Fitzgerald was surrendered to rescue by his former owner. He is a bit of a goof and a total love-bug who just wants to give love to everyone he meets! We know there is an amazing forever home out there for Fitz and we’re happy to help him find it.

It would be ideal for Fitz’s forever people to have experience with special needs dogs since Fitz has serious spinal and hip issues. It is of utmost importance that Fitz’s forever people truly want to be there for him forever. Sweet Fitzgerald is just a year old now, but as he gets older, he is likely to have arthritis, and complete loss of hind end function, including bowel and bladder control, is a possibility.

Fitz is wonderful with children and has no temperament issues. His forever home should only include dog-saavy kiddos who know to be gentle. Picking him up roughly or accidentally dropping him would be terrible for his spinal problems. Fitz loves other dogs and we think would do best in a home with other canine companions. Fitz is allergic to cats. He also has a high prey drive so cats, bunnies, and other small pets wouldn’t be a good fit. He is housebroken and crate trained.

Fitz is a sweet and gentle boy who wants nothing more than to climb into your lap to give and get love all day long! His second favorite activity might just be antler chewing. Put an antler in front of him, and he'll go to town! In new environments, Fitz loves to explore and enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds. Lying in the grass on a nice sunny day and listening to the cars drive by is a favorite past time. On colder days, Fitz is more likely to be found in his dog bed snoozing or maybe chomping on an antler. He is a source of amusement for his foster family and has been described as a “fierce defender” against the scary force of the ice maker. Fitz barks and attempts to find the source of the hideous noise!

In addition to having scoliosis, no hip joints to speak of, and luxating patellas in both back legs; Fitz also has a stenotic rectum and possible IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). These are not extreme and are controlled with a simple dose of daily medication. Fitz will need to remain on the medication and also eat a raw diet (due to an allergy to storage mites, which are endemic to kibble). Last, but not least, in the laundry list of health concerns; Fitz has an elongated palate that could possibly require surgery in the future.

We think Fitz would do well in a number of home environments with many different family types. He's pretty versatile that way! We would love for him to go to a home or apartment with few or no stairs as he cannot handle stairs by himself right now and that could get worse with age. A fenced yard would be preferred. Fitz gets to chase the bunnies to his heart's content while in the fenced area at his foster home! Fitz is getting better with walking on a leash, but he’s a bit slow and his foster mom often puts him in a wagon. He rides wonderfully in the wagon for a while, but will then want to get out and walk for a bit.

Fitz prefers someone who is home all day or someone he could go to the office with, but we know he would be just fine with someone who works and comes home over lunch. As long as he has other dogs to hang out with while at home, he's happy as a little clam.

Here are a few things Fitz’s foster mom wants you to know, “Fitz is such a happy snuggly little boy. He sure doesn't know anything is wrong with him and doesn't think you should treat him any differently. He'll curl right up on your lap when it's movie night and sleep contently. Then, when it's time to go outside for a break, he'll run as fast as he can to chase down the bunnies. He is a goofball and always brings a smile to my face when he's demanding love or racing to get to his bed first for dinner time.”

If you think Fitzgerald is a perfect match, please tell us why in an application and be ready for a trip to beautiful Kansas to pick-up the little snuggle-bug!

FBRN dogs are in foster care in people's private homes. For the foster families' safety, we do not disclose specific locations, and we don't set up meet and greets prior to applications. For detailed information about the dogs in our care, please read the extensive bios on each dog.

FBRN does not ship dogs as cargo. Except in rare or unusual cases, adopters are expected to pick up their dogs from their foster family. In rare or unusual cases, FBRN may be able to assist in transporting a dog to a volunteer near the adopter's home, but the expense of transporting the dog must be the responsibility of the adopting party.