Adoption Fee: $590

If you would like to apply to adopt please
download the application form.

If you would like to know more or have problems using a Microsoft Word document please email us.

NB: We do not rehome interstate or to applicants under 25. It is our policy not to rehome dogs in the Sunraysia area. As rescue groups have transported thousands of homeless dogs from Mildura and Sunraysia pounds over the last decade, we do not intend to send any back there.

Breed: Male Maltese cross
DOB: 09/08/2008
Weight: 6kgs
Location: Brunswick

Can we say that we believe Bruno would do best as an only dog as he is a very needy little guy and can be quite pushy to get his fair share of attention.

Bruno is an adorable older gentleman looking for some love and stability in his final years.

Bruno is such a sweetheart. Like many rescue dogs, he has gone through a lot, and is desperate for love. He will melt your heart when you pick him up and he snuggles in to your shoulder and lets out a little sigh. He’ll stay in your arms as long as you’ll let him, and you can just feel him soaking up the affection. He will shower you with love, and in a stable environment with people he can trust, Bruno will blossom.

Bruno is still very sprightly for 14. He loves going on walks, and playing fetch with a ball or toy. He’s well house-trained and will use a doggy door. He’s not possessive of his food, and knows to sit before he gets his dinner. Although he wants to be near you as much as possible, he’s quickly learned the ropes in his current foster home, and sits on his mat in the kitchen rather than getting under his foster-mum’s feet. He’s currently living with another dog (an older female), and though he was a bit jealous of attention at first, he’s quickly relaxed and the two of them get on well. He sleeps well and you won’t hear a peep out of him all night.

Bruno has a few quirks that are clearly a product of anxiety, and may or may not settle down with time in his forever home. One is that he is quite dog-reactive while walking on a lead. If you keep him moving (he keeps up a very good pace for an old fellow) and avoid face-to-face meetings with other dogs, he’s ok, but if you stop or if a dog gets in his space, he will bark wildly and strain at the lead.
He also gets quite stressed in the car and is likely to bark or whimper for most of the trip, so he’s probably not the dog to take on a driving holiday with you.

Bruno also seems to have been kicked in the past, and has snapped at his foster carers’ shoes when they made the mistake of trying to move him out of the way with a foot. When he was surrendered, he had terrible ear infections, and is still touchy around his ears, and will growl to let you know he doesn’t want to be touched in that spot. At first, he did growl a bit when he arrived at his current foster home, for example if he was patted when he was asleep (yes we know that no one should do this to a sleeping dog) and he got a fright, or when he was comfortable on the couch and didn’t want to move. But that behaviour has settled down very quickly after only a couple of weeks, and Bruno is clearly eager and able to relax and trust again. Still, he would probably not suit a home with young children.

Ideally, Bruno would suit a home with someone who is experienced with dogs and can give him a sense of security and clear expectations. He’d love to be with someone who is home much of the time, but he’s also happy to curl up in his bed when you’re out, and will greet you with a little twirl of excitement when you return home.

Although he’s 14, Bruno has many good years in him, and will reward the right person with all the love and affection he is longing to give.

Teenage/Adult Home

Microchip Number: 956000011294421

Health: Bruno is on behaviour medication. He has a history of ear infections.

Source Number: RE120211
 

All our dogs are desexed, C5 vaccinated with intranasal, microchipped, wormed and flea treated. All necessary vet work such as dentals, surgery, eye treatment is also carried out. We are no longer heartworm testing as we have not had one positive test since we began in 2006. If a dog comes to us on heartworm treatment this is continued.