellie’s morning starts out with going out to the backyard to potty but sometimes she’s so excited for breakfast that she will want to eat first. She’ll meet you at your feet and wait patiently for her food, and then will run to her kennel and wait inside or she’ll give you a hindleg stand trick waiting in excitement. She is starting to learn how to use a bell that hangs on the back door handle to let you know when she needs to go out. 

While at home, Zellie has free roam of the house except the blocked-off kitty room. She is okay home alone for short periods of time but can become anxious, and so we believe she would do best with an owner who works from home or can take her with them. At night Zellie enjoys sleeping cozy in her kennel. This is her safe place and she will sometimes take a mid-day nap in there. 

Zellie has a history of severe dental disease and was missing many teeth upon coming into rescue. Unfortunately, the disease progressed since her last dental and she ended up needing to have the remainder of her teeth removed. Now she’s a cute little “gummy bear” as we like to call her. Since then, she’s been only eating softened dry food or wet food. Zellie has had a sensitive stomach in the past and currently eats an easily-digestible food and takes a probiotic. She also had a cherry eye upon coming into rescue and it was corrected while under anesthesia for the dental.

Zellie has been started on a trial of the medication fluoxetine due to some odd behaviors that the veterinarian thinks could be from a compulsive disorder. She occasionally growls and bites at her back legs and obsessively licks surfaces and objects. Her foster parents are starting to see improvements on this medication. She has also been diagnosed with cataracts and a grade-2 heart murmur. 

If you are interested in welcoming Zellie to your family, please complete the online application (if you haven’t previously) and then email the local coordinator Melissa Cincotta at happycavaliers04@gmail.com so she knows of your interest. Please take a moment to read about our adoption process at the following links: Process & FAQ.

Online Application