"Roo"

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Overview:

• Arrived in NZCR care: 18th November 2025
• Date of Birth: 29th June 2021
• Gender: Female 
• Breed: Chihuahua x Maltese
• De-Sexed: Yes.
• Micro-chipped: Yes. 
• Registered with NZCAR: Yes.
• Vaccinated: Yes.
• DogsNZ (NZKC): N/A
• Council Registered: Yes - Christchurch City Council.
• Cat Friendly: Yes - confident, dog knowledgeable cats only.
• Child Friendly: 7 years and older. 
• Human Sociable: Yes, see details below.
• Dog Sociable: Yes, see details below.

Personality:

• Roo will thrive in a home that values her intelligence, energy, and independence, while providing structure, patience, and plenty of adventure. 

• Roo is a sweet, active, and intelligent little dog who is highly clever and picks up training quickly, thriving when she has both physical exercise and mental stimulation. 

• Roo loves long walks and adventures and has recently completed a 10 km hike to Godley Head with ease, showing just how capable and energetic she is. She would be an excellent candidate for agility or other enrichment-based activities. Not a suitable dog for an older person just looking for a companion, or those who are less active.

• Roo can be a little cautious with new people at first, but she warms up quickly when given space and gentle encouragement. Once settled, she is affectionate and forms strong bonds. She does not enjoy being picked up, but will happily hop up onto your lap on her own terms once she feels comfortable.

• She eats well and has shown no food aggression. Roo can be a stimulus barker when something catches her attention, but she responds well to redirection and settles quickly. An adopter will need to take this into consideration and ensure it continues to be worked upon.

• Roo has lived happily with another small dog in the past and is currently living with a Chihuahua and a cat in foster care. 

• Children: Roo has also been around children without issue, although never unsupervised. Roo doesn't like to be picked up, she prefers to come to you and hop up on your lap. So both our foster team and her previous owner think that she is suited to older children (at least 7 years+) who are doggy-knowledgeable and able to understand her signals. 

Health: 

• Soon after Roo entered care with us, she completed her veterinary assessment on 20.11.2024 and had a groom. No health issues noted by the former owner, or our vet at her recent health assessment appointment.

• A note on our medical care policies: our rescue dogs become available to adopt only after being medically checked by our vet, desexed, vaccinated, microchipped (which is registered with the New Zealand Companion Animal Register and local Council), and treated for fleas and worms (at minimum). At their initial vet assessment, we will learn whether they require any additional diagnostics, medical treatments or procedures. Any issues or ongoing health conditions and medications or diets required will be noted here on their profile. We absolutely will not adopt out any entire dog or help public locate dogs for breeding - we're a dog rescue!

Adopter Requirements: 

• Location: Canterbury or South island-based applications are preferable. Roo is a candidate for an out-of-town adoption, provided the adopter can travel to Christchurch to meet her and her foster family. **Note: this is non-negotiable, so please do not inquire about exceptions. You will need to contact your local dog rescues instead.**

• Activity: Roo needs active adopters who enjoy long walks, hikes, and outdoor adventures regularly. An "extra" plus would be an owner with an interest in agility, scent work, or similar activities. Roo needs enrichment and mental stimulation.

• Working hours: we seek an owner with plenty of weekday availability. This means no full-time (out-of-home) workers. Roo would suit someone who either works part-time,  or who works permanently from home.
   
• Secure fencing: Roo needs a safe and secure home, with full fencing and NO holes or gaps they might escape through. Rural properties: you must at least have a fenced in, safe backyard to ensure she cannot escape (especially earlier on in the trial).
  
• Cats: Roo can live with doggy-confident cats who are experienced in having dogs around them.
   
• Dogs: not suitable as a solo dog in the home. Roo needs an active, playful canine companion (wouldn't suit an older or low-energy dog). However, Roo requires supervised introductions to other dogs and is fearful of large dogs, so careful management is important. 

• Training: Commitment to ongoing training, enrichment, and mental stimulation. Plus consideration given to her training needs and whether her barking would exacerbate the issue for any other current dogs. Respect for Roo’s boundaries around handling and picking up

• Children: Due to her handling preferences, Roo is best suited to a home with older, dog-savvy children (7 years+)  who understand boundaries.

Adoption Fee: $650.00 to be paid to the NZCR trust account no. 03-0823-0074502-000

Note: Before applying to adopt, please ensure you meet the adopter requirements. These guidelines are set with the dogs' needs in mind, based on input from foster carers. If you do not meet these requirements, your application will be declined, so please review the criteria carefully. Thank you! 

Note: Our adoption fees reflect the dog’s age, health, and care needs. They cover microchipping (NZCAR registration), vaccinations, de-sexing, current-year council registration, and any necessary treatments, including flea/worm treatments, medications, surgeries (e.g., dental), and food. Payment plans are not available, as adopters must show financial readiness for the expense that comes with pet ownership. Click below for more details on our adoption process.