Marilla

Description

Backstory for Marilla 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. Marilla 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 Marilla  Name: Marilla Cuthbert, named after one of the most impressive women characters in the book called “Anne of Green Gables.” Marilla is especially loyal to those she trusts and loves — just like her namesake character. age: 3 years young with a birthdate of 6/30/2023 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 - Shows healthy organs with nothing concerning.  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 and certificate of veterinary inspection 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  Marilla has hair and not fur. She is a very rare “Imperial” Shih Tzu with rare chocolate hues. “imperial” is a word used to describe Shih Tzu under 9 pounds but is not officially recognized to the American Kennel Club.  Marilla is full grown and very small, one of the smallest female Shih Tzu we have helped.  PLEASE NOTE: Marilla’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. Marilla was very frightened about her baths when she first arrived. Now that she trusts us, she appreciates the care and attention. She is great on the grooming table!  Marilla’s hair is truly stunning and rare. Someone who loves and respects the longer hair of Shih Tzu will love tending to her long locks in lieu of a buzz cut. We are looking to find a family who will honor her Shih Tzu traits and will love trading care of her longer hair.  Personality Marilla is the shyest Animal Saint who arrived in the large owner surrender we helped this summer. It took her many weeks before she felt like she could safely come and ask to get up in our laps. She is still especially hesitant around new people. She appreciates people who give her space initially. Then, she’s ready to engage.  Marilla is the kind of girl who lets the other fosters in the sanctuary move to the front of the line for attention. She stands behind them all, waiting for her turn to get attention, rather than pushing to the front of the line. As she gains confidence, we see her becoming part of the group with tail wagging and an eagerness to get picked up for a hug.  Marilla’s favourite thing to do is to get picked up, held, and taken to a quiet corner of the sanctuary. She will sit in the lap of her favourite volunteer for as long as they are able to sit. She prefers calmness and quietude, rather than a playful boisterous vibe.  Once Marilla trusts her chosen people, she is ardently devoted and loyal to them. She is eager to please, and she learned to “sit” and the recall word “here” before most of the other fosters in our sanctuary. She really started to connect to the humans here through these training sessions. They are an invaluable way to connect. 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. These classes are a requirement for her adoption and should be started during the first days after her adoption day.  Because of Marilla’s current hesitancies and skittish behavior, her new family needs to be mindful that she will need to be given time to learn to trust and settle in. Just like her brother Matthew, Marilla is a flight risk, at this point. With this in mind, she will need a very secure fence for going outside, as well as honing her loose leash training skills before taking a successful and safe walk. She is still uncertain about going outside in our small fenced-in courtyard. She will follow her brother Matthew out, then promptly run inside to potty on a pad. We see this changing over time, but know this is where she is at in her recuperation. The outdoors is a new and unpredictable thing for her. As her confidence grows, we know she will eventually feel safe outside. She needs a family who will respect where she’s at in coming out of her shell.  Please keep in mind that Marilla 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.  Watch Marilla enjoy spending time in our sanctuary: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1228634594 Marilla is quiet, observant, and quite agile. She can fly up on our sanctuary sofas with ease! She learned how to jump on her own, and she is quite proud of her abilities. It is so special to see her wag her tail after seeing her so frightened when she first arrived. Ideal Home Marilla needs to be in a quiet and laidback home with no very young children. Only older and especially empathetic and kind children will be considered.  Marilla has gained so much confidence since coming into our care, given the quietude and stability our sanctuary gives to the Saints so they can recuperate. She needs a calm and stable environment to really allow her to flourish. She is NOT a candidate for an urban life with daily walks to a park while passing other humans and canines she does not know. She is in want of a quiet country life. Marilla will be happiest in a home where her people are around most of the time. A remote work setup or a very active retiree is ideal. Marilla should not be left alone for 8-10 hours a day while her humans are away. Some can handle it, but Marilla is most definitely not one of them. She is a Shih Tzu and wired to want to be someone’s companion. This is her goal in life.  Just like her brother Matthew, Marilla is the kind of girl who gains confidence from being around other canines. She follows their cues and is much more outgoing because of them. With this in mind, it is ideal for her to have a canine sibling or siblings. Her littermate named Matthew Cuthbert is available for adoption as well. They are practically twins and would be great sidekicks for one another.  We are giving preference to adopters who are all in on adopting them together. Their built-in companionship makes for a great transition into a lifetime home for them both. More than anything, Marilla needs her humans to love her because of her initial shyness, not in spite of it. Just like her brother Matthew! She needs abundant empathy and kindness to meet her where she’s at in her recuperation while she comes out of her shell. With just a bit of patience, her humans are going to have the most loyal and loving Animal Saint. Her love is so pure and inspiring.  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!