Fifteen-year-old Handi was left at a Pennsylvania shelter in April 2024 by her owners; there was suspicion of cruelty/neglect, and her owners admitted they could no longer take care of her. Handi soon came to her Virginia Blind Dog Rescue foster home. Now Handi is looking for someone who is ready to step up to give her the very best chapter of her life! Please read on if you think this might be you. Handi hopes so! 

Handi is a beautiful, low-key, 7-pound Schnauzer/Yorkie mix who sees and hears very little. She has been in her foster home since April. When she first arrived, she did not seem to have an understanding of housetraining and what to do when taken outside. Her foster parents put her on a schedule of going out every 2 to 3 hours, and, within a month, she was doing such a great job. Then, about a month ago, she began to have accidents in the house again even though she is on the same routine. Her foster parents suspect possible cognitive decline as Handi also tends to wander aimlessly at times and to be uncertain about where she is. 

Handi ignores the other dogs in her foster home and also ignores the cat. She spends most of her time napping. When she is up and wandering around, if she bumps into another dog or if a dog bumps into her, she doesn’t mind a bit. Handi is not happy, though, with sudden movements made by people, particularly with people she does not know. When she first arrived in her foster home, she was a bit snappy when being handled but her foster parents soon learned to go very slowly and consistently let her first sniff their hand and then, when she was alert, she would get a pat on the head and then could easily be picked up; she has been just fine with this. 

At the vet, because procedures there tend to be intrusive and sometimes painful, she can be snappy. Handi sleeps quietly through the night in an indoor pen and, in fact, hardly makes a sound even during the day! She has briefly barked only a few times. She enjoys attention when she gets it but is also happy to nap. She is starting to seek out her foster mom and is very glad to nap in a bed beside her foster mom. She does well in the car; she is typically tethered in the back seat. She may wander back and forth and then will relax. She does tend to tremble a lot, though, in a variety of situations, but does not seem overly bothered by car rides. She needs to be carried up and down any and all steps. 

There are many good things to say about Handi and her health, especially considering she is an older pup! These things include: -a dental was completed in May and her two lower canines were removed. She only has three teeth left (three small ones on the lower left side) which are in good shape. She eats soft food only. She LOVES to eat! -the shelter detected a Grade I-II heart murmur but, prior to her dental surgery, her ECG was sent to a cardiologist and no heart concerns were noted, including no murmur. -her eyes are currently stable; she has bilateral cataracts. -ears are clear -no luxating patellas (these are very common with small dogs but two vets have checked her legs and found her kneecaps intact at this time) -she is heartworm negative. 

Handi does have some medical issues. These include: -history of IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia) in 2012, pyometra in 2014, and significant liver disease in 2021. All this was prior to Handi coming to BDRA, and was on documentation the Pennsylvania shelter received on Handi from her former owners. None of these prior medical concerns is a concern at this time for Handi except that very occasionally she may vomit. Her liver values from April were only slightly elevated and she is on no treatment at this time. Her current vet recommends rechecking her liver values periodically. -a tendency to rapidly extend her left hind leg (and occasionally her right). Sometimes this causes Handi to fall, and sometimes she cannot stand back up. X-rays revealed no concern besides minor arthritis so there could possibly be a neurological or spinal component causing this. She is now on Galliprant once a day, and that has worked very well so far in controlling this problem. It still does occur about once or twice a week. -low grade mammary carcinoma with suspected lymphatic invasion. Because of Handi’s age, the rescue has decided not to pursue chemotherapy for Handi but will ensure she remains comfortable. Currently she is comfortable and she has no symptoms. Likely symptoms of concern would include coughing and other breathing issues. 

Anyone seriously interested in adopting Handi should share this information with their vet and they can also receive a copy of her vet records with more details. BDRA wants to be sure any potential adopter is fully informed about Handi’s current health. Also, any adopter should understand that BDRA cannot predict future medical needs for Handi or any dog. Handi has not spent time around children and would not be a candidate to be adopted into a home with young children. She would likely be easily startled by young children who often move quickly and unpredictably, and in those cases she may be snappy. Handi is looking for someone who loves senior dogs and who wants to focus on giving her the best life which she so deserves in her older age. She will reward that person with her gentle love and will be a great companion on the sofa or in a lap. If you think you can provide Handi the forever home she wants so much, fill out an adoption application today!

Spayed/Neutered:  Yes

Breed:  Schnauzer/Yorkshire Terrier

Age:  Senior

Date of Birth:  01/01/2009

Weight:  7 lbs.

Size when grown:  Small

House trained:  No.  Handi was not housetrained when she arrived at her foster home. They worked hard, she was then doing great, and now she pees and poops randomly, on no kind of schedule.

Good with other dogs:  Yes

Good with cats:  Yes

Good with children:  No

Transportation is available.