Reuben is an approx. 11-week-old doodle mix of some variety. He came to us from a puppy mill, where they surrendered him to rescue because he had a severe heart murmur and wasn't able to be sold. We took him right to our vet, where he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect called Patent Ductus Arteriosus, or PDA. This is when a valve in the heart that's supposed to close at birth doesn't, and allows abnormal blood flow. This can eventually lead to permanent heart damage and eventually failure if not corrected. Thankfully, we're experienced with this issue, and our amazing vet is well versed at performing the procedure, so we were able to get Reuben the life saving, open heart surgery he desperately needed on St. Patrick's Day. He had the luck of the Irish, (hence his name!), and did amazing both in surgery, and during recovery! He is now fully healed and a total spitfire! Once he was off restrictions post-op and realized he had the energy to play and be a real puppy, he went all out!! It's amazing how good you can feel with a properly functioning heart!

Rueben is a typical puppy; very cuddly, affectionate, and sweet, but only after he gets to play and get the demons out, haha! He is active but not overly so, and enjoys playing with toys and running around outside. Weather doesn't phase him at all; he'll go out in cold, snow, rain, mud... you name it. He's good for all of Ohio's seasons!

He's working on housetraining, (but hasn't grasped the concept quite yet), and sleeps quietly in his crate at night. He will need to work on basic manners too, so his new family should be prepared for puppyhood and all that comes with it!

He gets along great with other animals, and would love another pup to be his friend in his forever home. He can be barky when he wants to play, and doesn't understand the concept of personal space, so a potential doggie brother or sister will need to be tolerant of his puppy antics.

Reuben is currently 8lbs, and we guesstimate that he'll be around 25-35 lbs when fully grown. He's current on his puppy vaccines, on monthly flea/tick/heartworm prevention, is microchipped, dewormed, and will be neutered as part of his adoption fee. We just need to give his little body some time to rest, recover, and grow before we put him through another anesthetic event. Because of this, we would like him to stay local to the Cleveland, OH/NE Ohio area.

A fenced in yard is preferred for Reuben as he loves to run run run outside, but it's not mandatory. Since he's just a little guy, we will require that children in his forever home are over the age of 8.

As he is a poodle mix, Reuben will require regular grooming throughout his life. His new family will need to be committed to all aspects of his care, which will include routine brushing, and trips to the groomer. This typically needs to be done every 6-8 weeks, depending, otherwise painful mats can develop.

His adoption fee is $450, which includes all routine vetting and his open heart surgery to correct his PDA.

Please click here to submit an adoption application for Reuben!

If you'd like any additional information, please email us at newleashrescue@gmail.com. Thanks!