Marina

Birmingham, Alabama
Female Age: 14 weeks (6/21/2024) #5.5 Healthy! Adoption Donation: $650
AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION ⏰ Low alone hours/lots of opportunity for activity 🌱 Safe well maintained yard, fenced preferred 🐶 Young canine playmate of similar size & temperament 💜 Older (8+), gentle children ok 🛑 If you do not check ALL of the above requirements, your application will not pass the screening process for consideration. We do not compromise on these requirements as we feel they are essential to a successful adoption with Marina. 🛑 Before applying to adopt, please be sure that the entire family is on board and committed, and that great consideration is given to the time, effort, and funds involved in properly and responsibly raising a puppy. Marina will be ready to go home October 10th-13th. Please only apply if you are able to travel to Birmingham to finalize the adoption at that time. MEET MARINA 🐶 Darling Marina is a 14 week old pup (DOB 6/21/2024) who was born in our care just 11 days after her mom was rescued out of a puppy mill. We are delighted that she never experienced the horrors of puppy mill life and that instead she has had the opportunity to grow and experience this world surrounded by an abundance of love and care. We are just thrilled that she now has the opportunity to live out a long, happy life full of love with her furever family. MEDICAL 🩺 Marina had a tough start to life, but we are happy to report that she has survived “failing puppy syndrome” which contributed to her delayed development. She’s been playing catch up and is now 5.5 pounds and has been deemed a healthy girl! Due to delayed development, her fontanelle has been slow to close and so she visited with a neurologist as a precaution where she passed her neuro assessment with flying colors. Marina has also been evaluated by our ophthalmologist where we learned she has a blind left eye due to optic nerve coloboma (a small or missing optic nerve). This is a congenital birth defect related to carrying the merle gene as the merle gene responsible for coat and eye color is also associated with ocular abnormalities. Thankfully, this has no effect on her quality of life and there is no treatment necessary. Marina's knees, hips, and heart were found to be clear and congenitally sound at this time. Her fecal test is negative, she has received two distemper/parvo vaccines, a microchip, and has started monthly heartworm prevention. She will be due for her next distemper/parvo vaccine on 10/15, her Rabies vaccine at 6 months of age (December 2024), and will need to be spayed when age appropriate, per our adoption agreement between 6 and 12 months of age. FOOD & POTTY HABITS 🥘 Marina loves to eat! She is enjoying her 2 times a day puppy kibble meals as well as special treats throughout the day for being the good pup that she is! She should continue her puppy food until she is a year old and then can transition to an adult formula. She will go home with a bag of her puppy food and favorite treats. Marina has just started her potty training and has been very good about going potty when taken outside. Puppies have very tiny bladders and need to be taken out very frequently - first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and every hour throughout the day including right after meals and immediately after waking up from naps, to ensure continued potty training success. Her new family will need to take her to a well maintained, safe, and secured area outside to continue her potty training. We will ask that an xpen be used in the yard to limit her space, for safety reasons, until she is older and bigger. She also has access to piddle pads indoors in her area to use when she needs to, and is reliable much of the time. Please understand that Marina is not potty trained and that potty training will be required and ongoing for quite some time. There will be accidents. PERSONALITY 💕 Marina is a happy, playful puppy! This little warrior feels great, and it shows! She enjoys playing with her people, furry friends, and also plays well by herself. Wrestling, playing with toys, tug of war, chewing on nylabones, and being mischievous is all part of the fun - every waking moment is a puppy party! She will go home with several of her favorite puppy toys and chews. She is also very loving and snuggly, especially when she is tired. She loves to snuggle up for TV time on the couch and get lots of cuddles and kisses. We encourage her new family to give her lots of attention, interaction, and affection to build that special, everlasting bond. ROUTINE ⏰ Mornings start with being taken out to potty and then back in for breakfast. Her foster family is home most of the time, and so she enjoys leisurely days playing and napping wherever her foster family is hanging out. Whenever she cannot be directly supervised or for the short periods of time when no humans are home, she is put in her "condo" which is an area made safe by an xpen - this keeps her safe from being tempted to chew things she shouldn't and get into any potential trouble or dangers. In her condo she has a soft bed, Jakey Blankey, toys, and piddle pads for pottying. She does well left for short periods of time, but of course she is happiest being with her people and having lots of opportunity for activity, attention, and play and so we are seeking a family where someone is able to be with her much of the time and where she will have low alone time. In the evenings after dinner, she plays and play until she has worn herself out and then enjoys cuddling and snuggling up close with her humans. When it is time for bed, she is taken out for final pottying, gets her bedtime "cookie", and then goes into her condo to snooze. Once she is large enough, she would certainly love to sleep in the big bed with her family and we are seeking a family who will invite her up with them. SOCIALIZATION 💜 This sweet angel loves human attention and is friendly, outgoing, and will happily greet you for some love, play, and attention. She loves to be held, snuggled, and cuddled by all, and will offer abundant love to anyone who will accept it. She is not afraid to “ask” for attention and will make it known that she wants to be picked up and held for kisses. She would do well in an adult only home or a home with older (age 8+), well behaved children with dog experience who know how to love and engage with the puppy appropriately and gently and know to keep her things out of puppy reach (please do not apply if you have younger children in the home as your application will not pass screening). Positive human interactions and experiences are crucial at this time for her socialization and she should have plenty of opportunites to meet and interact with people. When age appropriate and fully vaccinated, we encourage her family to introduce a leash and practice gentle leash training so that she can get out and about and expand on her socialization. For now, a carrier is recommended to tote her around when needed, like to her puppy vet appointments, and to outings where she is able to be included. Marina is used to having canine companionship and furry playmates. She gets along great with her Cavalier foster siblings and plays hard - she can dish it out as well as take it and loves lots of activity and play! She will be happiest and do best with another young, playful, active Cavalier or other dog of similar size and temperament in the home. The resident dog should be welcoming, tolerant of typical puppy antics, and engage in play and activity with her. A senior dog is not a good match. She has been around cats, and does fine with a canine-friendly playful cat in the home. IDEAL HOME & FAMILY 🏡 Most importantly, this sweetheart needs a family who will shower her with love and attention and make her an included and an important member of her family. She wants nothing more than to be with you. Because puppies need a lot of stimulation, attention, engagement, and activity, we are looking for a family with an adult who is able to be with her most of the day to allow for plenty of opportunity for activity, socialization, and successful potty training. While we are not requiring a fenced yard in the home, we are requiring a safe, well maintained yard directly off the home where an xpen (or two) can be kept up and used for her to have a safe outdoor space for pottying. Even if there is a fenced yard in the home, we will still ask that you use an xpen outside until she is older and bigger and can safely have more freedom and space. Fences that are not “privacy” will need to be secured and reinforced as she can fit through narrow spaces. In addition to an appropriate and safe outdoor area for going potty and play, we will also be looking for a very "puppy proofed" home as puppies will be puppies and will get into everything she can. Anything within reach of the pup is up for grabs and so ensuring that the yard and inside of the home can and will be well maintained for her safety is imperative. Lastly, she is a tiny puppy and will need to be protected from stairs, as well as any railings that she may be able to squeeze through. Puppies are fearless and will not understand dangers, so her new family must be diligent to keep her safe. Equipment like gates and x-pens will need to be utilized. HOW TO APPLY 💻 Marina is a happy, sweet, precious pup who loves her humans, treats, toys and other furry friends. If you are up for the adventures of puppyhood, feel you’re a great match for Marina, and meet ALL of her requirements, please fill out an adoption application found on our website, TheCavalierRescue.org, then email us at CavalierRescueAL@gmail.com to express your interest, *letting us know why you feel you are a match!* Marina is located in Birmingham, Alabama, and travel there is required. She will be ready to go home during October 10-13. Please only apply if you are a great match and are able to travel to Birmingham to finalize the adoption at that time. Her requested adoption donation is $650.