Around a year ago we became aware of an ad on craigslist for a shih Tzu that was free at first we wondered why someone would be giving away a free shih Tzu could it be that he bit someone no the reality was the shih Tzu had been living in a meth house dropped off by a girlfriend that did not care for him My husband drove to a very bad neighborhood and he got the shih Tzu when he brought the dog home the first thing I did was cry The only thing you could see on him was his mouth and his eyes I have rescued dogs before but I had never seen a dog in such poor condition this little old man was on the brink of starvation underneath the mats of hair and feces he was fearful of everyone with tremendous patience and time I gained his trust and began the process of cleaning him it took 3 months until I had completely removed all the hair and mats and at that point he could actually see his feet again he had been walking on mats his pads and toenails completely covered he finally felt free we put wee-wee pads down as soon as we got him but thought that he would need to be taken for walks to use the bathroom surprisingly and amazingly since that day the first day he has never made a mess in the house he always uses his wee-wee pad I have three granddaughters and one grandson he is gentle and kind with all of them he has gained a slight bit of weight and now gets regular baths and combing we did not know his name and as we sat on the couch with him and ran through names because of his colors he looked gray and dusty I said the word Portland he turned his head as if to tell us Yes I want to be Portland and Portland he is his nickname is port-port as I was petting him one night I realized that Portland has a chip in his upper shoulder blade I also realized that he has been injured at some point and every rib on one side has been broken and healed and pushes against his lung which is what creates the fact that he has seems to short of breath even at rest Portland is now strong enough to go up and down stairs but Portland needs help I need to scan his chip at a veterinary office that could give us information as to how old he is and what medical conditions he should be checked for I need someone to help me get him his shots and a full exam I assume that he needs to be on a preventative heartworm medication... Portland needs a full exam by a qualified vet at this time I am not able to provide that for him we give him the very best of everything that we can so if you're moved by Portland story of survival strength grace and courage please make a small donation and help us get Portland to the best shape of his life so that he can live the rest of his life healthy and happy with his family that he now loves and adores thank you to all who help May you be blessed eternally and a giant thank you from Portland the best shih Tzu in the world