Riley
Name Riley
Gender Female
Age 2.5 years old
Breed Mixed Breed (Likely pitbull, kelpie, and other small breed)
Weight 32lbs.
Dog Good with dogs
Cat Good with cats
Kids 13 and up
Crate-trained Good in crate
Housebroken Yes
Leash In training
Meet Riley! Riley was found by one of our volunteers running loose in San Jose. They caught her, and immediately brought her to the SJACC to have her chip scanned. Turns out, she was adopted from that same shelter only a month prior. Her family was contacted, but the 10-day
hold passed and they never showed up to claim her.At the behest of the volunteer that found her, we pulled Riley from the shelter and brought her into foster care. Upon taking her home, we realized she was limping with her hips arched- an indication of lameness. We’re not sure how long she had been limping, or
what might have caused it, but two vet consultations later she was diagnosed with not one but two luxating patella (MPL) (left knee was at about a grade 3, right knee was low-grade). Because she’s a high energy, young, dog the OFA specialist recommended operating to
correct the most serious MPL, or else she could have serious muscle atrophy, hip, and knee issues.With the help of many generous donations towards the surgery cost, we were able to have her grade 3 MPL fixed. She’s now on the road to recovery, receiving PT and a lot TLC in her foster home.
Riley’s past is a mystery, but by having her in foster care for a good chunk of time we can safely say she is very under-socialized. New environments and things are scary, and we’re working on socializing her in a suburban environment so she can gain confidence on walks. Through a lot of daily desensitizing, she’s no longer scared of cars (parked or moving), but does still get spooked by weird things on the sidewalk, and is absolutely terrified of most
children. She will need continued socialization and patient, dedicated, work to desensitize her so that the world around her is not so scary!She is not aggressive at all, and is very submissive with both people and other dogs, but when she’s fearful she’s very vocal and LOUD. She will bark and growl, loudly, when unfamiliar people come into her space (at home). We’re working on it- but in general she is
very vocal. She sighs and complains and barks when she wants attention too. She is mostly fine outdoors and in parks with strangers.Once she’s comfortable with you, she blossoms as a cuddly, friendly, attention-seeking dog. She loves being near her people, always laying on or against you, or just following you around. She’s submissive and shy at first with other dogs, but once she warms up to them
she is VERY playful and will seek out other dogs and her humans for playtime. She will literally throw her toys around (and at you) to signal she wants to play. She’s also very food motivated and is a super chewer (so no tennis balls and toys she can easily tear apart).She is a great pup, and deserves a furever home that is ready and willing to put in the time and patience into socializing her and helping her build confidence so she can live a fear-free
life!For future care- it’s important to note that due to her surgery and remaining low-grade MPL she cannot be left unsupervised with access to stairs or things she can jump on/off of (like couches and beds). She has full mobility, but must take stairs slowly, and needs to be
carried in and out of cars. Her future family also needs to monitor her back legs for any signs that her remaining low-grade MPL has worsened.We are looking for a home who understands the responsibilities of owning and raising a dog as a member of their family. Riley is patiently waiting!
