Kissimmee

My story

Please read the pet description IN IT'S ENTIRETY before applying.  Thank you for your cooperation. Different poses for different folks.  Who are we to judge?  LOL!   You Tube video link:  https://youtube.com/shorts/sYNFuw_xs1o   FOR ADOPTION!   Note:  Only those with a responsible dog ownership history and excellent vet reference need apply. (For more pics, visit nr2r.petfinder.com or www.RoadtoRescueLA.org)   INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLY: PLEASE read profile thoroughly BEFORE applying: DOG APPLICATION LINK:    http://www.roadtorescuela.org/dog-application Kissimmee (female) Intake date:   5/23/2025 Pug 1 year old Intake weight:  14.4 pounds (she’s little but heavy – it’s deceiving) Adoption fee:  $350, which includes vetting, microchip Benefactor Dog:  When we have a popular dog, we dub them a “Benefactor Dog”.  A Benefactor Dog will have an above average adoption fee.  In other words, for OTHER dogs where the adoption fee is minimal or waived due to age, health or some other reason (although we’ve likely spent hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars) a Benefactor dog will help us somewhat make up the shortfall.  If this dog has an above-average adoption fee, she/he is a Benefactor Dog.   Good with other dogs:  yes Cats:  unknown – we do not have cats to be able to test Vetting and other:  altered (spayed/neutered), up-to-date on age-appropriate vaccinations, heartworm *POSITIVE, fecal was positive for hookworms (treated and cleared), Proheart 6, on monthly flea/tick prevention, microchipped Health issues:  heartworm *POSITIVE – read heartworm positive paragraph below 6/10/25 Update:  Kissimmee was urinating a lot, so we had our vet treat for UTI and also take x-ray for stones.  Kissimmee has no stones but she does have crystals so we are putting her on urinary food to lessen the chances of stones forming down the road. Temperament:  very sweet, somewhat shy and submissive Energy level:  medium Groom needs:  medium maintenance;  check folds from time-to-time. Biography:  Belize and Kissimmee, the Pug, are owner-surrenders.  Their owner works all the time and she felt it was in their best interest to find a home that had more time for them.  Kissimmee is a sweet little girl.  She’s very curious and friendly.  She does great in a kennel if needed and walks well on a leash.  Belize and Kissimmee do not need to be adopted together.  They aren’t bonded and have made new friends at the rescue.   Kissimmee will need a secure fenced yard.  She’s been known to escape her previous yard and has shown up a few times on social media.  The last time she was found was with Belize and the owner agreed to surrender them.   Kissimmee does have some missing hair due to previous fleas but her skin will heal in time and her coat will get healthier.  If you’re interested in this little toot, we welcome your application! *Heartworm POSITIVE:   Don’t let heartworms discourage you from adopting a heartworm positive dog! We have tons of examples of dogs adopted and then ultimately testing heartworm negative following our instructions!  Kissimmee is on (or has completed) twice a day Doxycycline for 30 days, and he/she has received a 6 month Proheart injection. The Proheart injection releases heartworm prevention into their system continuously for 6 months as opposed to the MONTHLY pill which releases prevention only when first administered. Coupled with Doxycycline, the gentle kill (or slow-kill) method is a safer alternative to the harsh immiticide (arsenic) treatment. The Doxycycline kills bacteria, which heartworms thrive on, thus weakening the heartworms and eventually they will die off, but it could take months and possibly up to two years before (s)he will be heartworm free. The 6 month Proheart injection kills any heartworm larvae and sterilizes the adult heartworms so they no longer reproduce. While the “gentle kill” or “slow kill” method does take longer than traditional harsh veterinary treatment, we prefer this method because there is less risk, it is not as harsh on the dog and the dog does not have to be confined for up to two months during the treatment. We recommend the dog receives another 30 day course of Doxycycline when s(he) receives their next Proheart injection (6 months from the first injection). After one year, we recommend the dog be retested for heartworms.  If positive, continue the Doxycycline every 6 months along with the Proheart injection.  If negative, continue with regular heartworm prevention (Proheart injection or monthly pill or topical) just like you would do for any heartworm negative dog.  If negative, discontinue the Doxycycline regimen.  We do require that any interested adopters understand heartworms. They must also agree to continue our method of treatment or, if they wish, they can opt for traditional veterinary treatment; however they cannot choose to do nothing and we do require an agreement/contract be signed that the adopter will continue with a plan to rid him/her of the heartworms. We highly recommend that you discuss this with your veterinarian BEFORE applying (better yet, show this write-up to your vet) as some vets will ONLY do the traditional veterinary treatment... (which is poison).  (Note:  Heartworms are not contagious from dog-to-dog or by any other means OTHER THAN a bite from an infected mosquito.  That is the only way dogs get heartworms and the only way to protect them is through prevention.)   Flat-faced (Brachycephalic) dogs and over-heating:  Brachycephalic dogs are prone to overheating and heatstroke, as their facial conformation prohibits effective cooling. Short-faced dogs should stay cool during hot weather, opting for exercise during early mornings and after the sun goes down rather than during the hottest part of the day. In the southern states, you'll need to really wait until fall, spring or winter.  The summer months in the south, really don't cool enough in morning or evening to take a flat-faced dog for a walk.  You can also help by walking them on a harness instead of attaching the leash to the dog’s collar.       **WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW** *We do adopt out of state provided the adopter is willing and able to travel to us once approved.  We do not ship or transport our animals and there is no exception to this rule.   *Most of our adoptable dogs are small, and they are never to be left outside alone, ever!  We only rehome our dogs to adopters that plan to have them as inside dogs and part of the family!   We do allow adopters with doggie doors, provided there is SECURE fencing and the dog is over 15 pounds.  There is no exception to this rule!   *PREDATORS:    IF THIS DOG IS UNDER 10 POUNDS, the dog is to be monitored and protected when outside at all times!  PREDATOR-THREAT IS A REAL DANGER!  For example, a hawk tried to pick up a Chihuahua owned by a friend visiting Ninna’s house… RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE VISITOR.  Thankfully the visitor was watching the dog and the hawk was wrestled off of the Chihuahua but it did require an ER visit and she is was very lucky to survive.   TAKE IT SERIOUSLY!     *NO SMALL CHILDREN!!  As with almost all the dogs at NR2R, young children or a very active household is not recommended.   Many of our dogs come to us BECAUSE of small children, thus we do not rehome our dogs to homes with babies or young children.  KEEP THIS IN MIND IF YOU HAVE VISITING GRANDCHILDREN AS WELL!  Even if the children are older, it would depend on the child AND the parent or parents.    *HOUSETRAINING:  We do NOT guarantee that any of our adoptable dogs are housetrained.   While most should be easily trained, keep in mind that they live in a rescue where they have access to the outdoors all day and are inside at night.  Even if they were surrendered to us as housetrained, it doesn’t mean they will automatically be housetrained in your home.  Housetraining them should be easy in the right home with time, patience, and consistency.    *KENNELING:  We always recommend kenneling when you cannot supervise your dog.  This helps with housetraining and any destructive tendencies until you get to know your knew addition.   *We do not guarantee the age, health or temperament of any of the dogs we rehome.  Many of the dogs we take in come from animal control and rarely do we have histories and even when we do, many times the histories are inaccurate.   *Only adopters with a responsible dog ownership history and excellent vet reference need apply.   If you bring this pet into your heart and home, you will receive in return many years of love, companionship, and loyalty.  That’s our guarantee.   Other notes:  This pet is available for adoption through Ninna’s Road to Rescue, Benton, La.  We are 501c3 non-profit organization.  Our mission is to rescue primarily small-breed dogs and to re-home them into RESPONSIBLE and CARING forever homes.    DOG APPLICATION LINK:   http://www.roadtorescuela.org/dog-application Time may be of the essence if you are looking to adopt a specific animal.  We do not reserve animals, unless and until we have approved your application, provided the animal is still available at the time we receive your application.  The first APPROVED application we receive will be considered.  We are NOT a first come, first serve rescue!! We adopt our rescues out to the RIGHT home, not just A home. Only responsible pet owners need apply. Applying to adopt does NOT commit you to the adoption NOR does it guarantee the adoption. CONTACT:  Our adoptable pets are updated regularly, but if you want to check the availability of a pet... OR still have questions AFTER reading this profile, message us via our Facebook page.   Please indicate the name when communicating with us. www.RoadtoRescueLA.org    “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”  ~ Gandhi Be responsible ~  Always spay/neuter, keep your dogs on heartworm prevention, vaccinate against disease... and if you bring a pet into your life, commit to that pet for life.  Blessings. June 10, 2025, 4:27 pm

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Kissimmee, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.