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Please read our dog bios carefully to be sure that the dog you are applying for suits your family and lifestyle. At Pound Dog Rescue, we believe in the benefits of post-adoption training for our dogs and their families. This allows for continued socialization, and learning and helps to create a well-mannered and balanced dog. Post-adoption training is a requirement in our adoption process.
Meet Irene
Irene is a 6-year-old Cocker Spaniel with a heart full of love and a deep desire to be close to her people. After coming from a neglectful breeding situation, she has blossomed into an affectionate, gentle companion who is ready for her forever home.
Despite her tough past, Irene’s spirit remains unbroken. She thrives on companionship and will happily curl up next to you (or any available friendly human) at every opportunity. She’s the kind of dog that will follow you from room to room, making sure you never feel alone. Because of this, it’s important for all family members to take turns feeding her and spending time with her—otherwise, she might become a little too attached to one person. Irene loves all human companionship and will gladly take all the time spent with her that she can.
Irene has had a lengthy medical journey, but she’s a fighter! She came to us in just abysmal condition from neglect. She had both ear canals very narrowed due to some large skin masses and constant infections, hematomas in both ear flaps, an infected cherry eye and her other eye was infected as well, mammary masses and dental disease. It was a LONG process to get Irene to a state of health, but we took it on step by step, and she was the best patient! This dog was a trooper throughout all her surgeries and after care and endeared her to everyone who cared for her.
As part of her medical journey, her left tear duct was removed due to infection. Although this medical intervention has led to her needing lubrication 3 times daily, she does not complain and is happy to have her vision. She’s a pro at taking it. Her new family will need to continue with her eye lubricant for life. This is not costly and she is easy with having it applied. She had significant ear hematomas in both ears, which have been surgically treated. (Ear hematomas happen when blood pools between the layers of the ear flap, often due to head shaking or ear infections.) Keeping her ears clean is essential to prevent future issues. She also had ear ablation surgery in both ears (2 separate surgeries) to open up her ear canals. This is a difficult surgery reserved for only the most serious cases. We were lucky to be referred to an excellent surgeon who successfully conducted the surgeries on Irene. The surgery has caused minor paralysis on the left side of her face. There is occasionally drool, but it is steadily improving. It should continue to get better as time goes on. For the health of her ears especially, she must remain on a special diet due to allergies. She does well on non-hydrolyzed food and treats. Her food is available through veterinarians and is easily available.
A biopsy was taken on a large mammary mass and this came back as cancerous. We had this mass removed and there were clean
margins. The good news is that xrays showed her lungs and surrounding areas were clear. She has small benign mammary masses which were left in place as a full mammary chain removal would be needed to take them all out and this was deemed by our vet team to be too invasive for what Irene needed and would cause her significant pain and no one wanted to put her through that. In consultation with our vet team we have been told that Irene has a great chance of a cancer free life, now that the mass was removed. We can never make any promises, and as with all living creatures, she may develop cancer at some point, but our vet said that her risk is only slightly higher than a dog that didn’t have a mammary mass, as the removal was complete. We can assuredly say that Irene is well worth that risk! This dog is of fabulous temperament and personality and is well worth every dollar spent (which was WELL into the thousands) and all the months of surgery and after care. This is a very special little dog who only wants love and care and cuddles. She is a complete doll and we would spend thousands more to give her the quality of life she deserves. Not once did we question the cost of all of her medical needs; Irene deserves the very best life, having suffered for so long in such horrendous and painful condition.
She is great with kids but we recommend 8+ as she’s been through a lot and needs gentle handling as she continues to learn about the world. She interacts well with younger children, if supervised and with the ability to leave when she gets overwhelmed. She also loves other dogs and enjoys snuggling close to them, though she might be a little too enthusiastic about sharing space with her doggy friends! Any dogs in the home would need to be fine with a dog who doesn’t understand personal space and loves to be best friends close up! She’s even met cats and been just fine with them. Irene would be fine as an only dog as well as long as she had a few people in the home to buddy up to.
Irene is good in the car! She might whimper a little at first if she’s in a kennel, but she settles in well for the ride. If she is not in a kennel, make sure to secure her with a seat-belt, or she will determine that driving is part of her job.
Irene doesn’t bark! Even when other dogs sound the alarm, she stays quiet—though she’s always happy to investigate the excitement. This makes her a great option for apartment living. We know she can bark, she just doesn’t see the reason too. The only time you’ll hear her make noise is at bedtime or when she’s left alone. In this case, she might let out a short, sorrowful howl. She is steadily improving and the howls are quite brief now. As long as things are quiet around her, she settles down fairly quickly.
She loves her walks and meeting new people! Irene is steadily building her endurance, especially when she walks with other dogs. She’ll need continued walks to help her gain strength, but she’s already a great little walker. A nice 2 km walk is great, or even just a casual, sniffing walk. She also loves to be outside. She will happily stay outside to sniff whatever she can find. She would love a fenced in yard to sniff around in but its not mandatory.
Her favourite toy is cardboard. If she finds a cardboard box on the ground, she will automatically think it is hers and start improving its shape. Cardboard isn’t the best thing for her, so keep boxes off the ground in general and offer other chew toys.
If you’re looking for a gentle, loving companion who will adore every moment by your side, Irene is the perfect match. She needs a family that will embrace her medical care, offer her endless cuddles, and help her continue her journey to a full, happy life. This dog is a gem, and anyone who adopts her will be rewarded with a loyal, affectionate companion for life.