Adoptable Minnie’s Looking for the Perfect House of Mouse—Er, Dog

Published January 22, 2025 by PETA Staff.

3 min read

Minnie’s life in Puerto Rico was about as far from white gloves and oversized hair bows as you can get. The miniature mutt was forced to roam the beaches and compete for scraps with a pack of eight other dogs—no home, human caretaker, or humanoid mouse boyfriend in sight. To make matters even less magical, Minnie was emaciated, had no use of her back leg, and was suffering from severe mange that left her skin inflamed and intensely itchy.

Minnie standing in a cage — *Wherefore art thou, Mickey?*

Mercifully, Minnie’s luck was about to change, thanks to the efforts of a determined rescuer—not a steamboat-driving, anthropomorphic mouse, but a compassionate local woman who plucked her from the streets and drove her hours to a clinic, where PETA was conducting a Spay-a-Thon.

Minnie in a wire cage — *A humane mouse trap? One that leads to PETA’s clinic!*

In partnership with the Humane Society of Puerto Rico, PETA helped sterilize and vaccinate 215 animals over just two days. But when our fieldworkers saw Minnie’s sorry state, they knew she needed advanced care. That could only mean one thing—the miserable Mouseketeer was about to hitch a ride all the way back to PETA’s headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia.

Minnie being held by a PETA worker — *Already rocking that Minnie Mouse color scheme—just add polka dots.*

Minnie’s leg was in such rough shape that it had to be amputated, but the 1-year-old pup was no stranger to rolling with the punches. Already accustomed to walking on three legs, she quickly bounced back from surgery and started rough-mousing around.

Minnie lounging in her dog bed with a blanket — *She didn’t need that leg, anyway.*

She received treatment for her mange, spent time healing in a foster home, and put on some healthy weight, clocking in at about 28 pounds—a bit more than an actual mouse.

Minnie chewing on a toy — *From barely squeaking by to squeaking all the toys!*

Minnie can be a bit nervous at first, and she will need a patient adopter who will allow her time to adjust. Once those first-date jitters have passed, Minnie’s sweet and playful personality is bound to shine—she’ll be tossing her toys in no time.

Minnie with a small squeaky toy — *Having defeated her duck stuffie, she moves on to Mr. Hedgehog. (Don’t worry, Daisy Duck, she’s still your bestie!)*

Unlike her rodent namesake, Minnie gets along well with cats. She is currently in a foster home with several other dogs, but she will need a slow and steady introduction to any new canine siblings.

Ready to share your mouse house with Minnie? E-mail [email protected] to learn more!

Learn More About Minnie and Other Adoptable Animals