At one point, someone cared enough about Empress to house and crate train her, have her spayed, teach her "sit," "stay," "shake" and other commands. But by the time she was abandoned in an Animal Friends of the Valleys night drop, it had clearly been quite a while since anyone had cared for her properly. Despite being extremely malnourished and afflicted with raging ear and skin infections, this striking sable had a cheerful, outgoing disposition that made her a favorite with shelter employees and volunteers, one of whom sounded the alarm when Empress' time at the over-crowded shelter was about to run out. Coastal heeded the call, welcoming Empress to the family and getting her back on the road to good health. Now thoroughly vetted and fit as a fiddle, she's ready and eager for her next chapter to begin.

Don’t be fooled by her prematurely grey muzzle — this gorgeous girl is young, probably about 6-7 years old, and has a youngster’s high energy level. She’s highly intelligent and observant, but not inclined to apply her smarts toward nefarious ends. She’ll dismember a squeaky toy or shred a tennis ball within minutes, but will leave shoes and other household belongings unmolested. She’s not much of a barker, and doesn’t get riled up by other dogs’ barking, even ones going ballistic on the other side of a fence or window as she walks past. She doesn’t seem to have much interest in other dogs, but is probably capable of developing a friendship with one. However, that friendship would likely rank secondary to her main passion, balls. This dog is ball-obsessed, so don’t apply for her if you’re not willing to become well-acquainted with a Chuck-it, okay? In exchange, you will get a joyful, loving, loyal companion who will make you laugh every day — a total bargain if you ask us.