Dogwood Dog of the Week: Dinero

It’s time for our latest edition of the Dogwood Dog of the Week. This week, we’re shining a spotlight on our friend Dinero over at the Richmond SPCA.

Here’s what the Richmond SPCA had to say about him:

HAPPY is the best word to describe Dinero. He’s an all-caps, bolded, happy dog.

The Richmond SPCA brought Dinero into our care in April when he was transferred from the city’s shelter, Richmond Animal Care and Control. This big 5-year-old guy made friends fast with staff and volunteers alike. He’s a 65-pound lap dog who loves to snuggle, get scratches all over and play with his favorite big purple ball.

When friends come to see Dinero in his kennel at the Richmond SPCA, he greets them with happy feet, dancing around until he runs to grab a special toy to present to his visitor. All of Dinero’s toys are of the special, indestructible variety because of this pup’s quirky but dangerous habit of ingesting things he should not. This condition is known as pica and has led to one urgent surgery to remove an obstruction from Dinero’s belly.

As Dinero recovered from surgery, the training team at the Richmond SPCA worked alongside the veterinarians who treated him to work on a plan to keep him safe. Training began with a basket-style muzzle Dinero wears on walks to prevent him from picking up and eating rocks. Although the image of a dog wearing a muzzle can be associated with negative stereotypes, anyone who meets Dinero is quickly convinced of what a friendly and loving dog he truly is.

On some training walks, instead of his muzzle, Dinero wears a Gentle Leader. He was quite comical when he was first introduced to this new piece of walking equipment, and volunteer Susan Randolph Kernyat drafted a poem while patiently waiting out an immobile Dinero.

While Dinero did not seem to have much training before he came to the Richmond SPCA, our volunteers have been busy teaching him skills to help him succeed in a home once he’s adopted. Dinero is working on crate training so that when his owners are unable to supervise him, he can be crated and kept out of mischief. His repertoire of commands now includes “sit,” “down,” “come” and “touch.” He’s very food motivated and enjoys his training sessions.

Like all pets available for adoption at the Richmond SPCA, Dinero is neutered, microchipped and up-to-date on vaccinations. Meet Dinero at the Richmond SPCA at 2519 Hermitage Road. The Richmond SPCA’s trainers will work with potential adopters to ensure that the new skills Dinero has learned will convey to his new home. Adopters also have access to the Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital at the Richmond SPCA for affordable, full-service veterinary care.

For more information, call the Richmond SPCA adoption center at 804-521-1307.

Who doesn’t want this happy, quirky lap dog? Come on, look at that face!