Hi, I'm Teddy Bear Mufasa, a 7-yr old purebred Eskie. I am reportedly UKC registered but have no papers. Who needs papers anyway? My life started out promising, spending my first 6 years as a housedog. When my owner received a new little dog from her daughter, she decided she no longer wanted me. Can you imagine that? I was given to the owner's adult daughter who put me outside in the yard. I lived this way for a year and then the daughter took me to the shelter. Somewhere along the way, I acquired heartworms!

I wound up in a Central Indiana kill shelter, un-neutered and heartworm positive. Fortunately my "tail" was heard by a young college student named Jamie who made a lot of phone calls and visits that ended happily in my rescue, and transport down to Southern Indiana to Louise Smith.

While at the shelter, I was labeled "aggressive". This label did not fit what Jamie saw when she visited me. I was very loving and affectionate with her. The most "aggressive" thing I did was to put my paw on her arm and beg her not to leave me there. I won Jamie's heart and undoubtedly saved MY own life. For whatever reason, the shelter, which I will not name, was eager to put me down. Why?? They did not even tell Jamie or Louise that I was heartworm positive until we began the rescue process.

Now….Louise, my fosterMom, is not normally a "lion-tamer". If I was truly aggressive, Louise wanted no part of me. Louise talked to Jamie, and hearing my description, I won Louise over. My name helped. Louise is a grandmother and big fan of The Lion King, so she decided to give me, Teddy Bear Mufasa the benefit of the doubt. I only growled at her once. When she first brought me into the house, I wanted to "mark" the territory as mine. The first time I lifted my leg, fosterMom yelled out without thinking. I stopped and growled under my breath. Again without thinking, fosterMom said, "Stop that!" And I did. I truly think she frightened me as much as I frightened her.

That was on my first day! Since then, I have been around older children with supervision. I even seem to recognize what an infant is. When strangers come, I bark like a good Eskie, but then become friendly when fosterMom says it's okay. I get along great with other dogs, but they have all been female so far. I am untested with other males. I even ignored the cats that prowl all over the vet's office.

Because of that one reaction when fosterMom raised her voice, she thinks I may have been abused in the past. She thinks I was used as a breeding dog.

I am very smart and I learn quickly. I would love nothing better than to curl up on my bed and snuggle for the rest of his life. I have not "marked" in the house since I was neutered. I would like to stay at my fosterMom's but her lifestyle and her 2 other dogs do not make it possible for her to keep me. Right now I live in the kennel run in her garage and comes in only as a special treat or when the temperatures dip too low.

I have been heartworm treated and neutered. My shots are current, except for Rabies, which I will receive at my 6-week check-up. I have just finished my 3-week R&R period, and am now looking for a loving forever home. Will you help?

I'm pure white, weighs 25 lbs. I am a miniature Eskie of the stocky "teddy bear type". Because of fosterMom's work schedule, she does not have time to take me to adoption fairs. She is hoping that one of the Heart Bandits chapters will be able to take me and assist in finding me a forever home. FosterMom will assist with transport. Please contact Louise at weezy@psci.net if you can foster me or better yet, adopt me!!

I only need $81 to pay for my HW treatment. Payment will be sent directly to my vet.
Thank you for giving me…a second chance at life.

Eskie Hugs, Teddy Bear Mufasa