Milani—known lovingly as Millie, Millie Moon, and Milanor—has the kind of spirit that makes you pause and smile. She’s just a year old and a petite 22 pounds, but she carries a softness and resilience that feel much bigger than she is. Before she ever knew the comfort of a foster home, she spent seven long weeks in a shelter, struggling with diarrhea that no one could get under control. When she arrived in FBV’s care, she finally got the medical attention she needed. An internal medicine specialist performed an ultrasound and a colonoscopy with biopsies, and the results revealed the truth behind her struggles: Millie has IBD and a congenitally short colon—about half the length of a typical dog’s.

It sounds daunting on paper, but Millie herself is anything but. With the right care, she has blossomed. Today she is maintaining her weight, feeling good, and having formed stools, all while eating only her prescription hydrolyzed diet—Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein, Low Fat kibble—and no medications at all. She’ll need lifelong management, continued care with an internal medicine vet, and a family willing to adjust her meds or diet if needed in the future, but right now she is thriving.

Her foster home is a lively one, full of small children, dogs, and even tiny creatures like hamsters and fish. Millie fits into the mix with a gentle ease. She adores people, including the two‑year‑old little boy she follows around like a shadow. She lives with three Frenchie foster sisters, and her relationships with them are as nuanced and charming as any sibling dynamic. Basil, the youngest and most passive, is her best friend—they cuddle, play, and move through the day like a pair of synchronized swimmers. Bailey, the middle sister, is more confrontational, and the two have had a handful of small fights, usually over something like the couch or jealousy about height advantage. With four girl dogs in one home, tensions aren’t surprising, and Millie would likely thrive best in a home with one or two friendly, balanced dogs who can show her the ropes, play with her, and keep her company. She’s also spent time at her foster grandparents’ home with three cats and didn’t bother them at all. Hamsters and fish? She barely notices them.

Millie is a lover through and through. She follows her foster family everywhere—underfoot in the kitchen, curled beside them on the sofa, or sitting patiently on the bathroom rug while they shower. She is relaxed and laid back, but when playtime starts, she can get wonderfully wild, doing her signature “slide dive,” where she tucks her front legs under her and launches herself into her dog friends like a tiny, joyful torpedo. She loves toys, bones, and chews, and she watches her foster sisters closely to learn what to do with each new treasure.

She also loves spa days. Baths, grooming appointments, at‑home pampering—she’s tolerant, patient, and happy to be fussed over. In the car, she is an absolute angel, riding quietly and contentedly no matter where the journey leads.

Because of her strict prescription diet, Millie eats separately from the other dogs. She’s generally submissive and shares nicely, but she has stood her ground around food before. Potty training has been a journey, especially given her early chronic diarrhea, but she has made tremendous progress. She signals when she needs to go outside by standing at the back door or at the top of the stairs, and she already knew how to use pee pads when she arrived. Due to her IBD and short colon, she goes to the bathroom more frequently than most dogs, so she needs a family who is home often, uses daycare, has a dog walker, or provides pee pads when they’re away. She sometimes marks on dog beds, blankets, or small rugs, and may lick the spots afterward. She’s also very tolerant of clothing and often wears a baby onesie to help manage accidents when her foster mom is busy.

Millie walks beautifully on a leash with a harness and enjoys strolling with her foster sisters. She does tend to drag her front paws, likely due to poor breeding, which can lead to dirty or occasionally bloody toes. Shorter walks or grassy areas are best for her comfort. Stairs are another challenge—she’s timid with them, and while her foster mom has been diligently teaching her on carpeted steps, she still needs to be carried up and down at times. A home with limited or no stairs would be ideal unless her adopter is willing to carry her.

Her foster home has a fenced yard, which makes her frequent bathroom trips easier, and while a yard isn’t required, it is preferred. She’s excellent about going potty in all weather—hot, cold, rain, or snow—and will happily go on frequent leashed walks in grassy areas if that’s what her future family prefers.

Through everything—her medical challenges, her early struggles, her quirks and needs—Millie has remained one of the most loving, well‑behaved dogs you could ever hope to meet. She wasn’t born into the ideal circumstances, and medically she isn’t “perfect,” but her sweetness, her goofiness, her loyalty, and her gentle heart make her extraordinary. She deserves a family who will understand her bathroom needs, never punish her for things she cannot control, and love her for exactly who she is.

Because once Millie loves you, she loves you with her whole being—and that kind of love is worth everything.