Visit the STRMN YouTube channel for delightful videos featuring adopters, foster homes and board members.
MEET AND GREET OUR AVAILABLE DOGS
First Saturday of every month 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
CHUCK AND DON'S (BLOOMINGTON LOCATION) 8537 Lyndale Ave. S. Bloomington, MN [Click HERE for Directions] THIS IS A MEET & GREET ONLY. WE DO NOT ADOPT OUT DIRECTLY FROM THIS EVENT.
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." ~ Author Unknown ~
My darling Tucker. I loved you from the minute you became mine five years ago. We dog people are
told that in our lifetime, we will have that one dog that will meld with our soul. Tuck, you will always
be my dog that filled my soul. you were the perfect one, the noble one, the one that always
understood. It is hard to believe I will never again lay my hand on that beautiful silky head or wake
up to you looming over my ready to start the day. I missed you terribly when I had to leave you
home and I loved you every minute when I was with you. Thank you darling Tuck, my soul dog.
Joan P.
Tucker 2013 - 2025 Posted 6/04/25
Holly Posted 6/18/25
Debra adopted Holly after she had a couple years of neglect due to serious illness in her former
family. She was depressed and had lost some of her hair. Debra was just what the doctor ordered
for Holly. She was an avid walker which Holly took to right away and everyone in their building fell in
love with sweet Holly. She loves car rides so was able to go on long trips and visits with friends and
family who all loved her. Her hair began to thicken and she became stronger and her cute personality
came out again. Now Holly is gone and all the people in their family and friends miss her terribly.
She was the little girl everyone wanted to hold and cuddle.
Our sweet Louie aka Lou-boo. Always either smiling or relaxing while watching the action with his big
brown eyes. You never met a dog so absolutely happy to just stay home and hang out. He was never
a fan of car rides or walks. But he LOVED his treats and dinner time!
Louie was the light of our lives. The absolute sweetest boy. He passed away in June of 2022 just days
prior to our oldest’s high school graduation. He had been suffering from cushings disease and terrible
arthritis and lost the use of his back legs. But we got him the cutest dog wheel chair that he could
zoom around the house in. It also helped him stand when needing to go to the bathroom outside.
We think of Louie every day. Know that Louie was so well loved.
Louie Posted 10/21/25
After a long life with his brother Johnnie and original human family, Frankie ended up blessing our
home in May 2023 thanks to Shih Tzu Rescue of Minnesota. The first time Frankie came to our house,
he made himself at home by pulling out all the dog toys we owned and making them his own.
Frankie was always eager to be by our sides and loved his road trips to many places. A favorite stop
was always Caribou Coffee to see the baristas (aka his ladies), where he always scored a biscuit or
two. Frankie also loved baseball, hockey and football. Frankie attended both the Saints baseball games
at CHS Field and the Twins games at Target Field, he even managed to get on the jumbo tron during
a MN Wild hockey game at Xcel and he always cheered on the Vikings from home in his Vikings
bandanna and sweater. Frankie visited many state parks in the fall and he also enjoyed exploring
Duluth and Grand Marais, where he’d always find a good sniff or two along the North Shore. He also
attended the annual shih-Tzu reunions and he never went home empty handed. Every year he’d raid
the toy box for a new squeaky toy to bring home and he was always successful in his efforts. Frankie
was his own little celebrity, all of the neighborhood kids adored him, he was a fan at the office and he
even rode in the Maple Grove parade waving his paw to all the kids and he even got an up close shot
at the camera. All of this excitement couldn’t go by unnoticed so it wasn’t long before the F and J
Shih-Tzu express was formed on Instagram for Frankie and his brother Johnnie who soon adopted
their intern Benji the Bischon. Feel free to visit their page for a glimpse into their world (and ours) at
f_and_j_shihtzu_express for all of the memories we’ve made together and that we will continue to
cherish for a lifetime.
Frankie will be deeply missed. We were so blessed to have had him in our hearts and our home. We
wish we could’ve spent a lifetime with Frankie, but instead, we are deeply honored that he spent the
rest of his life with us. Until we meet again sweet boy.
Frankie Posted 11/05/25
Teenie Posted 03/30/2026
Our beloved Teenie passed away on 21 March 2026 from complications related to a neurological disorder. We feel so lucky to have spent years with this lovely girl, though far less than we desired, and she leaves behind so many special memories with everyone who knew and loved her.
Teenie came to us from STRMN in December 2022 via her wonderful foster mom Jane and sister Shih Tzu Rosie, and immediately took to us and our home even though she was an adult dog (age unknown, estimated at 7-11 years) who had been previously abused and neglected. As our constant companion, and with many other human friends, Teenie went nearly everywhere we did including road trips, camping and canoeing, parties (including special invitations to a wedding and New Year's celebration), friend's homes, restaurants, and walking/being carried in our Saint Paul neighborhood. Since she was perfectly named by Jane, people she met would often inadvertently call her by her name. Everyone who was expecting her greeted her with an enthusiastic, "Teenie's here!" She loved snuggles, food, being warm (especially in front of our wood stove during winter), and rubber squeak toys that she would chase around the house.
In mid-Summer 2023 Teenie began exhibiting a loss of balance and darting eyes, and was eventually diagnosed with Chiari-like Malformation and Syringomyelia (CMSM) in November thanks to the excellent vets at Lexington Pet Clinic and Dr. Missy Carpentier, a neurology specialist. CMSM is caused by a mis-match between a dog's skull and their nervous system, being especially common in very small dogs. After nearly losing her during the 2023 Holiday Season, eventually she stabilized and by early 2024 betrayed scarcely any sign that something was amiss. But we knew that she was living on borrowed time, and doubled down on spoiling her. After two perfect years, by early 2026 Teenie was losing the battle against both her disease and long term high-dose steroid therapy that kept her worse symptoms at bay. When she let us know that the day had come to help her a final time she was lovingly embraced in her favorite spot as she peacefully passed on with compassionate veterinary assistance.
Teenie was a sweet, loud, affectionate, strong, curious, 6+ pound Shih Tzu mix (Chihuahua?) female who was brimming with Life. She rarely slept during the day and was always alert, expecting to be close but not smothered - unless being held was an option! Constantly making noise whether awake or asleep through an assortment of honks, snorts, snores, chortles, sighs, huffs, yips, barks, yells, and occasional shrieks, if she was nearby you always knew. She was exceedingly brave, and never showed fear at the vet or the groomer or when she battled her disorder. Though she traveled widely, Teenie's favorite place was to be at home with us and that is where she began and ended her journey in our care. She is deeply missed.
