Natsumi

Adoption status: Adopted!

Hi my new name is now Natsumi and it means, beautiful summer. Thank you DC SIR fans for saving me & naming me. I am a 13 yr female cream Shiba Inu & I have only known one family. I have lived with one owner since I was 8 weeks old. I know my owner said he loved me but I have been in so much pain. DC SIR got a call that my 13 and 8 yr old Shiba siblings & me needed a new home in less than 48 hrs. My dad was evicted and we were living in an empty apartment.

My nails were so overgrown that every time I went for a walk, it caused agonizing pain. My nails curled up over my paws and I couldn’t understand why no one cut them. Can’t you see my pain? On the ride to DC SIR Shiba house I shook so bad with fear & pain. But the nice lady kept one arm around me while she drove and I didn’t feel so alone anymore. When DC SIR got me to the main home they washed the painful fleas and multiple ticks that ravaged my body. They had to cut my matted fur that was filled with dirt and bugs. They tried to wash the urine and feces stains from my stomach but my fur is still so discolored and smelly from months or years of lying in my own filth. DC SIR cleans my body and bed frequently until the medicine works. They said I’ll get more baths later. I sat real still during my multiple bathes and brushing, and boy did I feel good afterward!

The next day I went to the vet. They took my blood and poked and prodded me. I was treated for ear mites and they gave me shots of antibiotics for my painful tooth abscess. The Doc says I need surgery as soon as my blood work comes back and I have a week’s worth of antibiotics to prep for this. I’m also being treated for a bladder problem which will keep me from urinating over myself when I sleep and help keep my fur clean. I have severe Lyme disease and the Doc thinks this is why my joints are so stiff so I am being treated for that too. When the vet cut my nails, everyone saw how fast I could hobble! I was so happy! I beat my brothers to the car; I was so fast! I hope my blood work comes back ok because I want to live through a beautiful summer without pain.

DC SIR is a non-profit, volunteer-run network of foster homes in the Washington, DC area.

DC SIR does not have a shelter facility. To meet our adoptable dogs, interested adopters can attend one of our monthly adoption events.