Looking for a Forever Friend? (ADOPTED)

Meet Abbey, she was found as a stray wandering in the cold weather in the middle of nowhere. Abbey spent several weeks at an animal shelter while trying to locate her family, but no one ever came for her or called looking for her. Her foster family cannot imagine why. Abbey is a wonderful, happy, sociable girl of about three years, already spayed and in very good condition when found. Abbey is getting along with most of the other dogs at her foster home, although has raised her hair at our dominant female through the fencing. She seems fairly submissive, but her foster family thinks in the presence of another very strong female, Abbey may have issues with who will be the boss. She would do well with other male dogs or other submissive females. At the vet, she was nothing but perfectly friendly with every other dog there, both male and female, small and large alike, and rolled over many times for belly rubs from whomever passed by. She has met cats through a fence and pet carriers, and just wags her tail wildly at them. She is crate trained and has not had a potty accident indoors since arriving here. Abbey is a nice sized girl, weighing just about 130 pounds with big bone and a beautiful, thick coat. She can be very active outdoors and loves playing, but settles quietly on the couch for TV time in the evening.



Abbey does appear to have been severely disciplined in her past, however. She will startle and frighten with people she is not familiar with if they make sudden or loud movements towards her, and exhibits this fear by shrinking herself as low to the ground as she possibly can, as if in fear of being hit. She no longer behaves in this way with her foster family, and very quickly warms up to people once she knows they do not intend to hurt her. Abbey would blossom in a positive reinforcement type obedience school to increase her confidence, and show her that there are good people in the world who won't be hurting her. Abbey has so much love to give to the right family; she will warm your hearts and homes this winter and for many winters to come.

Holiday Pet Safety

The holidays are a time to eat, drink, decorate and share good times with friends and family. However, the same treats and trimmings considered harmless for humans can be hazardous to your pet's health. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is offering pet owners some helpful hints to keep their pets happy and healthy during the holiday season.

Holiday sweets with chocolate are not for pets. Depending on the dose ingested, chocolate (bakers, semi sweet, milk and dark) can be poisonous to many animals. In general, the less sweet the chocolate, the more toxic it could be. In fact, unsweetened baking chocolate contains almost seven times more theobromine as milk chocolate. Vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperactivity and increased thirst, urination and heart rate can be seen with the ingestion of as little as 1/4 ounce of baking chocolate by a 10-pound dog.

Keep your pet on its normal diet. Any change of diet, even for one meal, may give your dog or cat severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals that have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements. Boiled or grilled meats and fresh vegetables can be offered as a healthy alternative.

Don't give pets holiday leftovers and keep pets out of the garbage. Poultry bones can splinter and cause blockages. Greasy, spicy and fatty for spoiled foods can cause stomach upset and moldy foods could cause tremors or seizures.

Alcohol and pets do NOT mix. Place unattended alcoholic drinks where pets cannot reach them. If ingested, the animal could become very sick and weak and may go into a coma.

Keep aluminum foil and cellophane candy wrappers away from pets. They can cause vomiting and intestinal blockage.

Be careful with holiday floral arrangements. Lilies are commonly used and many varieties including Tiger, Asian, Japanese Show, Stargazer and Casa Blanca can cause kidney failure in cats. Safe alternatives can include artificial flowers made from silk or plastic.

Common Yuletide plants such as mistletoe and holly berries can be toxic to pets. Should a cat or dog eat mistletoe, they could suffer gastrointestinal upset and cardiovascular problems. Holly can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and lethargy if ingested.

Poinsettias are over rated in toxicity. They are considered to be very low in toxicity, however, they could cause mild vomiting or nausea if ingested by your pet.

Christmas tree water may contain dangerous fertilizers, which if ingested, can cause stomach upset. Stagnant tree water can also act as a breeding ground for bacteria and if ingested a pet could end up with nausea and diarrhea.

Decorate your tree with animal safe ornaments such as dried non-toxic flowers, wood, fabric or pinecones. If ingested, ribbons or tinsel can become lodged in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction. This is a very common problem with kittens.

HOLIDAY FOODS & BEVERAGES THAT ARE TOXIC TO PETS
Alcoholic Beverages: Alcoholic beverages can cause alcohol poisoning. If ingested, the animal could become very drunk and weak, may become severely depressed or may go into a coma.

Yeast Dough: Uncooked yeast dough, if ingested (most cases are with dogs) can rise in the stomach and cause severe pain. Pets who have eaten bread dough may experience abdominal pain, bloat, vomiting, disorientation and depression. Since the breakdown product of rising dough is alcohol, it can cause an alcohol poisoning. Many cases like this require surgical removal of the dough. Even small amounts can be dangerous.

Chocolate (bakers, semi sweet, milk and dark): If ingested, chocolate can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperactivity and increased thirst, urination and heart rate. This can be seen with the ingestion of as little as 1/4 ounce of baking chocolate by a 10-pound dog. Chocolate poisoning does not seem to be a problem in cats, although it is possible if enough would be ingested.

Nicotine: Tobacco products can be fatal to dogs and cats if ingested. Signs of nicotine poisonings often develop within 15 45 minutes. Symptoms include excitation, salivation, panting, vomiting and diarrhea. Muscle weakness, twitching, depression, coma, increased heart rate and cardiac arrest can follow.

Coffee (ground, beans, chocolate covered espresso beans): Contain caffeine which is a stimulant and depending on the dose ingested, stimulation, restlessness, increased heart rate, tremors, or seizures could be seen.

Macadamia Nuts: Macadamia nuts can cause muscular weakness, depression, vomiting, disorientation, tremors, abdominal pain and muscle stiffness in dogs. The effects can last 1-3 days. This has not been reported in any other species.

Grapes and Raisins: The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is aware of recent reports of dogs alleged to have developed kidney failure following ingestion of large amounts of grapes or raisins. There has also been one case of renal failure occurring in a cat who ate raisins. Veterinary toxicologists at the APCC are currently investigating these cases in an attempt to determine the causative agents or disease processes. At this time the exact role of grapes or raisins in these cases is unclear.



BEWARE-Antifreeze!

"Bad for dogs" understates the danger of antifreeze. In fact, antifreeze poisoning has the highest animal fatality rate of all common poisons. Every year, by some estimates, about 10,000 dogs and cats are victims of accidental poisoning by automobile antifreeze. A pet does not have to drink a lot of antifreeze to be poisoned. Most brands of commercial antifreeze consist of 95 percent ethylene glycol, an extremely toxic chemical. Even a few licks of this sweet-tasting liquid can be fatal to a cat or dog. (Ethylene- glycol-based antifreeze is also extremely hazardous to children. A few ounces are lethal.)

Antifreeze poisoning commonly occurs in spring and fall when car owners replace the old antifreeze with fresh antifreeze in their car radiators. However, poisoning can happen anytime, particularly when a car boils over or when a hose leaks, releasing the antifreeze. As mentioned above, this poisoning happens often to animals who are allowed to roam freely in their neighborhoods, but another high risk group are those dogs who are confined in garages and who may not always be provided with adequate fresh drinking water. These dogs may gain access to improperly or inadequately stored antifreeze or lick spilled or leaked antifreeze off the garage floor.

Another source of antifreeze are the decorative "snow globes" glassware. The liquid in the these displays contain 2% antifreeze and are very toxic.

Both cats and dog are attracted to the smell and taste of ethylene glycol. Remember that your car can leak coolant at any time. If you see a puddle of greenish-colored liquid in your driveway, flush the area with plenty of water and don't delay locating and fixing the leak. Another method of quick clean-up is to spread cat litter on the spill, clean up with rags (which are bagged immediately) and then rinse. Antifreeze will biodegrade in the environment, but it takes weeks or months to do so, so removing the spill is absolutely essential.

Antifreeze poisoning occurs in two stages: In the first stage, the ethylene glycol in the antifreeze causes a drunken appearance in the animal within about 30 minutes which may continue for several hours. After passing through stage 1, the animal appears to recover. Stage 2 begins when the dog's liver begins metabolizing the ethylene glycol, changing it into more toxic substances. Within 12 to 36 hours of ingestion, these metabolites have reached such a level that the dog's kidneys stop functioning, and the animal slips into a coma.

Getting the dog to a veterinarian is critical within the first 9-12 hours following ingestion. After that length of time, the liver will have already begun metabolizing the ethylene glycol into substances that cause kidney failure and ultimately death.

Symptoms of antifreeze poisoning include a drunken appearance including staggering, lack of coordination, and apparent disorientation and vomiting. The animal may appear listless and depressed. Because early signs of antifreeze poisoning often mimic signs of other illness, neither you or your veterinarian may suspect antifreeze poisoning until it is too late. Fortunately, in house lab tests performed by your veterinarian by assist in the diagnosis of antifreeze toxicity.

For more Anti-freeze information visit:

http://www.thepetcenter.com/wai/poi_AF.html

http://www.2ndchance.info/antifreeze.htm

http://www.pets.ca/pettips/tips-59.htm

Maddy

Hi my name is Maddy. I am almost 2 years old. My second birthday is coming up in February. I had a pretty rough start in my short 2 years. My previous owners kept me confined in a crate most of the time. My dad did not like me so my mom kept me in there to keep him content. After enough time my mom did the right thing and put me into rescue. I was very skittish toward men because I never had a positive experience with them. My new foster dad has shown me that men are great too. I still have some reservations at first but warm up quick. You will have to let me adjust at my pace. I like to feel everyone out on my own. I love playing with my new foster brother and sister (2 yr old Mastiff Lady & 3 yr. old Mastiff Kevin). There is a whole lot of playing with 3 teenagers in the house. Because I was in a kennel for the majority of my life I have to go to a home that will not put me in a crate. I know you are thinking right let’s leave a 150 pound puppy out to destroy everything. Honestly I do not destroy anything. I do watch my foster brother Kevin do some things he shouldn't but I know right from wrong. I just sit in my chair and think boy is dad going to be mad when he gets home. I get along with other dogs. Cats are ok but I prefer something that I can play with. I do like to sleep with everyone on the bed but sometimes I know it gets to be a bit much for my dad with three of us in the bed. If he tells me to sleep on my own bed I am fine with that too. I use a gentle lead to walk and do fairly well. I definitely would not mind some obedience classes to help with those basic commands and I think it would be good to improve my social skills. I would make some family happy to have me as their furry companion. Just give me a chance and I will show you what unconditional love is!!!

Miss Maggie

MMR would like to introduce Miss Maggie a brindle, 18 month old female. She is spayed and loves kids and people she meets. Maggie is socialized with small and large dogs with little problems so far. If she is scared she will do a lip curl at other dogs but will not fight back. She seems to be a submissive female. Maggie's foster mom believes she may have been hit, she will do the duck and hang her head when a hand is raised at her quickly. She is also startled easily by loud noises.

Maggie is housebroken and is a very good girl in the house. Maggie hasn't had obedience training so we will require training. The only command she knows is sit and she will only perform this when she wants. Maggie is a counter surfer but her foster mom is working on this and she listens well to firm commands. Maggie does walk well on a leash but doesn't have any concept of the "come" command.



Maggie would fit well in a family with older children (not eye level) and she needs to be introduced slowly to other family pets. If you wish to know more about Miss Maggie you can reach her foster mom at blfoley@insightbb.com her intake number is 112508-04.



If you wish to donate to help with vet, food and other supplies please click one of our many DONATE buttons.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Since joining Midwest Mastiff Rescue, Inc., I have found more people to be Thankful for during this Thanksgiving. I am thankful we have so many wonderful people who have volunteered a lot of their time, money, tears, hearts, and homes to so many wonderful Mastiffs’.

Thank you to the new parents who opened their lives and homes to adopt our wonderful Mastiff's. These guys/gals deserved a wonderful life and you have promised to give it to them.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of the volunteers of Midwest Mastiff Rescue, Inc., and may you have a safe and wonderful holiday.

Goliath (ADOPTED)

Meet Goliath, he is a very athletic, handsome two year old boy that came into rescue as a stray. It seems that Goliath was never an indoor dog until he came into rescue, as he had no idea of proper etiquette indoors. Goliath thought it was perfectly ok to jump up on the counter right next to his foster mom and steal whatever seemed tasty to him. Imagine his surprise when he first found out that this was not ok! Boy, the look in his eyes was priceless! Since that first day, Goliath has come a long, long way with indoor manners. He no longer jumps on his foster family to greet them, but sits very nicely in front waiting for pets and hugs and kisses (and a tasty treat, of course) He does still try and get away with jumping on visitors, but is steadily learning that he is not to jump on anyone, family or not. Goliath loves other dogs and is very playful, imagine a mastiff that likes to run and chase balls! He can easily clear a 3-1/2 foot gate, so a sturdy dog pen outdoors, or a fenced-in area, with at least 5 ft fencing is preferred. Goliath would benefit from continuing work on manners and is truly a diamond in the rough. He would make an awesome agility or Flyball competitor, and would excel in Rally Obedience as well. What his foster family really likes about him, though, is that after a good romp outdoors, Goliath is all mastiffy couch potato and can spend the entire evening snuggled on the floor watching TV with his people, while gnawing on his favorite bone. Goliath crates easily and loves his crate, and has not had a potty accident indoors since the first week he's been here. Can you be the special family that sees Goliath's potential through his sometimes less-than-perfect manners?

If you would like to contact Goliath's foster mom please email her at xxldogmom@att.net

Safety Tips for Thanksgiving and Your Pet

Turkey-
If you want to feed your pet a little turkey, make sure it's boneless and cooked thoroughly. Raw uncooked Turkey may contain salmonella bacteria and the bones can pose a chocking hazard.

Easy With the Spices-Sage is an herb that contains essential oils and resins that can cause stomach upset for your pet and central nervous system depression if eaten in large quantities. Cats are extremely sensitive to essential oils.

To Much Isn't Always Good-
A few samplings of the Thanksgiving feast can cause stomach upset, diarrhea and worse an inflammatory condition known as pancreatitis. It is best to keep your pet on a regular diet throughout the holiday season.

Bread Dough Is Bad-Don't feed your pet raw bread dough the dough once in the body will heat up and rise in the stomach causing severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloating which can become life threatening for your pet.

A Feast Fit for a Kong-If you want to keep your pet busy for hours pack your pets Kong full of some delightful treats like turkey, sweet potato's, green beans and a little bit of gravy. This will keep them happy and occupied for hours, working hard to get their treats from the toy.

A Home for the Holidays!

Beautiful Harley has found his forever home and will be spending his holidays with a new family. Harley is such a sweet and fantastic boy who will be truly missed by his foster mom and family.

Thanks to all the great people out there volunteering and adopting these wonderful mastiffs!

A note from Harley's foster mom:

Monday evening will be tear filled for all of us in the DePalma household. In the months we have had Harely we have seen him blossom into the wonderful dog that he is. He grew hair where he had none, his skin ailments all went away and he turned into a happy happy boy. We loved him unconditionally and he did the same to us. I could not have picked a better family for this boy but he will leave his paw print on my heart forever!

A New Home for Deuce

We're so excited to announce Deuce will be going to his new home. This is such a happy time for his foster mom and Midwest Mastiff Rescue, Inc.

A special thanks to Brenda Foley, Deuce's foster mom for taking such wonderful care of him and helping find his new parents. Also Thak You to Shirley and Christie for rescuing Deuce from a shelter and getting him to his foster mom Brenda. Great Team Effort!

Check back with our blog for some pictures of Deuce and his new family.

Loving Lucy (ADOPTED)

Jean is our foster mom for Lucy and she simply cannot stop talking about her. Lucy is doing great in her foster home she has gained approximately 10 pounds since her surgery and she's looking much better. She is completely house trained and is doing so well with her foster siblings (dogs) and she really likes being the center of attention. Jean says, Lucy does wonderfully with her male dogs and she’s unsure how she would feel about a female since she is the Queen Bee of the house. Lucy is a loving girl and wants to be by her foster mom’s side. She doesn’t really prefer one human gender over the next. Lucy is very friendly with strangers and children. She loves children and loves the attention they give her.

Lucy’s initial heartworm treatment was scheduled for October 27, 2008 but her hemoglobin was too low. She will return in three weeks to possibly begin treatment. Lucy loves to eat but that’s because she was starved for a long time so she has a lot of catching up to do. If you would like to make a donation for the care of Lucy please click one of our donation buttons and put Lucy’s name in the memo area. Lucy isn’t available for adoption just yet but if you’re interested in her please fill out an adoption form and someone from MMR will contact you.
To contact Lucy's foster mom email her at: mastiff4ever@yahoo.com

Happy Tail for Kennedy

How do you measure success? Here is a successful and happy tail for Midwest Mastiff Rescue, Inc. and Kennedy.

Kennedy originally named Kenny is an older mastiff and his family didn't want him anymore. When Kennedy entered MMR he was noted as a wonderful mellow guy and was quickly placed into the foster home who decided to adopt him.

Here is a note from Kennedy's mother.

" Kennedy is doing well he has lost 20 pounds (on purpose), now runs around the yard (or should I say prances somewhat like a Tennessee walker) and has had the growth removed on his tooth.

The golden is a little bit of a prima donna, so he generally ignores Kennedy (and vice verse). But Kennedy gets play dates with my niece's mastiff and Labrador retriever who loves playing with him and Kennedy has also developed a close friendship with the barn cat. So, it's all good."

The Little Kitten Who Lost Its Mittens

Deuce is the Little Kitten Who Lost Its Mittens--but found them.

How can you resist such a cute and lovable baby?

Happy Halloween!

Email us your great Halloween pet pictures to be featured on our site. midwestmastiffrescueblog@gmail.com



Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Deuce = Big Love

Hello, I'm Deuce!

I am a very loving, happy, affectionate, male Mastiff around 2 years old. I love people, cats, and kids, oh who am I kidding I love everyone. My family moved away and they dumped me at the pound.

I know some basic commands like; stay, sit, down and I walk nicely on a leash. As you can see from my pictures I am a little underweight but I'm still very handsome and my personality makes me B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!

Today I’m taking a trip to the vet to be neutered. I really don’t know what that means but I’m sure I will find out soon. I’m also going to be tested for Heartworm and given all my shots.

Watch for me on www.Petfinder.com and keep in touch here to see more updates on me and many other Mastiffs’ here at Midwest Mastiff Rescue. Bark!

Donate to Help me and my friends

Volunteer Work: Everything You Do Makes A Difference

If you have ever donated your time or services to work with dogs in need, or have even contemplated getting started in the world of volunteering,first - Congratulations! You're doing a wonderful thing! - and second, you know that the decision to help can be accompanied by some hesitation and nervousness. The question "What will I be getting myself into?" is a common thought, and a very natural reaction to an unknown and new road of travel.

What is important to remember is that you set your own limits; you decide what you can or cannot handle, and in what area or areas you most enjoy working. Volunteer work can be a very emotional situation where the edges sometimes become blurred; with the dogs that cross your path, the tasks you may perform, and inside your own heart. And at the same time it is the most rewarding, feel-good work you may ever do.

With this in mind, it is helpful to ask yourself a few basic questions before venturing forth:

1. Am I familiar with all aspects of volunteer work that are available to me?
2. Which of these options am I most interested in, and are best suited for me?
3. How much time can I realistically give?
4. Are there certain things I simply cannot do at this time (i.e. transportation, fostering)?
5. Do I feel most comfortable working with people? Or dogs?

There is a wide variety of duties to choose from in most volunteer work. Keep in mind that every rescue organization and shelter has different rules, guidelines, resources and roles to play in the world of volunteering. Below are some common examples of ways you may be able to help.

Transportation of dogs to new homes, veterinarian appointments, etc... telephone work, fundraising, fostering, mailings, hanging flyers, handing out information about the rescue group/dogs financial and material gifts and donations.

There may be some difficult moments to face in volunteer work. Not every dog is "rescuable", or suitable to adopt out to a home. Sometimes an organization just doesn't have the necessary resources to help. But for every hard time, there are bountiful moments of joy, warmth, and love, and a personal satisfaction in knowing that you are helping an animal in need, no matter how small of a contribution you think you are making. Remember, the majority of people do nothing, so every thing you do matters.

Halloween Pet Tips

Courtesy of ASPCA

Halloween can be a traumatic and even dangerous time for your pets. The ASPCA would like to offer some common-sense tips to help you protect them:

Don't leave your pets out in the yard on Halloween: there are plenty of stories of vicious pranksters who have teased, injured, stolen, even killed pets on this night.

Trick-or-treat candies are not for pets: chocolate is poisonous to a lot of animals, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed.

Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin: pets may knock it over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned.

Don't dress the dog in costume unless you know he loves it. Otherwise, it puts a lot of stress on the animal.

If you do dress up your dog, make sure the costume isn't constricting, annoying or unsafe.

Be careful not to obstruct his or her vision; even the sweetest dogs can get snappy when they can't see what's going on around them.

All but the most social dogs should be kept in a separate room during trick-or-treat visiting hours; too many strangers in strange garb can be scary for a dog.

Be careful your cat or dog doesn't dart out through an open door.

While this can be a fun time for people and pets alike, remember that your pets are depending on you to keep them safe from the more dangerous goblins and ghouls that this holiday brings.

Heartworm Prevention 101

We wanted to take a moment to talk about heartworm treatment and prevention. The following information is provided as a general primer.

Heartworm Information
Heartworm disease is a potentially fatal condition caused by parasitic worms living in the heart and pulmonary arteries of dogs and other mammals (including wolves, coyotes, foxes and other wild canids). Heartworms belong to the roundworm family and are clinically classified as Dirofilaria immitis.

Disease Transmission: Beware the Mosquito
The disease is not spread directly from dog to dog, rather transmission of heartworm requires an intermediate host: the mosquito. Spread of the disease therefore coincides with the mosquito season. Adult heartworms in an infected dog produce offspring, called microfilariae, which circulate in the the animal's blood. When a mosquito "bites" that infected animal, it sucks out blood containing the microfilariae. After about two weeks in the mosquito, the microfilariae become infective larvae. This step is necessary for the transmission of heartworm, because when the mosquito bites a pet dog or cat, the infective larvae are transmitted.

Heartworm Symptoms: Dogs infected with heartworms can live several years before manifesting any symptoms. Consequently, the disease is diagnosed mostly in 4 to 8 year old dogs, and is seldom identified in a dog under 1 year of age. This is because the young heartworms (larvae) take up to 7 months to mature following the initial infection. Although some dogs will not show any symptoms, the most obvious indicators are cough, exercise intolerance, abnormal lung sounds, difficulty breathing, enlargement of the liver, fl uid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, and abnormal heart sounds.

Heartworm Treatment
Most dogs can be successfully treated for heartworms if the disease is detected early. If you suspect your dog may have heartworms, seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian immediately. Usually a vet will recommend treating the patient in the following manner: Adult worms are killed with an organic arsenical drug given through a series of carefully administered injections. A few days after treatment, the worms die and are carried by the bloodstream to the lungs. There they decompose and are absorbed by the body over a period of several months. Following treatment, complete rest is needed to prevent lung damage from the dead and decomposed worms. Excitement and exercise should be avoided for at least a month, followed by gradual return to normal activity. After all adult heartworms are eliminated, another drug must be given to rid the bloodstream of microfilariae, which are not affected by the drug used to kill adult heartworms.

Heartworm Prevention: A common misconception about heartworm prevention medications is that they 'prevent' heartworm infection from occurring at all. That is not quite correct. Most types of prevention medications kill existing microfilaria but do not prevent them from entering the body. Before beginning a prevention program, a blood test must be given a veterinarian to determine that the dog is not already infected. The preventative should be administered from early spring until the end of December in cooler climates or it may be taken year round. As a safeguard, many veterinarians recommend annual or biannual screening tests even for dogs that are on heartworm preventives.

Keeping Your Dog Healthy
Today, the majority of dogs with heartworm disease survive. Most can be treated with medication, some requiring surgery. Unfortunately there are those few that do not s urvive the devastating effects of the disease. With prompt detection, needless suffering can be prevented.
It is important to remember that heartworm disease is preventable!

Consult your veterinarian for an appropriate prevention program for your dog. Please pay close attention to your vet's recommendations and advice regarding heartworm prevention - your dog's life may depend on it.

For information about Heartgard Preventative, or coupons go to http://heartgard.us.merial.com/

Our Beautiful Faces

If you see a Mastiff who peaks your interest you can visit us on www.petfinder.com and enter Midwest Mastiff Rescue under shelters. Or you can just click Adopt a Mastiff here on our blog page. Here you can read profiles for each available Mastiff. If you can't adopt at this time but you would like to help MMR, make a donation by mail to Midwest Mastiff Rescue, Inc. at P.O. Box 7983, Gurnee, IL 60031.

October is Adopt-A-Dog Month

There's no better way to bring a new puppy or adult dog into your world than through adoption. When you adopt, you're opening your heart to an animal shelter or rescue center pooch who really needs a loving home. This month is Adopt-A-Dog month, and if you're thinking about adopting a dog, there's no better moment than now!
The sad truth, unfortunately, is not all adoptions end with happy endings. Too many times dogs are adopted without fully realizing what a huge responsibility dog ownership is. Cute puppies grow up, dogs don’t always listen, time is needed for care and grooming, and the costs involved can be very expensive.

The key to changing this is education. That is the crucial factor in keeping pets in forever homes. The checklist below, info compiled using a survey of over 180 shelters, is an invaluable resource.

Before You Adopt Give This List Some Thought:

1. When you adopt, you need to make a real commitment to care for your pet for its entire life, no matter what that entails, just as you would with a child.

2. Be prepared for a pet to affect other parts of your life for as long as you have the pet (can be up to 15 years for a dog and 20 years for cat). Your pet’s well-being will have to be considered in all kinds of decisions, including travel, social life, relocating to a new home, adopting other pets, having children, etc.

3. Verify in advance that you’re allowed to keep a pet where you live, especially if you rent or belong to a homeowners’ association.

4. Make any necessary modifications to your yard and fence, if you have one, to provide for your pet’s safety and to prevent your pet from escaping.

5. Never give a pet as a gift.

6. Choose a pet appropriate to your living situation and lifestyle. Figure out what size, age, and energy-level pet is most appropriate for you.

7. Never adopt a pet on a whim or because you feel it’s love-at-first-sight. Do your research and carefully consider all the aspects and implications of adopting before you make a decision.

8. If you’re adopting a pet for your kids, understand that the responsibility is yours. Kids, by their nature, often tire of things that were once new and exciting, and this includes their pets. You will most likely end up being the one who provides most of the pet’s care.

9. Plan for a several-week adjustment period during which there will be challenges.

10. Provide sufficient exercise and stimulation. (Walk dogs according to individual need, provide playtime and appropriate toys for both dogs and cats, spend time just petting and talking to your pet, include pet in family activities.)

Lucy Update

Thanks to the wonderful care and quick thinking of Dr. Joy E. P. Barron at Franklin Animal Clinic, Lucy is feeling a lot better. Midwest Mastiff Recue, Inc. would like to say “Thank You,” for all the wonderful care given to Lucy. Lucy’s foster mom, Jean recognized how sick Lucy really was and knew it was critical to get Lucy to the vet before her Monday appointment. Thanks to Jean, Lucy was given a second chance at life.

Lucy is home recovering from surgery. Once Lucy regains her strength and some weight she will begin her heart worm treatments. Then back to feeling like a million bucks!

Lucy deserves a wonderful life and family. If you would like to help Lucy in her road to recovery please contact MMR. All donations can be mailed to; Midwest Mastiff Rescue, Inc., P.O. Box 7983, Gurnee, IL 60031.

What is Pyometra?

10/12/08 - Lucy survived her surgery and is looking better. She was happy to leave the vets office with her foster mom. She will be recuperating for the next couple of weeks. When she is strong enough, her heartworm treatment will begin.
How sad that Lucy's suffering could have been prevented if her previous owners would have spayed her. A monthly dose of heartworm preventative would have spared her the harsh treatment she now requires to kill the heartworms.

Lucy is a special needs mastiff here with Midwest Mastiff Rescue, Inc.; any donations you can make will help with the expenses of veterinary bills and medications. Please write on the memo section of your check, To: Lucy in Indiana.

Help us Help Lucy (Rosebud) ADOPTED

Meet Lucy, she is a special needs mastiff here with MMR. Lucy is approximately 4 years old and she was picked up by a shelter in Indiana who contacted MMR for help. Lucy is an example of man's cruelty to animals. Her family no longer wanted her and left her to run loose, when the shelter called her family to pick her up they didn't bother to come. This is a blessing for Lucy who will be given much love and the life she deserves.

10/8/08- Lucy was picked up by an MMR volunteer. She is severely underweight, has a cloudy eye, and smells yet she kissed the volunteer's neck when she was helped into the car. Lucy is safe with her foster mom and is being fed small portions 6 times a day. Lucy was washed with care since she is fearful of water. Someone delivered a bed for her to sleep on. Her emaciated state sent another person to bring her a bag of dog food.

10/10/08- Lucy's foster mom is very concerned with her because she is having some problems. Waiting for her vet appointment on October 13, seems to far away.

10/11/08- The vet office is able to get Lucy in today and she is examined, tested for heart worms and given a fecal. Lucy is diagnosed with pyometra,
whip worms and heart worm positive. The vet says her left eye is cloudy due to trauma. She can see but not 100% in the left eye. We must decide to put her to sleep or help fight this battle. We will fight! Lucy's immune system is compromised but she deserves a chance. Her foster mom says her good-byes and will be informed when her surgery is over.

Any donations you can make to help Lucy and MMR please mail them to Midwest Mastiff Rescue, Inc. P.O. Box 7983 Gurnee, IL 60031. Please check back as we will be updating Lucy's story soon.

Single Fawn Male Looking for a Loving Home

Hello,

I'm Harley and I am looking for a family to call my own. I am very tall and handsome as you can see. I have a lot of love to give a special family.

I'm not a misfit or anything you see my family could no longer provide the care I needed so the wonderful people at Midwest Mastiff Rescue, Inc. took me in. I was very depressed when I came into my foster home, my very best friend Heidi, an English Mastiff, passed away in April. I am in better spirits now but I haven't really bonded with the resident Mastiffs in my foster home. I really prefer my foster family.

I tip the scales at 170 pounds but I'm still down from my previous weight of 185 pounds. I love long walks at the park and absorbing all the scenery. I do however have a high prey drive so if you have small animals or cats I won't be a good fit for you. If you think I would be a good fit for your family please click the link "Forms to Adopt" to the left and complete a Family Profile, a Midwest Mastiff Rescue, Inc. volunteer will contact you.

Hummer was adopted!

Hummer came to Midwest Mastiff Rescue when his original family moved away and couldn't take him. Thanks to the efforts of the MMR group and our wonderful adoptive parents Hummer now is living in his forever home.

It's fantastic to hear success stories! It is our goal to give our rescues the opportunity to find a loving family where they will be taken care of and loved forever.

I encourage you to check out our available mastiffs. If you can foster or adopt please fill out our adoption forms/ fostering forms and someone from MMR will contact you. MMR gets calls daily for mastiffs in search of homes because they are dumped at the pound or just abandoned in these hard times. If you cannot foster or adopted please sponsor or donate to MMR. Any amount will go a long way to help with veterinary care, food, and miscellaneous expenses.

Meet Sunshine

My name is Sunshine. You can call me Shiney. I turned 2 in May and I am a striking young lady tipping the scales at 155 lbs. I have always been around women so I am more comfortable with them. I have been around kids of all ages and I am fine with them. It took little time to warm up to my foster dad. I love him dearly now and I rush to the door when he comes home. My foster family has other Mastiffs and I get along just fine.

My foster mom thinks it would benefit everyone for me to get some training after I am settled in to my new forever family so that will be a requirement of my adoption. I would like a fence to keep me safe and make me comfortable so I can lay outside. My only bad habit is drinking out of the toilet. My family loved me but couldn't keep me but have always been good to me. This has been hard on them. If you are willing to commit the time and love I will be an awesome addition to your family. Email mom at tate5122@msn.com