Rescue dogs are an important part of our lives here at DogWatch. Former shelter pups help DogWatch Dealers train new customers, roam the halls of our headquarters in Natick, MA and inspire us everyday. Last time we introduced you to a big, bouncy young hound named Rico. Today we present Guapa, a 11 year old Chihuahua with an adorable smile and an even bigger heart.

We found Guapa on Petfinder, and were immediately struck by her huge smile and adorably mismatched ears. Guapa was rescued by Big Hair Animal Rescue, Inc. (BHAR), a foster-based, non breed-specific rescue based out of Northern Connecticut and Central Massachusetts. We recently reached out to BHAR to learn more about this unique pup.

Guapa (her name means “gorgeous” in Spanish) arrived in the care of BHAR a year ago, in October 2015. She was surrendered to a local animal hospital due to her former owner’s health issues. At the time of her surrender, Guapa was significantly overweight, weighing in at nearly 14 pounds.

In the year since her rescue, Guapa has gone through quite a transformation! Thanks to BHAR and her dedicated foster family, Guapa has lost 5 pounds and is officially at a healthy weight! BHAR tells us that her favorite form of exercise is running around the yard a couple times a day, as well as following her foster parents around the house like a true Chihuahua.

As you can probably tell by her photos, Guapa has quite the personality. Overall she is a pretty low key gal that enjoys the company of her person and makes funny noises when you’re not paying attention to her. Guapa does well with cats and small dogs but is an alpha female so she will need a submissive friend or a home as an “only” dog. Her ideal forever home is in a quiet home without small children.

At 11 years old, Guapa may be a senior girl, but in the past year she’s shown that she’s got a lot of spirit, fight and a lot of love left to give! “We often take in seniors like Guapa, and we recommend seniors,” says the folks at BHAR. “Most are already house- and crate-trained, mellow and just appreciate being loved!”

If you want to know more about Guapa or are interested in adopting her, please visit www.bighairanimalrescue.com and fill out an adoption application. Guapa is currently being fostered in Massachusetts, but she can be adopted out-of-state.

If you want to highlight a great rescue organization or animal shelter in your area, or if you know a particular adoptable pet who you’d love to see find a forever home, share their stories with us in the comments or via Facebook, Twitter or email! We are looking for more pets to feature in future “Adopt Me Wednesday” posts!

Photos courtesy of Big Hair Animal Rescue, Inc.’s Facebook page. To see more photos of Guapa, check out her photo album!