Chimera’s Little Blessings

Chimera’s therapeutic gift program, donating puppies & dogs to Autism & Veteran families in need of these Little Blessings.

We gift an autism or veteran family with a special Shih Tzu puppy or adult!

Apply For The Chimera Shih Tzu Little Blessings Program
What is required to receive a Chimera’s Little Blessing Shih Tzu?

While we want to help everyone, we are limited in the availability of puppies and adult dogs ready to be a Little Blessing. If we have a puppy or dog that we feel is a match, we will contact you! Please understand we will only respond to Little Blessings applications that we are able to fulfill with a puppy or dog match.

The longterm health and wellness of our puppies and dogs is of the utmost importance. We ask that families applying are able to provide the following conditions

  • An autism or veteran family in need of emotional, companionship, or therapeutic support of a Shih Tzu. It is important to us that the puppy or dog lives a great life while also benefitting their owner/family.
  • Familiar with the breed’s care, needs, and personality.
  • Financially able to support the puppy or dog through its life. Including routine & emergency veterinarian care, grooming, training, and food.
  • We require all recipient families to sign up for professional training to better support the therapeutic nature and relationship. Baxter & Bella is online, accessible to anyone. Use Code CHIMERA25 for 25% off lifetime membership and unlimited professional support.
  • We ask that applicants ensure the puppy or dog will be safe in the home. Some individuals may be prone to violence or harming others during meltdowns or moodswings. This would put a small dog at great danger and risk of physical or emotional injury. There may be other appropriate therapeutic approaches for these individuals, but we MUST ensure the welfare of our dogs.
  • These dogs are intended as “pet only”. They should not be bred. Adults will be spayed and neutered before placement. Puppies will be placed with the agreement to spay or neuter before 1 year old.

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What are your goals? (All That Apply)

**Definitions**

  • A personal pet has no obligation to perform a service. There is no specialized training required or expectations to perform any duties inside or outside the home.
  • A Therapy Dog goes through lengthy training to behave well in public spaces. The handler (owner) volunteers their time to train and then schedule visits with hospitals, schools, libraries, ect to bring therapeutic experiences to those in the community. At minimum, AKC Canine Good Citizen training certification, plus usually a test with an accreditation organization like Pet Partners or Therapy Dogs United. These organizations have specific requirements for training & vaccines. There are often registration or membership fees. They then offer liability insurance for the handler and Therapy dog during scheduled Therapy visits in the community.
  • A Service Dog has specialized training to assist a disabled person with specific tasks. These dogs have advanced training to behave well in public spaces that do not allow pets. Service Dogs are considered a medical device and are able to accompany their owners in most public spaces, including grocery stores, planes, and to their doctor appointments. Beyond the basic training to behave in public, a Service Dog is also trained for specific tasks to assist the person’s disability. For example, Autism Service Dogs may be taught to provide Deep Pressure Therapy to help regulate their person when they are overstimulated. They can be trained to stay by their owner’s side if they have a fainting episode. They can be trained to lead their person to a designated adult such as a parent to avoid wandering or eloping. They can be trained to disrupt self harming behavior (loke skin picking) or provide tactile stimulation. A Service Dog is trained specifically to help their owner/handler, with legal access to public spaces, but is not intended to interact with the public or strangers. They should remain focused on their own person and that person’s medical assistance needs.
  • An Emotional Support Dog is a companion pet with the purpose of providing emotional support to their owner. They do not need any specialized training to perform this duty. However, they are not granted access to public places that do not allow pets. An Emotional Support Dog is considered a pet, and is not a Service Dog. An ESA’s “work” is at home with their owner.