Meet Shirley aka Penny

This sweet girl is 10 months old and is a purebred Great Dane. She was surrendered to us when she started having swelling in her limbs and her previous family could not keep her anymore. When she arrived we knew right away that she had a condition called HOD, Hypertrophic osteodystrophy, which is an orthopedic developmental disorder that can cause limping, pain, and swelling of a dog’s joints. We had her evaluated by our Orthopedic surgeon and unfortunately the damage has been done. She was feed too much, too fast with too high of fat and protein. This is common with people who are new to owning a giant breed puppy. More is not better when it comes to feeding them. Their bones grow faster than their body can keep up and this happens. She has thick front legs and bowed back legs. There is nothing to do to fix this but she is also not fazed by it either. She may need pain medication later on in life but currently she doesn’t show any pain. She needs to remain on an appropriate diet and she needs to not be forced to do high impact activity, so she will not be a good running partner. She is currently on Royal Canin Giant Breed Junior food and a large bag usually last her about a month. She was recently spayed and had a gastropexy to prevent her from bloat. She has been vaccinated and microchipped as well. A little note from her foster home: Hi, my foster mom calls me Penny Lane or Penny. My legs are a little different looking but everyone that meets me thinks I’m just the most perfect special girl. I love going on walks, playing in the yard, and playing with toys or other dogs. I also enjoy sitting in a comfy spot and looking out the window. Sometimes I get really excited and can get mouthy and play a little rough with my foster mom. I love playing with other dogs and done well with dogs of all sizes. I’m working on my leash skills and can try to pull and say hi to all the dogs and humans we see. I’ve done great with potty training. I am not a big fan of being left in the crate. I’ve done well at home a few hours at a time alone, but can get curious and will try to play with things I shouldn’t from time to time. After my playful bouts, I like to curl up in a comfy spot and chew a bone, nap or cuddle and get pets. I’d love a home with a yard, and another dog to play with and show me the ropes.

Adoption fee is $500 Adoption applications available at rpaw.org