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squo;s smiling. One look at her and you’ll understand her nickname. She came to the rescue as part of a litter of five, found on the streets with their mama. Thanks to loving foster care, Meerkat has blossomed into a confident, gentle, and affectionate little girl who’s ready to find her new home.
Meerkat is that perfect puppy blend: she plays hard, naps hard, and knows how to enjoy both. She loves romping with other dogs, but she’s also wonderfully independent and can happily entertain herself. When playtime is over and she’s scooped into your arms, she melts right in—relaxed, content, and quietly cuddly. Raised in a busy foster home with dogs of all sizes and ages, Meerkat has excellent dog manners. She reads cues beautifully and is gentle, respectful, and adaptable—even with senior pups. She’s calm indoors after her energy is spent and thrives on routine and companionship.
Food is one of Meerkat’s great loves (relatable, right?), which makes her a fantastic candidate for positive-reinforcement training. She’s tolerant of handling—ears, paws, and all—and has shown no signs of resource guarding or aggression.
Meerkat’s Highlights:
Crate-trained at night and sleeps peacefully
Uses potty pads when needed but prefers the yard
Calm and settled indoors after playtime
Loves food and learns quickly
Gentle, affectionate, and adaptable
Meerkat would thrive in a home that can offer love, patience, playtime, and continued socialization—whether that includes another dog buddy or humans who enjoy an affectionate, easygoing puppy. She’s a sweet soul, a thoughtful little observer, and a snuggler in the making. Meerkat is ready to start her happily-ever-after… could it be with you?
Meerkat is from Texas. They arrive in Minnesota on 2/20/2026 and will need to be picked up from the Ruff Start Rescue office in Princeton, MN between the hours of 8:30am and noon. Please plan for their arrival accordingly as we cannot accommodate pickups outside of this time frame. Since they haven’t arrived yet, they are available exclusively through Ruff Start’s Foster to Adopt (FTA) Program. Click here to learn more about the FTA program. Once they get to Minnesota, they might require further veterinary care. Ruff Start’s veterinary suite is located in Princeton, MN, and, as the foster, you will be required to transport your dog to and from these vetting appointments.
If you are interested in getting to know this animal better, please fill out an adoption application. An adoption application is the best way to show your interest in an animal and is not a binding contract.
To learn more about Ruff Start’s adoption process and the care our foster animals receive, please visit our How to Adopt page.
*Rescue puppies are notorious for losing their birth certificates before entering our rescue. We cannot guarantee the breed or size they will be full grown.*
If you are unable to adopt but want to help this animal and others in our care, you can donate to support the medical and veterinary needs of all Ruff Start Rescue animals.