MEET BEAU!  This little 11-lb, 4-year-old, white Maltipoo mix (our best guess) came to us from the Palmdale shelter.  The family who surrendered him to the shelter reported that his parents were brother and sister. 🙁

Poor Beau was not blessed with good health.  He is hypothyroid (managed with daily pills) and has elevated liver enzymes (also managed with medication).  We believe that his inbreeding also resulted in a neurological condition called episodic ataxia.  This condition manifests itself in Beau as seizure-like episodes where his legs stiffen and he can’t walk.  These episodes each last about 30-60 minutes and seem to occur most often when he is excited or stressed.  Over the months we’ve had him, Beau’s episodes have become less frequent, and about 90% of the time he behaves like a normal, happy boy!  We are hopeful that he will lead a long, relatively-healthy life.

Beau is extremely human-oriented and needs to find a home where someone is around most of the time.  He is a velcro dog who will follow you from room to room.  He loves to play with toys (especially those that squeak!) and gnaw on bones.  He is mostly potty-pad trained, but does occasionally have accidents inside.  Access to a yard may help with his house training.  He could also use some training to curb his reactions to other dogs on-leash. 

Beau is a total doll who’s looking for a family that can embrace his medical needs and love him the way we do.  Do you have room in your home and heart for this special boy?

UPDATE (October 2020): We’ve had Beau on holistic medication (carefully monitored by a holistic vet) for several months, and he now rarely has episodes at all!  His adopter should be willing to continue this regimen so he can continue to thrive.