Meet a green bean-loving pooch that is sweet as honey, likes walks by Northwestern, and finally found her forever home in Evanston.
Who: Meli
About: 8-10 year old female Chinese Crested Maltese
Lives In: Evanston with her mom, Cathy Palivos
How did you and Meli find each other?
“I adopted Meli from the Evanston Animal Shelter after being asked to foster her after a serious operation. I volunteer for the shelter and after fostering her during her recovery, I decided that she had to stay with me forever.”
How did you decide on Meli’s name?
“Meli means honey because she is such a sweet dog.”
What happened to Meli?
“She was brought into the shelter July 4th weekend 2017 in bad shape. I was volunteering that evening and remember the day. She wasn’t breathing well, so she was immediately taken to MedVet. The found that she had trauma to her body that required surgery. Her spleen was removed, part of her liver, and her diaphragm was reattached. Meli had lost most of her hair due to poor nutrition and a thyroid problem. She was in such bad shape that people would ask me, ‘Hey lady, what’s wrong with your dog?’ Thankfully, she has made a complete recovery and, despite her struggles, is the sweetest dog.”
Does Meli have any quirks or interesting traits?
“She insists on chicken at every meal. She also loves raw veggies. Zucchini, carrots, and green beans are her favorites.”
What does Meli love to do in Evanston?
“Walks in the neighborhood park and along the lakefront by Northwestern University, especially during the Evanston Animal Shelter‘s yearly Halloween Pet Parade.”
Can you tell us a funny story about Melismas?
“Meli has a parrot brother. She likes destroying his toys when they drop to the ground. She doesn’t play with her toys, but destroys his! She has also chewed the faces of my two souvenir teddy bears from South America.”
How will you celebrate her Better Chicago Dog of the Month feature?
“We will celebrate by going back to the Evanston Animal Shelter for a visit and bring roast chicken to the dogs waiting for their forever homes.”
Dog lovers, we want to hear from you! Submit your dog for our Dog of the Month by contacting macaire@better.net or simply fill out this form!
Macaire Douglas lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and two sons. She proudly supports Save Abandoned Babies Foundation, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that works tirelessly to prevent the illegal abandonment of newborns nationwide. Since its inception in 2000, more than 3,600 newborns have been safely surrendered and adopted into loving homes.
