Aviva brought us to tears the very first time we saw her. We had been volunteering at our local intake shelter all day, and as we were about to leave, we witnessed something that sadly happens far too often. Aviva had been tied to a trash can pole and left behind. Rather than wait to properly surrender her, her previous owners walked away. She stood there confused and alone.

We went straight to her. Without hesitation, she leaned in and hugged us. She was still trusting, still gentle, despite everything. We couldn't stop thinking about her in the days that followed. It wasn't long before she officially became part of our CRA family.

Aviva is estimated to be about two years old. While her past remains mostly a mystery, we do know one thing for certain: her future will be full of love. She has a few scars around her mouth that appear to be from old dog bite wounds, but they've healed-and so has she in so many ways.

She is potty trained and crate trained. If she can see you while crated, she may get a little excited, so a crate cover helps her relax. She walks well on leash but may pull occasionally when something excites her, we did find a leash that works best with her. Above all, Aviva just wants to be close to her person-your presence is her favorite place to be.

Her adoption fee includes spay, microchip, up-to-date vaccines and preventatives, and she is heartworm negative. Aviva has an open adoption radius; however, approved adopters must travel to Chicago to meet her and finalize the adoption, as we do not provide transport. If you have questions before applying, please email [[email protected]]. Aviva has already shown us how resilient and loving she is. Now she's just waiting for someone who will choose her forever.