Ananda

Description

Backstory for Ananda Animal Saints Rescue Society was asked to help with an owner surrender involving several Imperial Shih Tzu. Their former person was having emergency medical issues that were life threatening, and they were not well enough to take care of them. Our nonprofit became the safety net for these incredible Shih Tzu.  Our nonprofit is here to help so the Animal Saints do not end up in overcrowded government animal control facilities that euthanize due to lack of space. Ananda recently arrived to our sanctuary to get all of the medical care she needs. Now that we have gotten to know her personality and she has shown us what she needs in a family, she is ready to be placed in her lifetime home. We look forward to finding out who this will be!  Get to Know Ananda  Name: Means “Divine Joy.” Her nickname is “Nan” (pronounced Nahn).  age: 5 years with birthdate of 4/10/2021 breed: Shih Tzu weight: 7.5 pounds Vaccines:  Rabies  DHPP Bordetella  Corona/flu  Other Tests and Procedures:  Spayed in June, 2026 Snap 4Dx test (passed and tested negative for heart worm, lyme, ehrlichia, and anaplasmosis)   Dental cleaning in June, 2026  Bloodwork June, 2026 - Slightly high PLT (just a few points above normal range) but not concerning. Everything else is within normal range and shows healthy organs.  Additional procedures and treatments:  • Microchipped • Fecal test, negative • Flea/tick preventive treatment, heart worm prevention, and dewormer  • First positive reinforcement training sessions  • Several baths and grooms   A good health certificate will be provided with her medical records. Requested adoption donation fee is only $800. This is to partly cover the costs of care that our 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue has incurred. On average, Animal Saints’ cost to save a life through our nonprofit exceeds $2,000 per Saint. We do our best to keep our adoption requests as reasonable as possible to encourage more people to adopt.   Breed and Hair Notes  Ananda has hair and not fur. She is a very rare Imperial Shih Tzu with Doby markings of soft, regal black and tan hues. As her hair grows out, the tan markings are revealing themselves on her face and legs. She is STUNNING!  She is full grown and tiny, one of the smallest Shih Tzu we have helped.  PLEASE NOTE: Ananda’s hair will grow as it is not fur. She will need professional grooming every 4-6 weeks. Only apply if you understand the additional maintenance and cost these dear hair-not-fur souls need and are willing to commit to life for such care. Ananda is very gentle and patient for grooming. She’s had a few since arriving. She was frightened at first, but now she loves the attention. An adopter who loves to maintain her longer hair is an ideal match. It is a great way to connect and establish trust.  Personality Ananda is a happy girl who always has a wagging tail and smile on her face. She is quite outgoing and is one of first Animal Saints to meet new volunteers when they come to the sanctuary. She is very eager to connect and show affection. She met her professional photographer (the artist who volunteers to create all of our stunning adoption portraits) with a tail wag and several kisses. She is gentle, sweet, and loves to hang out with her humans.  If you live in an urban setting and fall in love with Ananda, please note that it will take some time to get her comfortable with the sights and sounds of city life. She has a more outgoing personality and is confident, and we can see her enjoying it in time. With a very experienced adopter and training, she will flourish.  Whether it’s an urban or country home, Ananda needs quiet and stability in her life. A laidback home with no energetic children is best for her.  Ananda will do well in a home as an only dog, provided she still has small canine friends she can see often. She has friends here in the sanctuary, but she likes to be in control and sometimes bosses them around. There isn’t anything harmful or concerning about this behavior, but she is telling us her preferences and who she is. Other Animal Saints who also want to be in control might feel some competition with her. If you are interested in adopting Ananda and have other canines in your family, smaller laidback Saints are a good match for her.  Please keep in mind that Ananda is very small — smaller than a standard size Shih Tzu. Extra care needs to be taken to keep her safe when she is around other canines and out in the world. She’s the kind of girl that will eventually love a quiet stroll in the park away from big dogs. Then, she’ll appreciate being safely carried on the walk home.  Ananda also makes a great workday assistant! She is the first to hang out with our volunteers when they do office work in her flat. She likes to nap in dog beds right beside them. She also asks for hugs and requests to get picked up, but she’s not pushy about it. Her gentleness is so heartwarming, and we have all fallen in love with her here in the sanctuary.  Ananda is smart, observant, and follows cues well. She goes potty on pads in the home and is used to using them. She is learning foundational skills training. We are working on “sit,” recall word “here,” and “look.” We expect her new family to continue training sessions with a professional and certified positive reinforcement trainer to keep her safe in her new life.  To learn more about Ananda and catch a glimpse of her in a training session, you can view her short film here: https://vimeo.com/1210308348 Ideal Home It is ideal for Ananda to be in a home with people who are around most of the time. Plan on sharing your sofa and bedroom with her. Once she trusts you, she will want to be by your side, no matter where you are or what you are doing.  Ananda will especially thrive in a home that can give her companionship day and night. She will be okay if you have to be away for a few hours. But she would be very lonely if she had to be on her own for 8-10 hours a day. If you work away from home that long, she’s not a good match. A retired or work-from-home guardian is ideal for Ananda.  Ananda is a great traveler and is comfortable in a travel safety carrier or latched in a car harness. But no daytime/nighttime crates for her. If they are a must for your lifestyle, then she is not for you.   As we mentioned before, Ananda is very small — smaller than a standard size Shih Tzu. For her safety, she needs to be in a home with dogs who are a similar size.    Love and Commitment  At Animal Saints Rescue Society, our goal is to keep dogs out of overcapacity animal control facilities and out of a re-homing cycle. Our goal is to place the dogs we save into lifetime families.  With this in mind, we seek adopters who understand that an adoption is a lifetime commitment. The families who adopt from us believe that love is not a feeling, it is a decision. Some humans still believe it’s okay to try out a dog for a few weeks, a few months, or even a few years — then discard when they get bored or don’t want to deal with emotional or physical needs.  We are looking for the empathetic, kind, and patient humans in this world who view these Animal Saints as family. They don't believe animals are subordinates or view them as mere possessions; they are partners in life. They are committed to giving them the safety and love they need to flourish.  Will that family be you? We look forward to finding out and receiving your application!