Meet Irene 🤍
 
The quiet, proper little lady of the bunch who would like everyone to know that there is, in fact, a correct way to puppy. 😂
 
Irene was born in May 2026 and came to NTASR with her brothers, Sherlock and Watson. They are the result of backyard breeding and, unfortunately, all three are double merle Aussies.
 
So what does that mean?
A double merle puppy is the result of breeding two merle dogs together. When a puppy inherits the merle gene from both parents, it can cause excessive loss of pigment and can lead to serious vision and hearing problems. Double merles are often born with significant disabilities, and far too many are discarded, abandoned, or worse simply because of how they were bred.
 
We weren't about to let that happen to Irene and her brothers.
 
Thankfully, Irene got lucky. Her vision is fully intact, and while she has shown very minor hearing impairment, she functionally hears well. She seems pretty content with the hand she was dealt.
 
Irene is the smallest of the three and the quiet observer of the group. While her brothers are busy racing around the house and getting into puppy shenanigans, Irene can usually be found sitting sweetly nearby, watching the action like the proper little lady she is.
 
But don't mistake quiet for boring.
 
Irene has the perfect balance of playful and cuddly, and she's actually the most affectionate of the bunch. She loves her humans most of all and is happiest when she's close by getting attention. She also gets along beautifully with dogs of all sizes, is great with kids, handles baths like a champ, and is doing wonderfully with potty time outside.
She's gentle. She's clever. She's chill. She's sweet.
 
And once the chaos settles down, she's probably the one curled up beside you.
 
Irene doesn't need someone to see what she might be missing. She needs someone who sees everything she already has to give. 🤍🐾