My name is Kaia T!

Posted over 2 months ago | Updated 5 days ago

Cared for by Thulani Senior German Shepherd Rescue

Adoption process

Submit Application

Interview

Home Check

Meet the Pet

Adoption fee: $0

This helps Thulani Senior German Shepherd Rescue with pet care costs.

My basic info

Breed

German Shepherd Dog

Color

Black - with Brown, Red, Golden, Orange or Chestnut

Age

9 years 5 months old, Senior

Size

Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg) (when grown)

Weight

64 lb (current)

Sex

Female

Pet ID

ps_2137810-108577

My details

Good with dogs

Purebred

Shots current

Spayed / Neutered

Housetrained

My story

Here's what the humans have to say about me:

Kaia is a sweet, nine-year-old German Shepherd with a mellow, easy-going temperament and a heart full of love. She’s the ideal companion for a quiet home where she can relax and enjoy her peaceful surroundings. Though she loves having her people around, she’s comfortable napping alone when left at home. When she catches the scent of treats, though, she’s happy to get up and join the fun! Kaia does well in the car and enjoys peeking out the window, especially when there are new sights and smells to explore.

Kaia is incredibly gentle and friendly, winning over hearts with her calm, affectionate nature. Kaia walks well on a leash and doesn’t pull, especially when it’s just her and her handler. While she may get excited and pull toward other dogs to say hello, she responds well to redirection and is learning commands like "look at me" to stay focused. When meeting other dogs, Kaia may get a bit excited, but with a calm and structured introduction, she’s comfortable around them after a day or two. She’d likely do best with a dog sibling who’s polite and has good manners, as Kaia mostly enjoys napping when other dogs are around and appreciates a calm, respectful companion.

She thrives with gentle activities like sniffing, exploring, and using her favorite snuffle mat to forage for treats, which is her favorite way to “play.” Kaia is crate-trained and well-behaved at home, and she doesn’t mind a good bath or grooming session. If you’re looking for a loyal, gentle soul to welcome into your life, Kaia could be the perfect fit.

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Rescue

Thulani Senior German Shepherd Rescue

Contact info

Pet ID

ps_2137810-108577

Contact

—

Phone

(833) 736-4679

info@thulaniseniorgsr.org

Website

http://thulanidogs.org

Address

Cupertino, CA 95014

Donation

Donate to This Rescue

Their adoption process

1.
Submit Application

2.
Interview

3.
Home Check

Virtual or in-person

4.
Meet the Pet

Additional adoption info

We adopt to homes in California or close-in areas of adjoining states. We do not charge an adoption fee and we provide medical coverage.

Adoption application

https://petstablished.com/adoptions/personal-information?application_type=Adopt&donation_section=false&form_id=9456&form_type=generic&generic_form_id=9456&pet_id=103863§ion=1&selected_pets=false

Go meet their pets

Please visit http://thulanidogs.org/adoption-events/

More about this rescue

The principle team members at Thulani Senior German Shepherd Rescue (TSGSR) have been rescuing and re-homing German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs) of ALL AGES for over 15 years. We are a California non-profit Animal Welfare Organization (AWO) and we are an all-volunteer organization which allows all donations and funding to go completely to the betterment of rescued GSDs. Because rescuing senior GSDs or ones with a terminal illness requires a dedicated focus TSGSR was founded for this special purpose.

TSGSR provides hospice care and sanctuary for German Shepherd Dogs with limited life expectancy. TSGSR team members were finding German Shepherd dogs in shelters that were wonderful dogs, but because of terminal medical conditions or extreme age, were not dogs that could successfully be adopted out to the public as part of a regular adoption program. Yet these wonderful dogs have some quality life left for them, even though it might be short. TSGSR realized that, if they turned their backs on these dogs, they very likely would die alone and afraid in the shelter almost immediately.

The critical turning point came at the end of 2008 and eventually lead to the creation of TSGSR when we evaluated a three-month-old puppy who had been badly abused, mistreated, and neglected. Yet he was a happy, loving, affectionate puppy that just wanted to please, so we decided to bring him into a specialized rescue. We lined up a foster home for him, and planned out his stay with us before he would be put up for adoption, and then the lightening-bolt struck.

The puppy had a level 5 heart murmur that further analysis indicated would be fatal in just a few months. We called the prospective foster to inform her of his condition and that we would not be bringing him into the program after all. She was devastated as were we, but she called back in a few hours to tell us that she and her daughter would take him and would give him the best life she could for whatever time he had left! That dog's name was Thulani.

Thulani's foster Mom later said “It is one of the best things I have ever done in my life. I loved the experience of living with the Thulani Dog and I will always love her. It was very hard to say goodbye to her, and I don’t regret one moment.”

These are people who can enjoy the dogs ‘for the moment’ and bear the grief that they will shortly feel in order to give the dog a quality life for whatever time it has left.