Buttons American Staffordshire Terrier Mix Cincinnati, OH

We first met Buttons in October of 2018 … a sad little pittie pup dumped at our door. (See his “before” pic.) Buttons was very small for his age (around four months) and unbearably thin. He had a severe upper respiratory infection, and his eyes were so infected that one would not open. He could barely stand.

We soon came to learn that Buttons’ somewhat adorable wobbly gait is attributed to neurological issues, possibly rooted in extreme malnourishment in his early months. Our team of STAF volunteers, vets, specialists and trainers banded together to help this wreck of a pup recover, and Buttons’ comeback spirit did the rest. In February of 2019, a healthy, happy Buttons found his forever home.

Or so we thought.

Ten months later, with a new baby on the way, the family decided there was no longer room in their lives for Buttons. They returned him to our shelter two days after Christmas. Not at all the kind of “comeback” we’d wished for him.

Volunteers were crushed to see him back. But following Buttons’ lead (he has always been a glass-half-full kind of dog) we are excited for what comes next … and can’t wait to meet that lucky family meant to be his. Only 1 1/2 years old (est. birthdate June 2018) and weighing in the mid-forties, Buttons needs a loving family prepared to embrace his endearing oddness—from his wobbly walk to his sometimes demanding, duck-like bark. Buttons would love a canine playmate and a fenced yard to romp in. He’s done well with older kids, but will do best in a home without little ones. (Wobbly dog + wobbly toddlers are probably not a good match :) )

Upon his return to STAF, Buttons exhibited some muscle atrophy in his back legs. After just a couple weeks in foster care, where he receives more daily exercise than volunteers can feasibly provide at the shelter, we are happy with the improvement in him: he is building muscle mass, growing strong (as in STRONG!), and gaining stability. He’s also having a blast hanging with the resident dogs and running daily. His family-to-be will need to be committed to a daily exercise regime to keep Buttons healthy and wear down his not-insignificant energy.

Buttons has encountered various medical issues in his young life, and may see more to come. So we are searching for a very special family committed to embracing this offbeat survivor in all his wonderful weirdness, and loving him through whatever life may bring. If you think YOU might be that family, we’d love to hear from you!

• All of our animals are spayed/neutered and current on shots.
• We do not do same-day adoptions; we ask that you return for a follow-up visit before taking an animal home.
• You must be 21 years or older to adopt from STAF.
• We require a 4-foot-tall physical fence for homes with children under the age of 11. We also may require a physical fence for specific dogs on a case-by-case basis, depending on each dog’s behavior and exercise needs.
• Due in part to increasing coyote activity/incidents in the area and the difficulty of predicting how a dog will respond to invisible fence training, we can not adopt to homes with invisible fences.
• We do request vet and personal references.
• We can facilitate adoptions within a 75-mile radius of our Cincinnati-based shelter.

Please visit www.STAF.org for visiting hours, a downloadable application, and additional information.