If you are looking for a low-key, gentle dog, then read on! Dilly might be just the dog for you!

Dilly was a stray who landed in a Pennsylvania shelter in August 2023 and she came to her Blind Dog Rescue foster home in Virginia that same month.

Dilly is a 12-year-old Cairn Terrier and she weighs 14 pounds. She has a beautiful coat although is missing some hair on her back due to a past flea infestation but her hair is growing back. The shelter completed a dental so her teeth are in good shape. She has mature bilateral cataracts; she seems to be able to see a little. She also hears. Her heart currently sounds healthy. She is heartworm negative and her bloodwork showed no concerns although her thyroid was in the low normal range so will be checked again in early September. She was very good at the vet, including when she had to have blood drawn. She also did a great job at the groomers!

Dilly has a few medical issues like many older dogs do. She has a torn meniscus in her left hind leg. Sometimes she may have an awkward gait as a result but generally does well. She also will cough although this is rare. The vet said her cough is most likely due to a collapsing trachea at the thoracic level; the cause is likely genetic. She should never wear a collar because this could cause additional problems for her trachea; she should always wear a harness. She also has a mild head tilt to the left which is likely due to vestibular syndrome. None of these issues warrant treatment or intervention at this time but anyone interested in adopting Dilly might want to talk with their vet to find out what these issues could mean for the future. While she might need treatment for one or more someday, she also may not. Any rescue dog’s past medical history is a mystery and predicting future medical needs (if any) is impossible.

Dilly has been an easy-going foster so far! She is learning the routine and now will mill about near the kitchen counter with the 5 other dogs in the home when it is almost mealtime. She is a good eater. She doesn’t mind the leash and now can be guided out of the house and into the yard. This includes going down two somewhat tall steps with guidance from one of her foster parents. She is carried back into the house. Anyone adopting Dilly should expect to carry her most to all of the time on steps.

She loves to walk around outside and smell all the smells. She doesn’t move quickly but does enjoy a walk around the yard. She is housetrained; the times she has had accidents in the house were due to her foster parents not keeping on her schedule. She sleeps quietly in an indoor pen at night.

She doesn’t mind the other dogs in the foster home. She doesn’t seek them out to interact and generally ignores them. She also ignores the cat.

She is starting to enjoy “sofatime” at the end of the day when her foster parents and all the dogs get on the sofa to relax and watch TV. At first, she wanted to get off the sofa but now she knows the routine and will stay on the sofa and take a nap. She likes attention from her foster parents but does not seek it out. She especially likes her back scratched. She seems comfortable riding in a car although may sometimes whine when the car stops. Her foster parents have not heard her make a sound yet while at home.

Dilly has not spent time around children and would not be a candidate to be adopted into a home with young children. She has never growled, snapped, or bitten, but she would likely be easily startled by young children who often move quickly and unpredictably.

Dilly is looking for a loving home to spend the rest of her life. If you think you can give Dilly the home she deserves, fill out an application today! Remember a transport can be arranged (within a reasonable distance) at no cost to the adopter.

Spayed/Neutered:  Yes 

Breed:  Cairn Terrier

Age:  Adult

Date of Birth:  August 4, 2011

Weight:  14 lbs.

Size when grown:  Small

House trained:  Yes

Good with other dogs:  Yes

Good with cats:  Yes

Good with children:  Dilly has not been around children and would not do well in a home with young children because she is easily startled.

Transportation is available.