It’s been quite a journey for our sweet girl Spinelli. Originally found as an emaciated stray in Northern California, she was unchipped and unclaimed at the local shelter, which sadly did not have the funds to provide her with the medical care she so desperately needed. Fortunately, FBRN was able to swoop in and save her from the euthanasia list, and Spinelli was off on a multi-day road trip to her foster home in Arizona.

Three months later, Spinelli is a whole new dog. Just look at those bright, beautiful eyes! Now weighing in at a healthy 22 pounds, she’s ready for the final leg of her odyssey – a forever home of her very own.

At six years old, Spinelli has a lot of life to live and love to give! She is a happy girl who jumps for joy when she sees her people, although her preferred activities tend more toward loafing and snoozing (especially if there is a sunbeam involved). Spinelli gets along well with her Frenchie foster brother and engages him in play, and she also enjoys a nice bone or a nibble on her stuffed toys. But most of all, she just wants to be by her person’s side, relaxing and soaking up all the love (and butt scritches) that she can.

Health-wise, Spinelli still has some challenges when it comes to her tummy. She has a very sensitive stomach, and often urps up her food after eating. A daily antacid and a special diet, given to her in an elevated slow feeder, has significantly improved her condition. However, her new family must understand that there will be vomit to clean up, and that Spinelli will need continued veterinary care to address her chronic tummy troubles. “I promise I’m worth it,” says Spinelli, as she sidles up backwards in hopes of a butt scratch.

Housebreaking a work in progress for Spinelli, although she’s made great strides in this respect and rarely has accidents. She has crate training down to a T, and foster mom has now started teaching her some basic commands. So far, she seems to have gotten the hang of “sit,” but it still needs a little work. Daily training sessions (using positive reinforcement, of course) would be a wonderful way for Spinelli to bond with her new family.

The ideal home for Spinelli is one with experienced Frenchie owners who have the resources and know-how to handle her tummy troubles, along with the time and dedication to put into her continued training. Spinelli would be happy in just about any type of home, but she would especially love a yard for sunbathing. Easy access to the outdoors is also important because Spinelli often gets to urge to go potty immediately after eating (or sometimes in the middle of it).

Spinelli has never met a person she doesn’t love, but any kids in the household should be older and dog savvy. Spinelli’s greetings can be a little exuberant, and she can get mouthy when she’s excited (but certainly not in an aggressive fashion…this girl doesn’t have a mean bone in her body!) She would definitely enjoy sharing her space with another friendly, similarly-sized canine playmate. Unfortunately, since Spinelli has not been exposed to cats, we have to say no to kitties or other small animals.

Spinelli’s foster mom has nurtured this beautiful girl from skin and bones to the picture of health, and has this to say: “Spinelli has been the happiest, sweetest girl since the day we picked her up. Even though she was basically bones when we got her, her spirit was over the moon. We love to call her our Miss Piggy as she often snorts or makes silly noises when you least expect it. We love how she inserts herself into our laps when we put her on the couch with us. If you put her in bed, she often will go up to your face, sneeze on you so you know she’s there, then lay next to your head. She also makes silly noises when excited and getting her butt rubs. She has the cutest, smallest little back paws that almost feel like a rabbit’s foot. When you rub the top of her head she makes the cutest most relaxed face and start to get sleepy eyes if you keep at it long enough. She loves her Lamb Chop toys and will often suck on them like a pacifier, making an adorable suckling noise in the process. Although some dogs are afraid of vacuum cleaners, not Spinelli! She will “attack” the vacuum cleaner if properly motivated. Spinelli has been such a joy and anyone will be so lucky to have her. She is a happy, sweet, silly girl and she deserves all the love and happiness as a dog who came off the streets alone but still ready to love.”

Well, we’re certainly convinced! If you’ve got a Spinelli-shaped hole in your life and think you can give her the fairy tale ending she deserves, then fill out an adoption application and tell us why! Just be prepared to travel, as Spinelli is chasing vacuum cleaners in sunny Arizona and will not be shipped.

FBRN does not ship dogs as cargo, so adopters are expected to pick up their dogs from their foster family.

FBRN dogs are in foster care in people’s private homes. For the foster families’ safety, we do not disclose specific locations, and we don’t set up meet and greets prior to applications. For detailed information about the dogs in our care, please read the extensive bios on each dog.