Adopted
| Breed | Alaskan Malamute |
| Color | |
| Age | Senior |
| Gender | Female |
| Size | Extra Large |
| Coat Length | - |
| Adoption Fee | - |
Characteristics
Health
House-trained
Good in a home with
SEE MORE PHOTOS! This dog has entire photo album online. Don't miss her photo album on Webshots! She is an amazingly-adorable girl who couldn't seem to take a bad photo! Just CLICK HERE and scroll to the album under her name
SEE MY VIDEO! If there is a
"video" tab above my photo, you can see her in action!
We had an unusual situation with Kivi, as -- after we posted her -- we were
contacted by her family, who was very concerned about her well-being. We
so often "clean up" after people who have dumped their pets that it was both
touching and sad to hear about the chain of events that led to this loving
family having surrender Kivi to the shelter. Kivi's "grandma" shared a
story of illness, job loss, eventual death and the resulting financial
devastation ... of losing their home and the family having to splinter out into
the homes of various relatives. The owner, her daughter, tried desperately
to hang on to her beloved dog and managed to do so
for a year and half. They tried area rescues to no avail, and eventually
took her to a no-kill shelter in Kentucky. She wrote:
"I want everyone to realize that Kivi was loved deeply by her entire family, and
sometimes people have to make difficult choices they don’t want to make. My
daughter is still devastated over having to give Kivi up.
We truly hope that Kivi finds a loving happy home to live out the rest of her
days and we still love and miss her deeply. She is a wonderful dog who deserves
to be spoiled rotten and adored as all she ask for is love in return."
One great benefit of hearing from the owner (in addition to
teaching us greater empathy in these hard times) was a chance to learn a lot
more about Kivi! Her owner had a lot to share about her, writing:
"Kivi's registered name is 'Alaska's Own
Kivalina Gold', and we called her Kivi for short.
She loves to be rubbed between her eyes
and behind her ears. She also likes to run up between your legs when you
first get home so you will scratch her behind.
Her best buddies were a Shih Tzu/Poodle mix named Bill and a Shih Tzu named
Chester. She was always very gentle with them and snuggled with them at night to
sleep. Kivi originally came from a puppy mill and when she was rescued
she was pregnant with eight puppies, of which all but one survived. She is a
very intelligent and happy-go-lucky dog,as I’m sure whoever has her already
knows. No matter how bad a day I was having she could always make me smile
and put me in better spirits.
We never really had her around any cats with the exception of one that
used to come in the back yard every once in awhile, and she didn’t seem to care
much for it. She didn’t try to kill it or anything but she barked at it like she
didn’t want it in her yard. She turned 10 on November 25th of last year. T he
only time she ever seemed to get upset around other dogs is when they came
charging at her otherwise she really didn’t pay to much attention to them. She
loves to be with her people. In the evenings when we were all at home, her
favorite spot was to be a foot rest. She was perfectly content as long as one of
us was touching her. Whoever ends up with her has no idea how lucky they are! I
can’t say enough how great she is. She loves to be brushed and she loves riding
in the car. She is a creature of routine and seems to like it that way. She got
to where she knew when it was time for family members to come home and she would
go to the door to wait for them to get the proper greeting, she knew when it was
time for her medicine and would go in the kitchen and fuss until we gave it to
her, when she was ready for bed she would let us know it was time to go, etc.
Sometimes, Kivi shows a problem with the feel of
different floor surfaces. She sometimes gets a little stubborn if you are
trying to walk her into an area say from carpet to tile. I don’t know if the
difference scares her or she just doesn’t like the way it feels on her feet. We
took her to Pet Smart one time and as soon as her feet hit the tile floor she
crawled on her belly. Needless to say we didn’t get to far in the store :)
Kivi deserves the best and I hope there's someone out there who will see how
special she is and offer that to her!"
From the rescue's standpoint, we just KNOW there's somebody out there who will
be as touched by her story, and her sweetness, as we have been! There
are simply no words to describe the many, many qualities that make senior dogs
such loving, therapeutic companions. They are way past the puppy phase,
generally have learned wonderful house manners, and have given a lifetime of
love and devotion to a family. To see them dumped like yesterday's
newspaper-wrapped garbage is a crime like no other in our minds ... they have a
depth of character that younger dogs simply haven't had time to acquire. A
senior dog truly understands when you've given them a second chance, and we
guarantee you will feel the genuine love and gratitude that radiates from Kivi
if you will only open your home to her and offer her a place to spend her golden
hears in comfort, and surrounded by the love she deserves. Her needs are simple -- a loving hand, a gentle voice, a warm
bed to sleep in (or on), someone to provide healthy food and monitor her diet, and a
soft place to lay his head. Kivi will benefit greatly from an owner who
will enjoy taking this easily-handled girl on long walks to help her trim down
some and improve her quality of life even more.
Kivi is hoping that there's someone who will give her a home again ... She's dreaming of neighborhood strolls with the warm sun on
her fur, evenings just hanging out watching TV with you, and sitting by your
side on hot summer nights, star-gazing and watching the fireflies. Can you
make her dreams come true?
THE LATEST: Kivi is one of the sweetest, happiest,
cuddliest big girls we have ever met! She was a huge hit at Petco, where
more than one person described this fluffy, beautiful girl with the big smile as
resembling a giant stuffed polar bear! :)
She is now in foster, getting some TLC and special attention.
If you are interested in Kivi, please
EMAIL US
to request more information and/or an adoption application
This dog's adoption donation is $200. If you know how much it costs to give a new dog responsible vet care, you can easily see that this is quite a bargain! This dog has had a complete health exam, has already been altered (spayed or neutered), is microchipped, has tested negative for heartworm, has been kept on heartworm and flea preventative, is fully vaccinated and free of parasites. What to do if you want to adopt this dog: Just SEND AN EMAIL to request an adoption application! We will review your application to determine if there is a good match between your family and this dog. We may suggest another if we can offer a better fit in terms of lifestyle, experience, other pets, etc. A vet check, reference checks, and a home visit will be conducted before an adoption can be considered for approval.
NOTE: In the vast majority of cases, the dogs in our program are rescued from shelters, and Northern Lights has no means by which to collect or verify a dog's history. We work in concert with our veterinarians, and breed and age estimates are based on a combination of professional input and our collective experience. Our policy with information acquired while the dogs are in our care is that of "full disclosure". It is our goal to ensure the adopter has all available information to ensure the best possible match between the dog and the adopting person or family. In some instances, because of applicant interest, dogs are in our program for relatively brief periods of time. If we have identified a temperament or health condition while the dog is in our care and custody, every effort will be made to correct it prior to adoption OR the adopter will be made aware of the issue or condition prior to adoption. Northern Lights' screening process is designed to select only adopters who are willing, and have the means, to treat conditions which may occur after adoption, and adopter will be contractually responsible for doing so.
Can't foster or adopt, but
WANT TO
HELP A DOG TODAY?
Click on the "Make a Donation" button below to
give your gift of life via PayPal --
it's safe, it's easy, it's secure!
To donate by CHECK, mail
to:
Northern Lights
Sled Dog Rescue Donations are greatly appreciated
and always needed to help with spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, and unexpected
veterinary expenses. There is no gift too small to make a difference, and
Northern Lights' minimal administrative costs are covered by adoption donations
or donated by our volunteers, so you can be sure that every penny of your gift will go DIRECTLY to
helping a homeless dog! The dogs helped by Northern Lights Sled Dog
Rescue send you a tongue-lolling smile, and grateful "woos and wags" for your
donation of any size!
PO Box 642
Westfield, IN 46074
