Sunny

Bichon Frise | Belleair Beach, FL

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About

Meet Sunny

When we leapt for Sunny - paralyzed and urine stained, matted head to toe, sitting at the shelter without much hope - we didn’t have any idea what we could expect. We just wanted to give him time to tell his story and see… just see if there was anything we could do to help him. We couldn’t allow him to not have a chance. Fast forward a couple weeks and holy cow how Sunny’s future has changed dramatically! While he will forever be paralyzed, multiple vets agree that this is an old injury and it’s past the timeframe where something surgically could have helped him, he has a bright future anyway! Sunny had the worst UTI we have ever seen. His urine was so dark brown, it was nearly black. It was thick and opaque. Meds have helped make him not only MUCH more comfortable, his urine is now a healthy color and consistency! So, check that off his list! Additionally, Sunny was shorn, ridding him of the painful body-covering matts. He feels tremendously better from that alone! But even deeper, his urine-burned backside has been nearly completely relieved of the rank hair and his skin is clearing up, also! Every day, he gets better on that front. Most notably, thanks to the generous donation of a top-notch wheelchair, Sunny is on the move!!!! Without his wheels, Sunny will drag himself all around the house. He is NOT idle! He’s very determined to follow the other dogs and get where he wants to go by whatever means necessary. But with his new tires, he is oh so capable! Sunny can off road and navigate minor obstacles all on his own! It’s remarkable how seamlessly he took to this new adventure. Watching Sunny take on the world in his wheels is incredible. He is so happy, so curious, so engaged and … FAST! Sunny’s major hurdles have all been addressed and he is feeling remarkably better. His one consequence of being traumatically paralyzed we cannot address or fix is that he can’t urinate on his own. He passes stool sufficiently but requires manual bladder expression by his human. Without it, is how he ended up with tar-like urine. I have to tell ya, I was intimidated by taking care of Sunny because of this - my only experience with bladder expression first hand was attempting to void a stubborn Lhasa who refused to go potty for three days while on a trip to Savannah (my personal dog). Well, trying to force a healthy, capable dog to go when he doesn’t want to and helping a paralyzed dog go are not on the same planet. Helping Sunny go potty is terribly simple! In fact, I thought it was such an easy thing to do that as I watched Sunny cruise the sidewalks, sniffing the sniffs and seeming like he would mark if he was able, I just would reach down and help him pee a bit here and there. Maybe it made no difference to him that he now owns half the land at the tv station and at least three spots in my backyard… but maybe he loves it! I erred on the side of him loving it. Sunny is currently undergoing laser therapy on his back. It really seems to be helping him! We could use some support with this as each set of sessions is $350. (For 6 sessions) The most incredible part of all of this is… we are ready to begin the search for Sunny’s forever family. We didn’t know if we would ever be able to say that so to do so, to know he’s healthy and ready - that he has a life to live so far beyond where he started…. It’s overwhelming! Sunny absolutely LOVES other dogs. He likes to play - I’m telling you, it’s a sight to see! - and he enjoys their companionship. He doesn’t realize he bumps into them with his wheels though so doggies patient and accepting will be imperative - not grumpy monkeys. Sunny loves every single person he’s ever met. He thinks outside is so, so fun and loves walks or sniff adventures. He thinks stairs are nothing but a hurdle to be jumped so a home that includes them will need to be blockable or he will need a home without them. It occurred to me Saturday while Sunny was at my house that he was in no way the most medically-needy of the dogs in my care. The old, blind / deaf dogs are much more difficult to manage than this guy whose legs don’t work. He’s not terribly burdensome! Adopting Sunny to a family who not only loves him in spite of his challenges but loves him because of his precious disposition is our ultimate goal. He is the sweetest SUNNIEST boy and we are elated to match him to a home where he can shine! Apps @ maxxandme.org

Adoption Process
Adoption fees vary. Application required, reference check, vet reference check, home visit and once approved meet and greet. Adoption contract at the time of adoption once approved. Our rescues are always returnable to our rescue and is made part of the contract.