Leo

My story

Leonardo Da Vinci, or Leo as his foster family calls him, is a 7-8 year old larger-than-life character in a very small body. Leo came into rescue after being found running around an empty parking lot in the middle of winter in Lake Station, Indiana. He is so stunning that everyone was sure his family would come looking for him but none did. Leonardo suffered from a fungal infection and commiserate smell and alopecia which seems to be common among poms. We are grateful to our outstanding vet who supported our efforts in aiding Leo with nutritious food and top-notch supplements and weekly baths with healing topicals. After two months, the fungal smell is finally gone and Leo’s skin is healing well. Looking after his skin and coat will be a lifelong commitment to him. When we first met Leo, he was really mad and who could blame him? We are not sure how he was left or how long he was on his own but he had some issues with people that involved growling and biting. Leo is a young un at 7-8 years old so there is some pep and intention with his biting. Thank goodness, his foster family has won him over and while he still growls if he is scared or mad, he does not bite. Given his penchant for defending himself, he will require an intrepid, smart guardian who can witness his fear and ensure he knows he is safe and should not bite. A household without children is a must. Leo is now beautifully house trained and will let his foster family know of his need to potty. He is NOT pee pad trained but enjoys walks around his neighborhood and peeing on every bush and blade of grass. He does not mark in the house which is wonderful. However, Leo is not a fan of other dogs which is really the first time his foster family has encountered this. Leo has his own bedroom in which he has three beds, including a cat bed with a roof. He enjoys his days in the sun and soaking up the rays through the windows. He eats on his own and sleeps on his own. If he feels threatened by another dog, no matter the size, Leo will yank the dog’s tail and swing it around. We witnessed this twice until we understood that Leo meant business and had to be separated. He prefers to be the only dog and this should be our goal. While Leonardo does not like to be held, he will accept loving in small doses. Again, listen for the growl. All this being written, Leo is a fantastic little dude with a HUGE personality who can grow and thrive with the right someone/s who continue to ensure he is safe and loved. He does require a fenced yard and is an intrepid, incessant barker should his needs not be met in the time frame he requires. Apartment and condo dwellers please take note on behalf of your neighbors. Leo is up to date on shots, neutered, de-wormed, and microchipped. We require an adoption application, phone interview, virtual house check, and meet and greet with your entire family. For an adoption application, please visit us at https://www.petprofilerescue.org or at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1S5v9x1oGSYLBSfheZJ_zSvkIHoT3Fe_xnsq5V75IX9w/viewform?fbclid=IwAR0rU1zQezgZhhC_01_JpMFhujOq40cu8Xl4xKdiZ0b1L-3Pwm1Et-XI3K4&edit_requested=true If you have already submitted an application to us, email us at petprofilerescue@gmail.com to express your interest in this dog. We are foster based in the Chicago area and do NOT have a shelter or central location for you to view our dogs. Please consider SPONSORING to help with our foster dogs' medical needs. You can click on the "Sponsor" button or donations can be made to our Paypal and Zelle at petprofilerescue@gmail.com or https://paypal.me/petprofilerescue or Venmo @petprofilerescue (last 4 digits of the phone number are 9703) to help with our foster dogs' medical care. Our rescue dogs' Amazon Wishlist is here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1PIG0Y2YAZ2MP

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Leo, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.