Adopt this Pet: Meet Jem!

Please meet Jem, a sweet tempered Australian Cattle Dog/Terrier/Pit Bull mix.

Jem was found as a stray with her five babies. Her gratefulness in now having a nice foster home shows by her being very cuddly and loving. She likes other dogs and is OK with dog-savvy cats. She is basically a clean slate because she doesn’t know a lot of "dog stuff" yet. She is learning how to be housebroken and is working on getting crate trained. She is super smart and very treat-motivated so she is catching on quite quickly.

She loves being in the house, but is also a great dog to get out and go hiking with. She hasn’t had much of a life to live until now, so she is looking forward to finding someone that will allow her to learn and enjoy the great life a dog is supposed to have. She is only about 1 year old and is full grown at 45 pounds.

Notes from Jem's Foster Home: Jem is truly outrageous and a total gem of a girl. She's a lovebug and very affectionate. She loves to be with you and wants to be a part of your world.

We don't know much about Jem's past, as she was found as a stray with her five babies, so we can only guess about what she had or didn't have as the case may be. Many things and experiences are very new to her.

She is a little tentative and nervous in new situations, but this can be easily remedied by constantly exposing her to new things. She is extremely comfortable in the house and that is where she currently shows off her playfulness and affection to the fullest.

She can be a vocal girl on occasion, quite talkative, and clicks her teeth when excited. She starts with grumbles to get your attention but then will bark if she feels you are ignoring her (especially when she's done feeding the babies and wants to be allowed into the rest of the house to hang with the other dogs).

She's a happy girl, with her hind end constantly wagging. She looks like she's dancing when she approaches you with her hind end swaying from side to side combined with her bouncing/prancing gait. She'll show you a few new moves on the dance floor.

While extremely comfortable in the house where she displays her great shining personality, Jem is a little nervous with the unknown. Unfortunately, this young girl doesn't know all the joys that life as a loved dog can provide. She's learned a lot of things in a short period of time - like walking on a leash, sitting for treats, that it's not polite to jump on people to say hi, dog beds are cushy things to lie on, crates are for eating and sleeping, and that countersurfing isn't permitted in the kitchen.

She's met new people and gone to new places, but will need to continue to do that to help her gain confidence. She's very food motivated and trains very well. It also helps that she's very eager to please. With more exposure to walking trails and leash training, she would make a great jogging partner.

Now that she is no longer on "diaper duty" for her babies and they're allowing her more freedom, she's blossoming even more. She bonds easily to people and is very trusting in that regard. She's learning accepted indoor behavior from her fellow foster and resident dogs, although she's still not sure what those squeaky toys are all about and why other dogs in the house love them so. She's pretty much a clean slate that you can help mold and train to be an amazing dog and family member. She's also not extremely high energy or spastic and does well with toys to play with in the home and relaxing with her people.

She's a perfect combination who is able to hike all day in the great outdoors or even hang in the house watching her shows on those rainy days.

What more could you ask for? And seriously, who can resist those ears of hers?

If you would like to meet Jem and see that sweet face close up, please go to www.motleyzoo.org to see her video. Email adopt@motleyzoo.org to request an adoption application. An adoption donation is required to adopt all dogs/cats in order for Motley Zoo Rescue to continue their wonderful work with placing needy animals in permanent homes.

Motley Zoo is a non-profit run entirely by volunteers. All their dogs and cats are in foster homes and as of Feb 2012, they have adopted out over 500 animals since starting as a rescue organization.

For a listing of all the rescue groups in our area, including purebred rescues for different breeds, please go to www.petfinder.com. This website offers an easy search engine that lists the hundreds of dogs and cats looking for homes in the Seattle area. There surely is one right for you!

Remember, Don’t Breed or Buy. Adopt and Save a Life.