Athena

Athena is a special little lady looking for a special family! In addition to her unique, hairless look, Athena has some unique quirks, too. She’s looking for a dedicated, active adopter who’s ready to help her make progress—with lots of exercise and playtime mixed in, too!

Big fan of: Staying active! Don’t let her size fool you—Athena has tons of energy in that little body! To quote her foster family, “this girl has ENERGY! She can easily walk around the park for the better part of an hour, come back in, play fetch for forty minutes and still not be tired.” So, if you’re looking for a dog to help you remember to get your daily steps in, Athena is definitely your gal. It may take a while, but Athena does eventually settle down since she needs rest, too! Her foster caregivers note that once she’s tuckered out, Athena loves being close to people, cuddling on their laps or snuggling up with them on the couch. But, “she’s a wiggle worm”—so don’t be surprised if she doesn’t sit still for too long!

Working on: Learning lots of new things! To be perfectly transparent, Athena has some challenges that a dedicated adopter will need to help her work through. A happy little lady, pretty much everything in the world gets Athena excited and she often shows her excitement by mouthing and pretending that people’s hands are toys. Athena can also be rather sensitive to being touched –she does not like having her feet or ears touched and can be uncomfortable when it comes to have clothing or a harness put on. Once the harness is on and she gets outside, the loud sounds and scary sights of busy New York City are sometimes a little too much for Athena, so she often stops, paces or pulls. However, she is making really great progress with her foster caregivers and is becoming more and more confident every day! With other dogs, she tends to be shy and needs time to warm up—and with cats, she’s had some good experiences and some not-so-good experiences. For any and all of the things mentioned above, our Behavior team would be happy to speak with interested adopters about what Athena would look like in their home as well as provide tips and tricks to help her thrive.

Dream home: Athena needs an active adopter who’s ready, willing and able to keep her busy with lots of fun, physical exercise and mental stimulation! Because she can be a little nervous outside in areas with a lot of hustle and bustle, a home in a low-traffic area would be best. Children and doggy roommates may be new to Athena, but she’s previously lived with other cats who she sometimes got along with and sometimes didn’t. Whatever your kids or pet situation may be, our Matchmakers would be happy to answer questions about whether your situation may be a good fit for Athena. If you’re interested in taking Athena on and helping her blossom, please fill out our Dog Adoption Survey.