Adoptable Frankie!

God wants us to help animals, if they need help. Every creature in distress has the same right to be protected." Francis of Assisi

Saint Francis Challenge knows the important role that pets can play in our lives—including people experiencing or transitioning from homelessness. Despite the additional challenges, costs, and responsibilities that come with pet ownership, we have seen firsthand the positive impacts that pets provide (e.g. emotional support, companionship, personal safety, goal-setting, etc).

In addition to supporting low-barrier shelter and housing options that allow residents to continue living with their pets, Saint Francis Challenge has supported Project Open Paw in San Francisco, a wonderful organization that provides food, medical care, clothing, and toys to the pets of people living on the streets. In Santa Fe, Saint Francis Challenge applauds the long-time work of SHAP (Street Homeless Animal Project).

Saint Francis Challenge welcomes opportunities to support the pets of people in transition from homelessness to housing, and is also supporting a "one-at-a-time" approach to dog fostering in New Mexico due to the nationwide crisis of overcrowding/euthanasia in New Mexico Shelters.

​Frankie's Foster's "poster dog" is Frankie, a female brindle Staffordshire terrier mix rescued from euthanasia at Valencia County Shelter in Los Lunas. Frankie is Saint Francis Challenge's first officially supported foster pup and is adoptable via Albuquerque's Pitties and Kitties' Rescue!

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​Meet adoptable Frankie—Frankie is available for adoption via Albuquerque's Pitties and Kitties Rescue! 

Frankie (aka Frankie Tiger Muffinz) is a 2 year old brindle beauty who is ready to find her forever home! Frankie has been in foster care since late January 2023 after being rescued from an overcrowded shelter. Her paperwork at the shelter said that she was surrendered due to "too many animals." She had obviously had at least one or two litters and was in heat when rescued from the shelter, and was spayed a week after leaving the shelter.

Frankie loves to get lots of cuddles in with humans (and she is velvety soft), getting belly rubs, loading up in the truck for a joy ride, and chasing/being chased by and grooming her foster sister, a 1 year old high energy female pittie-mix. She is active and loves going for walks, hikes, and this brave girl will jump in the river at low levels even though her legs are super short.

One of Frankie's favorite things to do is to lay in bed with her head on a human and then burrow under the covers so she can play hide and seek with her foster sister, and then when she hears something outside go charging through the magnetic screen door to check things out in the backyard. She barked quite a bit at the window or outside when she first came to her foster home, but has mostly been trained out of barking—now she just runs outside and does a small whimper or one bark, and responds very well to "Quite Frankie, good quiet!". She also sits very well and backs up when I ask her to at the front gate and will now wait for me to give the "okay" before following me to the truck.

Dogs: Frankie does very well with the other dog in her foster home. She is currently being fostered with a female dog and has been introduced to various other dogs. As mentioned, she was surrendered from a home that had lots of animals so we believe doggy siblings can absolutely be in Frankie's future. She would also be just fine as an only dog if need be as she LOVES humans and could mostly care less about her doggy friends. When being evaluated to become a PKR dog, Frankie met quite a few of our dogs and she gave each of them kisses, especially the little small breed puppy she met. If you have pets in your home, we would love to set up a time for them to meet so we can make sure Frankie likes your pup(s) and vice versa.

Cats: Frankie has been tested with cats and did great for a first intro!

Kids: Frankie has not lived with children in his foster home, but he has been exposed to children on walks and at the dog park and she hasn't shown any issues. Frankie loves hoomans, in a true pibble fashion and we would bet that tiny hoomans would be ever so loved by this gentle soul.

Crate training: Frankie recently learned how to hoist her compact muscle-y 55 lb body over a 4 and a half foot fence (total Rambo style, jumping up to get her front paws over the ledge and pulling herself up and over), so the fence had to be fortified a bit and Frankie began crate training so she would be safe while left alone at home. The great news is that Frankie is a crate natural, and hasn't whined or barked at all when put in her crate. She has never had any destructive behaviors in her foster home, outside of ripping apart some dog toys (she loves squeaker toys and ropes). It's important that Frankie's forever family continues to crate Frankie when she is left alone or with other dogs at home.

Potty trained: Perfectly
Leash trained: 90%