Zeus

Hi, my name is Zeus! I'm one of those sweet Chihuahuas you have to look beyond my outside appearances to see the love I have in my heart despite the toils and tribulations I've suffered at the hands of human owners.

My appearances are deceiving for I am a Herringbone Fawn, which makes me look older than I am (similar to men who get gray before their time). My foster mom says I remind her of a wolf's coloring and so gave me a mighty name to go along with my unique appearance (Zeus means 'wolf god').

Note from Zeus' foster mom: Zeus' days were numbered in the shelter because although he is a tiny Chihuahua, they listed his age as 13, sickly and aggressive. We don't think he is 13 but really less than 10 years old (which is midlife for a Chihuahua) - his eyes are clear and his heart is great!

His mouth however was an absolute mess and it was obvious his previous owner did not get him the proper veterinary care, although he was debarked sometime during his life and accordingly has a strange sound when he tries to bark (which is very seldom). We have had all his dental work done, but unfortunately he had to lose 23 teeth which is why he is listed as a 'special needs' fella... he needs to be on soft foods for the rest of his life as he has only 6 teeth left. His gums are now healthy again and is at the weight he should be.

I've never known him to be aggressive, although he will woof at strangers. He dearly loves my husband and can't wait for him to come home each night, because he climbs up into his lap and gets his special treat (baby food meat) fed to him on a spoon!... so much for being aggressive!

Zeus is very much a cuddle bug and lap dog once he gets to know you. He's an 'UC' (undercovers) Chihuahua and willingly wears sweaters, loves blankees and curling up with you under the covers to sleep.

Zeus is not a marker and although he has not learned how to use the doggie door, he will stand by the back door to go potty. He has no bad habits, unless you consider not being overly friendly at first being a bad habit. He's undergone a lot in his lifetime at the hands of humans, so this is to be expected, along with being in our shelter system for almost a month with much larger dogs and no defenses with such a bad mouth and a 'headful' of toothaches!

Because of his small size and senior age, he is not a candidate for a family with small children, but is an active dog, enjoying walks, loves riding in the car and gets along exceptionally well with the other dogs around here. Feel free to contact the foster mom ([email protected]) for further information or questions.

Stop by and meet our pets on Saturdays from noon to 4pm at PetSmart in Simi Valley