Meet Shelby! Shelby is a very special dog and she is looking for a very special home.

When Shelby was around 8 months old, animal control confiscated her from her owners. One of them, the man of the house, had kicked Shelby in the face and broken her jaw… on both sides. She could not close her mouth and her owners had allowed her to endure this condition without veterinary care for several days. When the shelter examined Shelby, they found that not only did she also have fresh rib fractures, she had old healed fractures, as well. Apparently, this was not the first time she’d been abused.

The shelter’s non-profit organization paid for Shelby to have surgery to repair her jaw. Unfortunately, the first effort failed, and she had to undergo another surgery. Pins were placed into her jaw that protruded from her jaw and were secured into what’s called an external fixation. The shelter asked us to take Shelby as soon as she was available. After almost six weeks of this device, we discovered that one side of her jaw was not healing as well as needed. So, Shelby underwent two more procedures, including a graft, to help her jaw heal. After six more agonizing weeks of the external fixation and a cone, Shelby’s injuries had healed well enough to have the device removed—nearly five months after her initial injuries.

Now, Shelby is looking for a new home! Her new home should be loving and patient, and understand that poor Shelby has been through a lot in her short life. It’s time for her to feel safe for the rest of her life. Shelby does like the sound of her own voice – apartment dwellers or anyone sensitive to barking will not be a good fit.

Shelby is a petite Yorkshire Terrier, about a year old and around 7 pounds. She does not seem to be housetrained but now that her device is off, we’ll be working on it. She is spayed, vaccinated, microchipped, and crate trained. Shelby will need to remain on soft food and cannot have chew toys for at least a month (through the month of November). But other than that, she is cleared medically.

Shelby is available for adoption in the Los Angeles area. Due to her special circumstances, additional adoption requirements apply.