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_________ B I O ______________ 

Name: Virginia 
Size:  ~Large range: 61-100 lbs.
Adoption Donation:  $75 (applicable sales tax included). Adoption fees may be paid by cash or check. 
Other:  Spayed Female, Vaccinations current, Microchip, No other pets,  Older considerate children only,  Must have fenced yard. 

*  Virginia has skin allergies, as do many dogs, and requires injections (Cytopoint) every 3-4 months at the cost of about $100 each.  She takes daily urinary medication (Proin) at about $25 a month.  She also has an anti-anxiety medication (Trazadone) that is taken only as needed for stressful situations.

 

Virginia is looking for a home and person to be all hers!

 

Foster Home Feedback

*  No other pets, Older considerate children only (due to opening doors), Must have fenced yard

6/28/2020: Hi, Virginia here...I am loving life this summer!  Mom and I are pretty much living at the lake and I am becoming reallllly good at fetch, both inside and out. Although I would rather not spend any time swimming in the lake, I do have to admit it is a really good way to cool off.  

6/22/2020: Reasons to adopt Virginia 
1.  Very calm and chill dog - Indoors and out
2.  Loves children!
3.  Isn’t a needy dog...happy to just be near, doesn’t 
      have to be on you
4.  Not reactive to dogs thru a fence or riding in a 
      Vehicle
5.  Very healthy...just takes one pill for her bladder 
      (Quite common for older spayed female dogs)
6.  Never has accidents!
7.  Sleeps quietly in a dog bed, but if you’d like her to 
      sleep with you, she will happily do so
8.  Doesn’t need to be kenneled
9.  Believe it or not, I have never once heard her whine or growl in over 2 years!  Rarely barks 
10.  Rides unbelievably quiet in cars and boats
11.  When I tell her it is bath time, she walks into the shower or jumps into the tub!  Likewise, she knows to never enter my flowerbeds. You tell her the rules and she remembers 
Virginia’s challenges:
1.  She needs to be your only pet.  
2.  Gunshots, fireworks, and thunderstorms make Virginia anxious and she wants to be near her person. Anti-anxiety medication helps. 
3.  Her seasonal environmental allergies are becoming less and less. Currently managed by Cytopoint injection every 4-5 months. They cost approximately $100
4.  Virginia would thrive in a home where someone only works out of the house part-time, or better yet is retired or works from home. 

This beautiful dog has been looking for her forever home for 4 years!  She is one of those dogs that has never caught a break and gets overlooked or adopted by the wrong person.  I still believe there is a person out there who will love her as much as I do.  Until that happens I will continue loving her for you. If you think you might be that person, I will work with you and support a plan for an easy transition to your home and life. 

5/5/2020: Spring has sprung and Virginia is having lots of fun playing fetch in the backyard again...although she usually stops about 20 feet from you so she can pounce and bounce on it herself while pushing it to you.  She is a dog that can amuse herself.  If I am busy mowing or gardening, she just rests and takes a snooze or quietly watches the world through our picket fence.  If I am busy in the house she just finds one of her beds or blankets and snoozes.  She is not a dog that has to be right next to you and I honestly don't think I have ever heard her whine.  She is a "people of all ages" friendly dog!  We do a lot of walking in this Covid-19 world and I am happy to say she has been meeting strangers and bikers on the bike path very nicely.

Virginia is a very quiet dog, never begs, rarely barks rides in any vehicle like a champ, and never getting excited about anything she sees.  She loves kids of all ages and is not rambunctious in the least.  Virginia recently played ball with an 18-month-old and was so gentle and careful not to bump him.  As befits an almost 7-year-old canine, she doesn't require a lot of physical activity.  We go on a couple of walks a day, or you can easily wear her out with some fetch activity as well.

Virginia does want to be your "one and only" pet, but she is not aggressive when she sees other dogs.  Her skin issues are minimal; she is on regular dog food and went almost 5 months between Cytopoint injections.  She never has any accidents, and only takes one inexpensive medication ($25 per month).  I have a hard time understanding how this super easy girl hasn't found her forever home. 

Her perfect home and family/person would be one that is retired, only works part-time, or works from home.  She doesn't have any trouble staying by herself for four hours or so and not be kenneled.  I haven't kenneled her here for over a year as she is not destructive and is happiest being left out.

As always...I will love and cherish this beautiful lady until you find her.

12/24/19: Virginia is excited for Christmas and is wondering if Santa might be bringing her that elusive forever home? I've been telling her to be patient and that someone will fall in love with her one day. She has been her usual perfect self here...I am retired, so I am in and out throughout the day. If it isn't too cold, Virginia usually accompanies me and waits quietly and patiently in the car. We still deliver Meals on Wheels and she never as much as sniffs the container with the meals. She is such a good girl...so calm and so well behaved. We go for walks most days as she has a really warm coat and she wears felted wool booties I made just for her. If it isn't too cold, she loves to play with her soccer ball in the snow. 

Virginia is looking for a home where she wouldn't have to be alone for more than 4 hours a day.  She is honestly a great dog for a retired person/couple and she is excellent with children of all ages. Or if you work part-time or work from home, she would be such a great companion. I tell Virginia every day that someday, someone will realize that she would be perfect in their home.  Rest assured, I will love and cherish this special girl until that person finds her.  Merry Christmas! 

11/4/19: Happy Fall!!  Virginia here, letting you know I got picked to have my picture on a special Fargo Brewing beer can and will be there Monday night, November 4th from 5 to 5:30 pm.  Come and meet me...I am pretty darn awesome!  Check out the new video my foster mom took of me playing in her backyard too.

10/19/19 Volunteer Feedback: I was thrilled to get to watch Virginia for the weekend!  She is really the easiest house guest to have around. 

It was our recent stormy weekend, so most of our time was inside snuggling with blankets – she didn’t seem to mind the weather outside as much as I did. And WOW, was she quiet, I don’t think she made a single noise all weekend unless you count some light snoring.

On Sunday, we went for a car ride (which she LOVES) and then she came to help us get ready for our upcoming silent auction.  We worked on baskets and she supervised.

Virginia is such a sweetheart and really deserves to have a home of her own.  It was hard to let her go after the weekend; she really is that special.

​10/2/19:  This sweet girl is once again back in the rescue after her last adopter's job situation changed and she was not able to work from home.  Being alone all day just wasn't working well...especially with so many scary thunderstorms this summer while mom was at work.  So once again, she is back with me and I am more than happy to have her here.  

This beautiful girl has been in the rescue for almost three years!  She was dog-friendly when she first came to 4 Luv but was returned to us when her first adopter was deployed...and at that time she was no longer a fan of other dogs.  It is difficult to find fosters for dogs who aren't dog-friendly and Virginia lived very unhappily at the shelter for a long time...she was very anxious, developed allergies and bad skin from compulsive licking of herself and her kennel.  As a building volunteer, she just broke my heart and I started taking her out of the building to help deliver Meals on Wheels, run errands or go for walks at Gooseberry Park.  In December 2017 I was down to one foster and my own little guy, so I took her home knowing I would have to crate and rotate to keep her secure from the others.  I was happy to do it as she is such a sweetheart and such a patient and happy girl here.  In a nutshell, that is her past.  She is a dog that just has never caught a break, and it is my mission to find her a forever and ever home!

Virginia is now 6 years old and as befits a middle-aged dog, she sleeps more, is content with a couple of walks a day or playing in the backyard, she doesn't need to be kenneled when I am gone, she loves being in the car and is perfectly behaved.  Although Virginia needs to be an only pet, she is not reactive to seeing dogs...she just doesn't want to interact.  I am retired, so I am not often away from home for more than a couple of hours and I think she will need to be a forever pet for someone who works from home, only works part-time...or is retired.  She loves to be around you and checks in with a quick lick and a wiggly butt and then goes to her bed or her end of the couch and just chills.  She is so calm and just goes with the flow.

Virginia loves children (needs older, considerate children so they do not let her out the door) and people in general.  If someone rings our doorbell or comes over, she kennels quietly and easily.  When everyone is away from the door, she comes out of the kennel friendly and calmly.   

Honestly, Virginia is a gem.  She is quiet, pretty low energy and is a great dog for a retired person like myself in that she loves the grandkids when they visit.  In the almost two years she has been with me, I have never once heard her even softly growl.  She's a lover and so deserving of a home where people will love her back!  Rest assured, I will keep her close to my heart until you find her.

Below are a few of the many foster feedbacks I posted prior to her adoption in April:  

3/28/19: Virginia is relishing the arrival of warm weather and longer walks. In between her walks, she is content to snooze close to wherever I am. We have big news too!  Virginia is trustworthy with my own elderly small dog(Harley)!  After a year of crating and rotating, they coexist very nicely and I am just thrilled.  Harley has always been a dog who has no interest in interacting with other dogs and Virginia is quite the same. They complement each other and there is no jealousy or guarding of food, treats or my attention...or my lap.  They are comfortable with each other.  Does this mean she can live with any dog?  Absolutely not...it would probably have to be an older dog not interested in interacting with her and you would need to crate and rotate for a long period of time.  
 

Virginia is often found relaxing in her open kennel and I sometimes kennel her if I am gone just for practice. But more and more, I just leave her out after securing the garbage in the bathroom. She's almost perfect, but she does love kleenex and also learned how to open the cupboard door under the sink...and also the bread drawer...so bread is now a refrigerator item. She is a clever girl!  But she has never once done any damage to anything in our home...she is a very polite house guest and I absolutely adore her. 

If you want a companion who is relaxed, quiet, chills out in a dog bed on the floor or on the couch, is content with a good walk or play with a ball, then Virginia could be your perfect dog!  And if you want to spend an entire day curled on the couch watching movies or reading a book, she is good with that too, totally content to nap. Virginia is good with all people, including children.  I usually kennel her when answering the door and she is quiet and content until I let her out to greet them calmly.  

Please consider this beautiful girl as a companion. She has waited such a long time for you...

1/3/19: I am so proud of Miss Virginia!!  Today she was an ambassador for the rescue as she accompanied me to Discovery School to meet a group of over 100 eighth-graders who tied blankets for use at our shelter and for dogs in foster homes. And WOW did she do great!!  I wasn’t sure how she would react to all the noise and activity of kids passing by and gathered close to meet her, but she was a rockstar!  I am so proud of this beautiful dog who has come so far and waits so patiently for an adopter. 

9/25/18: Virginia has had such a good summer, spending most of her time at the lake with me.  She continues to be relaxed, calm and super easy. We went for many walks, pontoon rides and played lots of her style of combination fetch/soccer.  Although she has no interest in being in the water by choice, she does know how to swim. She is perfect in a boat, just as she is in vehicles.  

It amazes me that this wonderful dog is still waiting for her forever home after being in the rescue for two whole years!  Other than needing to be an only pet, this beautiful girl really has no flaws.  Virginia is good around kids too.  

It would be ideal if Virginia's forever home would have a wood or plastic fence (she is smart and can climb chain link), but I think if an adopter is a committed walker, she could be exercised sufficiently like that.  We were unable to take long walks at the lake because there are people who don't leash their dogs.  But when we are in town we walk the bike path along 20th Street in Moorhead, and out to Menards...or just walk around the M|State campus.  She meets other walkers and bikers nicely using positive reinforcement and clicker training. 

6/11/18: Good things are happening for Virginia.  Her allergies are non-existent and she is no longer eating expensive prescription food! Her skin is clear, no "itchies" at all...and her coat is thick and shiny. She is such a happy and content girl in my home.  So patient and quiet...eats well, kennels well or I can leave her loose in the house when I leave. 

Ginny is one of the easiest fosters I have ever had. She doesn't ever beg, rarely does she bark, walks like a champ and now is learning how to play fetch! Until recently, she just played with her favorite ball by herself in the backyard...pouncing on it and making it pop up so she can chase it. Very cute!! I have big flower beds in my fenced yard and she knows not to go in them. She is smart and follows my instructions. I love to do obedience training with Virginia as she is so eager to please.  

Warm weather has us at the lake and I have been amazed at how easily she transitioned to a totally different home. She remains her same calm self. I do a lot of gardening there and I have her on a tie out near where I am working. She just lays quietly watching me. We finally got the pontoon on the lift yesterday so I am anxious to give her a first boat cruise next weekend. Stay tuned!  

To view additional dogs available for adoption, please see our website: www.4luvofdog.org