Simia Silver Labrador Retriever Mix Female 1.5 Years Old ID #3493
Meet Simia! This sweet girl found herself at ACCT Philadelphia after getting hit by a car. Luckily, she only had a minor shoulder injury that required stitches. ACCT reached out to find a rescue that would take her into foster care to recover from her injuries away from the stress of the shelter. Thanks to some dedicated Brookline volunteers, Simia is now safe in one of our foster homes. Please read her blog from the bottom up to learn more about her time while in foster care.
March 13, 2025
Hello Brookline peeps!
It’s Simia here with my latest news! Last week I did something very new – I went to a dog park! At first it seemed a little scary so I didn’t go far from FM. We didn’t stay long on the first and 2nd days, but by the 3rd day, I got curious and started sniffing around and I actually met some really friendly dogs! The people there were very friendly too. So this is quite a new revelation to me – I don’t have to be so nervous around new dogs and people!
I won’t be able to go back to play for a while because yesterday I had a different kind of adventure – I had an operation! Now I won’t have to worry about having puppies, which is a good thing I guess. Last night I just wanted to sleep but today I was hungry and feeling more like my old self. FM says that pretty soon I’ll be healed up enough that I can start looking for my forever family!
Notes from FM:
As Simia said, she went to the dog park for the first time last week. She was nervous at first but after a few short visits, she decided to sniff around and voila! It turned out to be a fun experience for her! She doesn’t run and chase as much as I would like her to – she still keeps one eye on my whereabouts and doesn’t get too far away. She could use the exercise to help burn off some of her big puppy energy. I think with more exposure she will relax more. I was very happily surprised to see her approaching the strange humans with her tail wagging. That is a big step for Simia!
Yesterday was her spay surgery, which was performed at Providence Animal Center in Media, Pa. There were no issues although she was very groggy when she got home. Today she has her appetite back and hasn’t tried to bother her incision. She wears a soft cone for now and will be getting a fancy surgery suit tomorrow. She still weighed in at 62 lbs., in spite of the extra food we’ve been giving her.
Simia is a really beautiful girl. Everywhere we go – walks, dog park, Providence – people remark on how pretty she is. Her confidence has been growing with her steady, predictable routine. She will make a marvelous addition to one very lucky family!
February 28, 2025
Greetings Brookline Friends and Family!
Here we are at the end of the month and it’s time for news from me! I don’t have anything extra special to report – just the usual – playing, sunning myself outside, napping, going for walks, eating, and keeping tabs on my humans. I must say that this warmer weather has been great!
Notes from FM:
Simia continues to go with the flow here in our home. She will be looking for a forever home that will provide her with lots of exercise, either in the form of several long walks per day, or plenty of playtime with a fur sibling or two! A combination of both would be ideal. She is really a big, goofy puppy!
She has completed her treatment for roundworms and has gained 3 lbs. We continue to feed her 3 times per day. As she is gaining weight, she is also getting stronger. Sometimes walking her is challenging because she is so strong. When she decides she wants to get an extra sniff of something, her pull can almost pull us off balance! Her adoptive family will need someone strong to give her the walks she needs – although she loves kids and is perfectly behaved around them, a child would not be able to walk her.
She tested negative for heartworm. She had her distemper booster so is complete on her vaccinations. The only other item on her health calendar is to be spayed, which will happen soon.
On the social side, Simia continues to show us her sweet nature. She has met several new people and we’ve discovered that she wants to feel in charge of the introduction. So a stranger should be instructed to not make eye contact with her or attempt to pet her. Just stay engaged in calm conversation with the person holding her leash, while we give her enough slack to approach the person’s hand at their side for a sniff. Once she’s had a chance for a good sniff, her tail will start to wag and then it’s ok to make eye contact with her. If she feels nervous or frightened, she will back away and bark (loudly!!). New dogs need a slow introduction as well.
Simia has a very soft, beautiful coat. The gray is tinged with a slight brindle color (and white toes on one back foot.) I’ve started brushing her with a Furminator brush, but she’s still not sure about it. She immediately flops down and rolls onto her back when I start to brush her. She’s not shedding very much, but there is some fur coming out in the brush. We will continue to work on it!
February 19, 2025
Hello friends!
Simia here, checking in with my latest news! Boy, it sure has been cold lately! Fortunately, I don’t mind the cold at all, and I really liked the snow we had last week.
I’ve been in my foster home for 10 days now and I’ve got the routine down pat. We get up about 6:30, have a quick potty outside, and then get breakfast. FM has been feeding me more to try to fatten me up a little bit, but so far I’m still a lean machine. After breakfast FM takes me and my foster fur brother for a 2 mile walk. I’m doing really well on the leash! After that, I have some play time in the yard before the arrival of my favorite little person. I’m allowed out of the kitchen now because I haven’t had any accidents in a week (FM just needs to pay attention to when I go to the back door!). I allowed to follow my little buddy from room to room – wherever he wants to play is fine with me. I can always find something to chew on to stay busy while he’s playing with his cars, or coloring, or playing a game with FM. 
I get lunch when my people eat lunch, and then it’s outside for some more playing with my fur brother. We really like to chase and wrestle! We have some tug toys that we play keep-away with, and it’s so much fun! We come back inside if we get cold, or to check up on what our people are doing. And that’s pretty much how the day goes – outside to play and potty, then inside to keep tabs on the family, take naps, and chew on anything I can find! We get dinner about 6:00, then have a short walk and some more play time, and then into my crate for bed about 10:30. What a life!
Notes from FM:
Simia has settled in nicely in the past week. Her wounds have healed well and she’s finished her antibiotics and pain medications. Today she had a 4DX test at a VIP Petcare clinic to determine her heartworm status. We expect the results in a day or 2. She will then get her 2nd treatment for roundworms. She was super well behaved at the clinic – very calm and cooperative with no aggression at all towards any of the other dogs. She is still weighing in at 59 lbs., in spite of the additional meal per day. I’ve added my home-cooked chicken liver stew: chicken livers and hearts, barley, carrots, and green beans to enrich the kibble. She gobbles everything up. Maybe eradicating the roundworms will help her gain weight.
Simia is comfortable enough now that she is initiating play with her fur brother. Although he is half her size, she is submissive to him. We’re getting a lot of entertainment standing at the window and watching them chase each other around the backyard. Simia is also reliable around the cat now – she has thoroughly sniffed him from head to toe and accepted him into her new pack.
Simia has decided that it’s her job to hang out with our 3 year old grandson who is with us every day. When he moves to another room, she gets up and quickly follows. She is still learning which toys are hers to chew on, and which ones will get her a firm “NO SIMI!” from her buddy. We also have to be vigilant with anything on the kitchen counter – she is very long-legged and has quite a reach!
As for her behavior, Simia is turning out to be an easy foster dog. For the most part she is quiet and only alert barks (or does some appropriate barking during her rough and tumble play.) She sleeps quietly in her crate all night. She is easy to redirect if she is chewing on something she shouldn’t be. She loves stuffed kongs and puzzle balls. She’s met some more people and one other dog. Those introductions were slow and intentional, and she did fine. She definitely is a big puppy, with lots of energy and a strong need for plenty of exercise, rain, snow, or shine!
Simia is scheduled to receive her distemper booster next week. She has a spay appointment for March 11.
February 12, 2025
Hi, Brookline world! It’s Simia here, a new young lady in the crew! Let me introduce myself to you – I had a bad experience last week that resulted in me GETTING HIT BY A CAR!! And then someone came along and scooped me up and took me to a shelter in Philly. The nice people there checked me out and put stitches in my biggest boo-boo. I hung out there for a few days, and then I hit the jackpot! Brookline came to my rescue! A nice lady met me and did something called an “evaluation”, and PRESTO! I ended up in a nice, warm, quiet home with a foster mom and foster dad who fussed over me and gave me lots of pets and treats. 
I also have a fur brother here who likes to play with me, and a kitty brother too who doesn’t get too close to me. I have a little kid around during the day, and he throws a ball for me to chase. So things are pretty good here! I really like going on walks – there’s so much to sniff!
Notes from FM:
As Simia said, she ended up at ACCT in Philly after being hit by a car. Her injuries were minor but she was quite stressed in the noisy shelter environment. Since she had no ID and no microchip, Brookline was contacted. She passed her evaluation with flying colors and became part of our household a few days ago.
Since then, she has been decompressing. She was very happy to have the freedom to romp in our fenced backyard! She has also been walked every day with a Freedom harness and double attachment leash (she’s very strong!) Her appetite is good. She willingly goes into her crate in the kitchen to rest and sleeps quietly all night in there. After a careful and slow introduction to her furry brother, she now knows he is part of her new pack. She is curious about the resident cat but hasn’t shown any aggression towards him. During the day our 3-year-old grandson is with us, and she has been careful not to knock him down. She LOVES the snow!!
We have discovered that Simia does best with slow introductions to people and other dogs. Her first instinct is to be cautious, so she responds best to making the acquaintance on her own timeline. Her crate is her safe space. If we are calm and patient, her tail will start wagging and she will accept the new stranger.
Simia should gain 10-20 lbs. according to the vet. She is currently being treated for roundworms and will be spayed in the next few weeks.