Zinnia was a stray in Amherst County, VA following the 4th of July fireworks, and ended up in the area shelter. The shelter contacted the Blind Dog Rescue who brought Zinnia to her Virginia foster home.

Zinnia is a tail-wagging dog who loves people! She follows her foster parents around, interested in whatever is going on.

Zinnia weighs about 16 pounds. The Amherst shelter guessed she is about 8 years old but, like with any stray, the age is just a guess. Zinnia has significant degenerative joint disease and so has a bit of an asymmetrical gait. X-rays revealed a pin in her right front leg, indicating surgery in her past. She is able to walk pretty well on flat surfaces but should not be expected to do steps. She does like to be carried! She is on pain meds, and probably will need them for the rest of her life. However, the pain does not stop the tail wagging!

Zinnia is currently recovering from pneumonia; her lung x-ray is now clear, and she continues on antibiotics as her white blood cell count is still high (although has dropped since the initial testing). Her bloodwork will be checked again toward the end of August. She had ear infections that have cleared. She has dry eye, and needs ointment once to twice a day. She is very good about getting her eye medicine. She has limited vision with a slight menace response. She can hear well. She had a dental when she first arrived, and now her teeth are in good shape!

Zinnia is a superstar with housetraining! She sleeps quietly through the night in a large crate (she may bark for a few minutes when first placed in her crate). She is good on a leash. She had a decreased appetite when she first came to her foster home but is a much better eater now. She enjoys sofa time with her foster parents, and also sleeping at their feet when they are on the computer.

Zinnia needs a very special forever home. She needs a forever home that understands she has pain, and needs to be handled with care. Her eyes will need to be monitored for increased pressure and because of the dry eye. Overall, she will need ongoing medical check-ups to keep her as healthy as possible.

Zinnia enjoys other dogs. The only exception are blind dogs who might bump into her because this startles her. So the best forever home for Zinnia would be a home without blind dogs who tend to bump into other dogs. She also should not be in a home with young children.

With most any rescue dog, the past history is unknown so the future cannot be predicted. What is known is Zinnia is very deserving of lots of love, and she will repay that love with lots of tail wags!

While Zinnia is waiting for her perfect forever home, she will be writing in her blog! Please check here for updates and to see what Zinnia is up to!

Zinnia was adopted on September 16, 2018.