4/11/2020 Cute Misty has been adopted and is now settling into her cosy, new home.
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Little Misty is a cute, tri-coloured, 8 year old Jack Russell Terrier lady who came into the Oldies Club rescue as her original owner died and left Misty to a friend who subsequently moved into pet-free accommodation. She’s currently living in a foster home in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey.
Misty’s ideal home: She would be happiest in a quiet home, perhaps without other pets or young children.
Settled well in foster care: Misty settled in her foster home within a few days and she is happy to be left alone for a few hours. She would probably be fine in a home with full-time workers providing she had a walk or garden break at lunchtime, though she hasn’t been left for very long in her foster home due to the Covid lockdown.
Tends to ignore other dogs: Misty often doesn’t like being approached by other dogs on a walk – she gets anxious and seems frightened (might snap). She doesn’t want to play or have another dog bouncing/sniffing around. However, she has spent a day with another peaceful dog, both on leads and mainly ignoring each other, so possibly would be fine with another dog once she got to know it.
No cats please: Misty hasn’t met cats since being in foster care. But if her carers say the word ‘cat’, she starts barking (which is very unusual for her) and looking for it, so she might not be a cat’s best friend … typical Terrier!
Fine with sensible children: Misty seems to enjoy children’s company at first but gets overwhelmed if they are too lively or if they crowd her/stroke her too much, and she can then snap. She is therefore not suited to living with a family with younger children. She has enjoyed the company of her carers’ two older teenagers. Misty knows what she likes and seems to have clear boundaries about her personal space and can snap if these are breached.
Walks well on the lead: Misty is very good on the lead, though quite slow when she is enjoying some good sniffs, so a short walk can take a while. She is excellent off the lead (away from roads, busy paths etc., because of her poor eyesight) as she trots along close by and can walk miles. She doesn’t stray far, but she can get disorientated in long grass/undergrowth. Her recall is not bad and she will return immediately if she hears a squeaky ball. Misty is currently enjoying a regular 30-minute walk twice a day. She will happily do more if she has the chance and she has done walks over 6 miles and been fine with that.
Okay in the car: Misty has done a few journeys sitting in the footwell with a passenger holding her lead and seems to prefer that to car rides in a crate, though then she usually seems anxious only on the way out and is better on the way home.
Misty’s favourite pastimes: Playing with a squeaky toy, chasing a football around the garden (she’s a brilliant dribbler!) and snuggling up on the sofa with her carers when she’s sleepy. She likes sitting right underneath where someone is chopping vegetables, hoping for a bit if there’s any going spare. She also loves having a back scratch or groom.
Misty’s dislikes: She’s generally quite an anxious girl – perhaps because of her poor eyesight. She jumps at loud noises or sudden movements and is not keen on being stroked by people she doesn’t know. Misty hates having her daily eye drops which are usually applied when she is asleep!
Health notes: Misty is spayed, microchipped, vaccinated and flea/worm treated. Unfortunately, she needed eye surgery when she came into Oldies Club care to divert the salivary ducts to her eyes as she wasn’t producing tears and her eyes were in a bad state from endless rubbing/scratching; also to correct in-turned eyelids that meant her lashes were irritating the surface of her eyes.
The specialist vet has monitored her progress and is happy with how the surgery worked. She will need eye drops for the rest of her life to ensure no mineral build-up, which would create painful crystalline deposits and cause ulceration. The optician would ideally like to see her every six months to monitor her eyes and check no further issues are developing. She needs one eye drop in each eye once a day; these are sneaked in when she’s asleep on the sofa because she really hates having them put in when she’s awake. She doesn’t mind having her nose/eye areas bathing at least once a day because her eyes water whenever she smells food/salivates and this can build up and the vet has advised it should be wiped regularly.
Misty has a special diet recommended by the optician vet to help prevent mineral build-up (Royal Canin), plus buttermilk powder added to her food for the same reason. She is also itchy/scratchy despite regular mite/flea treatment and currently takes medication (Apoquel – half a tablet once a day) to treat this, but it could have a habitual element to it and she needs consistent discouragement or distraction.
More from Misty’s fosterer: “She’s fun, intelligent, independent and cute. Misty is wonderful company and we’ve really enjoyed having her in our family through lockdown. She can be a little bit unpredictable sometimes, which may just be typical Jack Russell/Terrier behaviour, but she’s very entertaining and lovely to have around.”
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If you would like to offer Misty her permanent home, please read our Adoption Procedures for information about the adoption process. You can then contact an Oldies Club Rehoming Co-ordinator as follows:
Email: rehome@oldies.org.uk
Telephone: 0844 586 8656
Misty can be rehomed within a 2-hour drive of her foster home, subject to a satisfactory home visit. Note that you will be required to travel to the foster home to collect her.
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If you would love to offer a home to an oldie but your circumstances aren’t suitable, perhaps you would be kind enough to sponsor one of the special oldies we are caring for that, due to health problems, are unlikely to be offered a permanent home.