She's not pretty.

She's not very young.

Her coat is patchy, her teeth worn.

Her skin is ragged in places and it's obvious that Christie, a female Rottweiler mix, has not led an easy life.

Yet if you spend a few minutes with her -- and a few minutes is all it takes -- you soon realize this older girl is sweeter than sugar cane and has a lot of spark in her yet, despite some treatable health and "beauty" issues.

There are no defects in her personality.

She's being cared for at LifeLine Animal Project and the Avondale Estates-based animal advocacy and rescue non-profit is looking for someone who wants to help this part of Christie's life be the best part.

They are asking that someone out there foster Christie in their home and show her a taste of a good, stable life. LifeLine will be responsible for all medical care and will provide a crate and other resources to a willing foster mom or dad.

Christie missed a few meals before she got to LifeLine, but now they are working on bulking her up and getting her health up to par.

"We are doing all we can to clear up her skin and eye issues," said Debbie Setzer, LifeLine's director of community outreach, "but she really deserves to be comfortable in a loving foster. It is more than obvious this sweet thing has been neglected her whole life." 

Christie's unique charm is mood-elevating. She adores people and according to Brian Levine, who works in LifeLine's Dog House and helps care for her, she's "super sweet", excellent on a leash and good with other dogs.

She is also crate-trained and Setzer and Levine say it wouldn't surprise them at all if once in a home, she proved to be house trained too.

It's doubtful that most human beings, were they in Christie's neglected condition, would be near as happy and as grateful as she. But happy she is and the only thing that might make her skinny tail wag even harder is if she were hosted in a loving home.

If you want to be Christie's foster family for a while and work with LifeLine to help bring this worthy dog back from the brink of neglect, please contact adoptions@lifelineanimal.org.