NICHOLAS-Adopted!

MEET NICHOLAS!

SEE MORE PHOTOS!  This dog has entire photo album online.  Just CLICK HERE and scroll to the album under his or her name.   

SEE MY VIDEO!  If there is a "video" tab above my photo, you can see me in action! 

About NICHOLAS:  Big, handsome Nicholas somehow ended up in a shelter and out of time at (roughly) the age of 8. We'll never know how he ended up on his own (he was brought in as a stray) or what his life was like before. But what we DO know is that a dog this age has "earned his stripes" and certainly doesn't deserve to be left behind to die in a shelter. His situation got worse from there. We were contacted by a volunteer for the shelter, begging for help for him. One look, and we were SUNK!  Nicholas has the sweetest face, which is common to a 'wooly'. The term 'wooly' means he has an extra-long coat which is actually outside the breed standard, as it doesn't shed ice and snow as effectively as the standard coat. This longer coat does take even time and attention (in terms of brushing) than the standard coat, but it also is extremely beautiful. A wooly is very much sought after by our adopters because of their exceptional beauty, and these are dogs who are definite 'attention getters" when you take them out and about! (In fact, the shelter smilingly referred to him -- at 100 pounds -- as "The Wooly Mammoth" :) ).

Nicholas quickly stole the heart of the gal who transported him to us.  She's brought us many wonderful dogs since we first were lucky enough to meet her, and like us she fell for this big boy right off.  She wrote:  "Nicholas is a HUGE Teddy Bear that seems larger than life!! When I first met him I was shocked at his size even though I had been warned he was a big boy. His coat had definitely been untended for awhile, but a grooming is going to make him even more gorgeous than he already is, if that's possible!  He was such a mellow guy, just taking everything in stride. He knows "SIT" and "SHAKE" on command. He jumped right into my SUV, easily and willingly, both at the transfer point and after our afternoon at Petco. He also had no difficulty jumping back out of the SUV at our destinations. He did not, however, attempt to jump on people or use his size to his advantage. He was very gentle even with my 80 year old mother, who is not dog savvy. Nicholas is definitely food motivated!  He loves treats and takes them gently. After Nicholas jumped into my SUV at the meet spot and while I was getting info from the overnighter/previous driver, he decided to help himself to my iced cappuccino and my mom’s strawberry milkshake in the front console. While he was enjoying the beverages, he turned off his listening ears and didn’t respond to any commands. :)  He did, however, allow me to take away the torn cups that were leftover, without any aggression.  Even though he had ingested both caffeine and sugar, he was still a mellow, calm and quiet boy during the 2 hour trip to Petco. In fact, I did not hear a peep out of him the entire time he was with me!  At Petco, Nicholas walked well on the leash, pulling a bit occasionally but not out of control, and got along beautifully with all the dogs and people. Nicholas is a gorgeous Mal deserving of a loving home with a loving family. Thank you for saving him – he is so worth it! I can’t wait to hear when he has found his forever happy home!

Touching on what the transporter wrote, above, we all went head over heels for Nicholas during that long, hot, hot afternoon at Petco.  He was surrounded (in close quarters, because the dogs were sharing two canopies to stay cool) by a bunch of Huskies of varying ages, sizes, and both genders.  We couldn't have been more impressed!  In fact, if you look at his photos on Webshots (link above) you will see an assortment of photos showing him happily hanging out with the crowd that day.  Petco can be unnerving for these guys, as there is a constant stream of strangers (both NLSDR volunteers and visitors to Petco) wanting to meet, pet and handle the dogs, as well as the other dogs themselves. Add to that the fact that Nicholas had been pulled from a shelter the day before, over-nighted with someone he didn't know, put in two different vehicles with strangers for a long ride then Indy, and then unloaded into a big crows of people over dogs ... and the fact that Nicholas was such a gentleman says it all!   He was simply great with people and the other dogs ... just soaking up the attention!  He is an absolutely wonderful dog who would fit in pretty much any environment we can imagine!  (Note:  Nicholas is NOT cat-friendly, so a home with cats is the only exception).

Nicholas is hoping he's going to have the loving home he deserves as he approaches his "retirement" age ... but even as a senior, he's got a ton of love yet to give and plenty of life in him!  We guarantee the time you spend with him will get you enough love for a lifetime! 

NICHOLAS is new to our program, and we look forward to learning more about him.  In the meantime, though we do our best, we don't always get the updates up as quickly as we'd like, and there's often new information that isn't yet posted.  If you are interested in NICHOLAS,  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.

NORTHERN LIGHTS IS NOT A SHELTER. We are a rescue comprised of individuals who open their private homes to foster dogs in need of a second chance.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOU CAN SAVE A LIFE BY FOSTERING FOR NORTHERN LIGHTS, EMAIL US FOR INFO AND AN APPLICATION!   For answers to FAQ regarding who we are, as well as our adoption policies and practices, please VISIT OUR PETFINDER HOME PAGE.      

Can't foster or adopt, but

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To donate by CHECK, mail to:

Northern Lights Sled Dog Rescue
PO Box 7281
Greenwood, IN  46142-6423

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!