October 22, 2017 - Sunday
Chicago, Illinois
We welcomed a new member into our family today, October 22, 2017. Her name is
Mirabella.
Breed: Shih Tzu mix
Sex: Female
Weight: 10.7 pounds
Date of Birth: 09/05/2008
Adoption Date: 10/21/2017
History:
In August 2017 Mirabella was diagnosed with bladder stones and required surgery
to remove them. The owner could not afford the cost for the surgery and
surrendered Mirabella to a veterinarian animal hospital. A veterinarian at the
animal hospital placed Mirabella with Second City Canine Rescue (SCCR) in
Palatine, Illinois. SCCR paid for Mirabella’s surgery and placed her with one of
their foster families while she recuperated. Fully recovered, Mirabella was
offered for adoption in mid-October 2017.
We had just lost Maurice (“MO”), a 17 year old, male, toy poodle. His years had
finally caught up with him and he passed on 10/07/2017. MO lived with us from
April 2017. Sharon’s sister was in failing health and no longer able to care for
him, so he became a beloved member of our family.
We believe the best way to mend a broken heart from the loss of a beloved pet
was to provide a loving home to another orphaned pet. So we began our quest to
find another little one that needed a home.
During our search for small breed rescue dogs, we discovered not too many people
wanted to adopt senior dogs. We decided we would adopt only senior dogs, 8+
years, and provide them with a loving home for whatever years they had left.
We searched numerous dog shelters and happened to come across SCCR. We liked
their approach of rescuing dogs and placing them in foster homes until they are
adopted. We spotted the adoption page for Mirabella on 10/18/2017 and filled out
the online application of our intent to adopt her.
SCCR presents dogs for adoption at a PetsMart, near their offices, on Saturdays.
We met Mirabella for the first time on Saturday, 10/21/2017. It was
instantaneous love at first sight! She was so sweet and adorable. We met with
representatives of SCCR, answered all of their questions and were granted
permission to adopt her.
During the adoption process we learned that due to Mirabella's prior history of
bladder stones she requires a prescription diet for the remainder of her life.
The prescription diet dog food is considerably more expensive than
nonprescription dog food, but to us, our little Mirabella is worth every bit of
it!!!
On Sunday, 10/22/21, the foster mom brought Mirabella to our home, and stayed
for a short time while Mirabella adjusted to her new home.
In no time at all, Mirabella adjusted well to her new surroundings and spacious
back yard.
We look forward to exciting adventures with our new family member.
