PEPPER HAS RECENTLY WEANED A LITTER OF PUPPIES AND HAS NOT BEEN SPAYED YET. SHE WILL BE SCHEDULED IN APRIL FOR HER SPAY ONCE SHE IS READY. DUE TO THIS, SHE WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION OUTSIDE A 30 MINUTE RADIUS OF DES MOINES. Pepper is a female, possible Maltese/Shih Tzu mix, weighing 12.5 lbs. She came into rescue from Oklahoma while pregnant. She delivered her litter in early February. Pepper is a sweet girl that loves people and does well with other dogs. She is a bit shy when first meeting new people, but quickly warms up. She has not met a cat. She is house trained and kennel trained. She can be somewhat vocal at times so living in an apartment or townhome would not be a good fit for her. She will require a daily brushing to keep her coat looking its best. Pepper was diagnosed with pigmentary keratitis, a chronic eye condition where dark brown or black pigment accumulates on the cornea, often leading to reduced vision or blindness. We believe this is a result of her having dry eyes with reduced tear production. She is on eye medication called Optimmune twice a day and it may be required for her life. The cost is $70 a tube so potential adopters should be prepared to afford up to 2 tubes per month. Pepper does not have any vision problems right now but if she is not treated as prescribed she could loose her sight at some point in her life. Gave birth in rescue to Hattie, Lottie, Sylvie, and Elsie on February 5, 2026 in Hope Animal Rescue of Iowa foster home. If you are interested in meeting Pepper, please complete an online application at https://hopeanimalrescueofiowa.duplie.com/forms/196/dog-application Adoption fee is $250 which includes spay/neuter, microchip, and age appropriate vaccines.