Meet Luna. This pretty pup with big brown eyes was found abandoned in a tiny crate on a country road in Salisbury, NC, in the dark of night. We dont know much about her history or how long she was there, but were thankful some good people passing by saw her and stopped to investigate. She had no food or water, and they stepped up and took her home to safety.

When Luna first came into her foster home, she was nervous and fearful, and her foster mom gave her a few days to decompress before fully engaging her. What does that mean? It means giving the dog a dedicated space and time to settle in and trust. It means not over-engaging or overhandling for the first few days. After about two days, a sweet, engaged Luna emerged, ready for pets, love, and snuggle time.

Luna spent almost a month in her South Carolina foster home learning how good life can be, living with a mom, dad, teen son, senior Chihuahua, and a cat. She had a very easy integration into the pack, and would actually look to her pup companion for cues and will follow his lead. While it took her a few days to decompress, shes transitioned into a lap dog who seeks out affection.

Luna arrived on transport on 11/18, which is a very scary experience for many dogs. Once again Luna needed some decompression time to settle into her new foster home. Initially, she was fearful and protective of her space, but after a few days of just letting her be, giving her time to trust a social, sweet Luna emerged. Lunas foster mom, Linda, checked in with this update:

"It was 2 days before Luna really felt comfortable with me and 3-4 days before she was good with Bob and our 4 dogs. I dont think she needs a dog playmate, she seems to enjoy people more. She wants lap time, loves to be petted, snuggles in bed at night, and likes playing fetch. In the house, she plays with her toys or engages me/Bob to play with her more so than the other dogs. But she does like to chase the dogs around in the yard. She does fine as part of a pack and is great with my cats too.

Luna stays out with the pack when we are home. If Bob has to work, she stays in the kitchen. She is a really good girl, fully house-trained, no barking, and doesnt make any messes. Other than the one issue of gently nibbling on your hands when she wants to play, she is perfect. She also understands the word NO and will stop it. Luna just needs a patient owner with a little dog savvy who understands that she needs a few days to trust in a new environment. If they give her time to settle, they will get an awesome dog."

This pretty girl quickly learned the rules of their home. Shes housetrained, crate-trained, and is OK on a leash. She will pull, but doesnt bark at other dogs and is not easily distracted by other animals. Luna has learned how to "sit" and "stay" and is getting better at meeting new people. Shes still a bit timid towards folks she doesnt know, but once she gets to know you, she is very affectionate.

Luna is still a young pup at 2 to 3 years old who would enjoy an active home. She has a moderate or medium energy level. She loves to play and run around in the backyard but can definitely shut it down to relax inside. Like many rescue dogs. Luna has had an unstable life, and we expect that with time and consistency, she will do better with change. She needs an owner who can give her space/time to settle in. Once she trusts, she has a very sweet, good-natured temperament and will make a great companion.

Apply today!

BREED ESTIMATE: Chihuahua/Terrier Mix
GENDER: Female
APPROXIMATE WEIGHT: ~ 16 lbs
APPROXIMATE AGE: ~ 2 to 3 old
COAT TYPE: short
ADOPTION FEE: $425
OTHER INFO: utd on shots/spayed/microchipped
LOCATION: Pomfrett, MD

FOR MORE INFO OR TO ADOPT: Please go to https://adopt.worthydog.org and complete the application.

You can also help save dogs like this one by becoming a foster, providing a rescue dog with a temporary home, and giving them the love and care they need until they are permanently adopted. Every person who fosters is directly responsible for saving the life of a dog because we can only save as many dogs as we have foster families available to welcome them into their homes. If you think you might be interested in becoming a foster and want to learn more, please go to https://foster.worthydog.org and fill out an application.

Worthy Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer, foster-based rescue that primarily adopts to families in the DC Metro area.