Last month, a Chihuahua named Tink arrived at Skiatook Paws and Claws Animal Rescue (SPACAR). The first thing the SPACAR staff and volunteers noticed about Tink was how tiny she is.
“She is the size of a hamster,” SPACAR board member Paige Bodden told The Dodo. “She’s so small.”
Based on her appearance, it was immediately obvious that the miniscule dog was a senior, most likely 9 years old. A visit to the vet revealed that she has no teeth and a heart condition.
As everyone at SPACAR got to know Tink, it became clear that in spite of her age, her health concerns and her toothlessness, Tink is no sweet old lady. In fact, she’s quite feisty. She knows her boundaries and is not afraid to express herself.
“Tink has got some spicy spunkiness and we love to see it,” SPACAR wrote on Instagram.
For the past few weeks, Tink has been staying with a foster mama. In that time, she’s stayed true to herself and her preferences. She doesn’t like to snuggle, preferring instead to have her own space and live on her own terms — and that’s OK.
“She’s definitely an older, set-in-her-ways granny Chihuahua, who just wants to exist at someone’s house and do whatever she wants,” Bodden said.
Bodden recently shared a photo of Tink on SPACAR’s Instagram page. She figured that as a senior Chihuahua, Tink might need a little extra help attracting attention from a potential adopter.
Instead of sugarcoating her description of Tink, Bodden decided to get right to the point with an honest, simple caption: “She is 9 years old. She has no teeth. She has a heart murmur. And she is an absolute menace.”
To Bodden’s surprise, the post featuring Tink took off, garnering over 14,000 likes and hundreds of gushing comments.
“Not to be dramatic, but I would do anything for Tink,” one commenter wrote.
Even better, Tink’s new fans are clamoring to take her home.
“I have, like, 207 applications on her alone,” Bodden said. “That’s an unimaginable amount for just one dog.”
Once Tink has received treatment for her heart murmur, she’ll have her pick of forever families. Bodden said she’ll select an applicant who’ll be able to provide Tink with a calm environment and the ongoing medical care she needs to thrive.
Everyone at SPACAR is delighted that Tink has been getting so much love. While it’s usually sweet, playful puppies who get all the attention, it’s refreshing to see someone like Tink be celebrated for once.
“She’s a crotchety old Chihuahua,” Bodden said. “I had no idea that everybody would just fall head over heels for her.”
