This charming 6-year-old Boston Terrier is ready to find her forever home. With her sweet face and floppy ears, Charlie is a quiet, well-behaved, housetrained pup who gets along wonderfully with both dogs and cats. She enjoys cuddling with her foster sister, Boston Terrier Roxy, and would be thrilled to have a canine companion in her new home, but she’s also perfectly content being the sole pet, soaking up all the attention that comes with being the only fur-child.
Whether by herself, with her foster mom, or her canine companion, Charlie loves playing with toys! After all the excitement, her favourite pastime is to relax and suck on one of her stuffies. She also enjoys seeking out the sunspots in the home and taking a snooze while soaking up some rays.
Charlie is a very good girl on leash, enjoying her daily strolls to explore all the smells of the neighbourhood. She’s equally happy observing the world through the window from her perch on the couch. While Charlie has been diagnosed with luxating patella in both knees, she’s doing well and remains comfortable on her walks. At this time, no intervention has been recommended by her veterinarian. Charlie is not fond of going down the stairs, though, so her ideal home would be one without too many stairs or with someone who can help her down as needed.
At night, Charlie likes to settle in on her dog bed beside her foster mom, but not before being tucked in with a cozy blanket and giving her foster mom a big goodnight kiss! Though she isn’t crate-trained – since confinement makes her nervous – Charlie is perfectly behaved when left alone in the house and has never gotten into any mischief. She can get a little anxious when left alone in a new environment, but quickly settles into a comfortable routine.
Charlie has a medical condition called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which requires a special prescription diet and lifelong medication to keep her gastrointestinal system happy. She can be prone to flare-ups when stressed, so a calm, consistent routine is best. Charlie went through a lot during the first several months with BTRC, but after many tests and procedures to get her diagnosed and a treatment plan in place, and with the dedicated care of her fosters, Charlie is now doing great, and this happy girl is excited for her next chapter!
Charlie’s ideal family will provide plenty of blankets, toys, and cuddles, with someone home more often than not to give her the attention and reassurance she craves. In return, Charlie will shower you with kisses, smiles, and the kind of companionship that only a loving and devoted dog like her can offer. Her foster mom says it best: adopting Charlie is like winning the lottery. She’s the sweetest, most loving girl – and the lucky family who brings her into their home will gain a truly special companion.
If you want to open your heart and your home to the beautiful Charlie, you can find her adoption application form HERE. Charlie is really looking forward to starting the New Year with her new forever family!
CHARLIE • SPAYED BOSTON TERRIER • 6 YEARS • 22 LBS • DOG AND CAT FRIENDLY • KIDS 6+ • FOSTERED IN CALGARY, AB
BTRC’S INVESTMENT IN CHARLIE’S CARE: $25,343.32
YOUR ADOPTION FEE: $ 550.00
NOTE: From the time applications are opened through the selection and screening process, adoptions can take approximately three weeks to finalize. IF YOU FILL OUT AN APPLICATION FORM AND DO NOT RECEIVE AN EMAIL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – CHECK YOUR SPAM/JUNK FOLDER OR REACH OUT VIA PRIVATE MESSAGE. BTRC will respond to all applicants by email, but only those who best fit each dog’s requirements in a forever home will be contacted for an interview.
Charlie looks up to Roxy and enjoys her company – sometimes too much. Roxy enjoys the occasional grooming session, but as you can see, she has no qualms about letting Charlie know when enough is enough.
Charlie is being fostered in Calgary, AB and will be up for adoption soon, so stay tuned!
For Boston Terriers, every day is dedicated to kisses – lots and lots of slobbery kisses! BTRC foster Charlie is celebrating today with this meaningful gesture to show her gratitude to everyone who loves her.
Since coming into foster care, Charlie has had a rough go, spending many days at the vet and in hospital. Diagnosed with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), Charlie’s condition is successfully being managed with immunosuppressive medication. Last month, Charlie had a mast cell tumour removed. Thankfully it was low grade, the least aggressive kind, which means the chance of it coming back in the same location is low. Like all dogs with MCTs, Charlie will need to be monitored for any new lumps.
Another recent rush to hospital was necessary when Charlie started to vomit, and her belly was quite painful to the touch. A radiograph and ultrasound did not show evidence of an obstruction, so Charlie was sent home with instructions for her fosters to monitor her condition. By the next day, Charlie started to perk up and her energy and appetite increased and there has been no recurrence of vomiting or abdominal pain.
Next up for Charlie is a look at her knees (both of which luxate). In the meantime, while she waits for her next appointment, Charlie is puckering up for some lip action to acknowledge everyone who has helped her get through her medical journey while in BTRC’s care – love, affection, perseverance and a never-give-up attitude – both from Charlie and her foster family. ❤
Just for the month of June, Charlie’s total medical expenses cost $3948.25. Taking care of luxating patella in both knees will also be costly (the quote for foster Frodo, in MB, was $6000+ ). If you would like to help cover Charlie’s medical expenses, please donate at:
www.bostonterrierrescuecanada.com/donate/
In December, we told you about BTRC foster Charlie’s medical difficulties after a routine dental. Shortly after returning home, she started regurgitating food and water. She was taken to the ER hospital and stabilized, although the root cause of her problems had yet to be determined.
Earlier this week, Charlie saw the specialist for a series of diagnostic tests, including x-rays, endoscopy and biopsies. Contributing to her regurgitation issues, Charlie was diagnosed with BOAS or Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome. Surgery was performed to trim her elongated soft palate and enlarge her nares.
Again, Charlie came through the surgery well. Extra precautions had been taken, and she was sent home with a host of medications to help her stay calm and pain-free while she healed.
And again, Charlie started experiencing post-op complications. Taking no chances, her foster parents (who both work in veterinary medicine – one is a vet, and one is an RVT) rushed her to the ER. Similar to before, she had fluid in her stomach and in her lungs and was diagnosed with pneumonia, which in some cases is fatal.
Charlie is a fighter, and thankfully her condition improved overnight. Best news – with a long list of medications and precautions, and because of the medical knowledge of her dedicated foster caregivers, it was decided that she would be less stressed at home, and she is leaving the hospital today.
We’re waiting for results from some of her advanced testing, but at this point, we’re relieved to have her out of the hospital. Charlie can still use all help possible, so please send positive and healing thoughts her way.
And if you can make a small donation towards her care, we’d be grateful. Vet bills from her dental surgery to the estimated cost of Charlie’s most recent emergency care will top a staggering $18,000!
www.bostonterrierrescuecanada.com/donate
If asked how she spent her Christmas holiday so far, sweet BTRC foster Charlie doesn’t have the most joyful story to share.
It all started with a dental in mid-December. It was routine, with one incisor and two unerupted baby teeth removed. Charlie came through the surgery well, but shortly after returning home, she started regurgitating food and water. Was it stress-related? A reaction to the anesthetic or a complication from her surgery? Although the timing was suspect, was this something totally unrelated? Three vet visits and a combination of anti-nausea and gastrointestinal medication didn’t help, nor did switching to a diet for tummy upset and offering smaller and more frequent meals.
With no improvement and with her only getting weaker, Charlie was bundled up and taken to the emergency hospital.
Bloodwork was taken, x-rays done. Charlie was diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia, an inflammation of her lungs caused by inhaling vomit/regurgitation. After three days in hospital undergoing treatment for pneumonia, Charlie was doing well enough to be released and spent Christmas with her foster family. (It’s incredibly fortunate that both foster parents are veterinary professionals.) Although tired, Charlie was happy to find that Santa Paws hadn’t forgotten her and enjoyed her gifts and lots of cuddles and TLC.
Due to the holidays, no specialists were available to run the more advanced testing needed to determine what made Charlie so sick in the first place and what continues to cause her to get sick. She’ll be booked in for more diagnostics as soon as possible.
Please send lots of healing thoughts and positive energy Charlie’s way. We’ll keep you posted
I have a change of address this year – I’m living in Calgary with my foster family. This month has been full of changes for me. I have a new doggie friend named Bella. She said that she’s my foster sister. I don’t really know what that means, but she lives in the same house as me and she’s sooooo cool! I get to see her every day which is pretty awesome. I used to get stressed a lot but my foster home is very calm and so is Bella. I like having a big sister to learn from.
Bella tells me you come to our house every year, so I don’t have to worry about you not finding me. She said that the point of this letter is to ask for lots of stuff, but right now I’m just loving my life here, so I’m not sure what to ask for.
My foster mom says that Christmas is about caring, compassion to others, and lending a helping hand…or paw. So, Santa, this year my wish is for all humans to show kindness to dogs and to help them when they can. ❤
Love, Charlie
Charlie just recently arrived to rescue and is now settling into her foster home. She was surrendered because the changes in her family’s life circumstances were making Charlie increasingly anxious. They felt that Charlie needed a calmer environment to better match her needs, so they reached out to BTRC.
We are still getting to know 5-year-old Charlie, as she learns the ropes of her foster home (with the help of her older canine foster sister). So far what we know is that Charlie likes to be tightly tucked into bed with a warm blanket and if given the choice to wake up early or sleep in, she will choose to snooze! She also loves food, so her foster mom is using this as motivation for Charlie to learn some new tricks.
You will notice that Charlie’s nose looks rough and chapped. She has been diagnosed with “hyperkeratosis”, a condition to which snub-nosed dogs can be prone. It’s an over-production of keratin and in most cases is primarily cosmetic. A topical treatment is being applied to help rehydrate the skin on her nose.
Charlie is being fostered in Calgary, AB, and is not yet ready to be considered for adoption.
