Mary Jane Boxer & Boston Terrier Mix Cincinnati, OH

UPDATE 3/14 Check out the new pic of MJ with her best shelter buddy, Kilo!

UPDATE 2/9: A little shout-out from one of Mary Jane's favorite volunteer-friends: "Mary Jane gives pit mixes a good name. I recently brought her to a fundraiser, where she was a perfect ambassador for STAF. She was friendly with the adults and children—loving the attention! M.J. loves to be snuggled, have her belly rubbed, and ride in the car."

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This brindle beauty came to us from a rural county shelter, rescued the day before her scheduled euthanasia date. M.J. had already been adopted once from that shelter, and returned a few months later full of milk. Apparently, she had been pregnant and the family sold her puppies (when they were too young to be taken away from the litter/mom), then dumped her back at the shelter.

At around two years old and just 40ish pounds (the perfect size for snuggling!), Mary Jane's mothering days are behind her. While her sweet face, affectionate ways and turbulent backstory make it tempting to baby her, what she really needs is a family who will help build her confidence and overcome her anxieties. We just love how very receptive she is to training and direction. She's wonderful in the car, and a perfect date for walk in the park--peppy and light on her feet.

Mary Jane has happily met many dogs and many people while out on walks, offering gentle ankle licks if a face is not within reach. However on occasion she reacts to certain dogs or passersby … for instance, she seems to be leery of people in baseball hats. Fortunately, she is super easy to correct and very eager to please, so our volunteers take every opportunity to get her out and socialized until her forever family is ready to take over teaching her that this is not the scary world she knew before STAF.

Here’s a firsthand endorsement from one of Mary Jane’s volunteer friends: “M.J. is a great jogging partner. She will look you right in the eyes and give the sweetest kisses. She is so happy at the park she smiles, and wants to follow every person/family we pass on their walk. She is very interested in everything around her and just loves to explore and hike. She has very good manners and was very tolerant of the sniffs, etc., from all the dogs we met. She is very social and smart.”

Back at STAF, M.J. enjoys evening tuck-in service (see picture) and can often be found sleeping *on top* of her crate. (Silly monkey!) She can reactive when other dogs walk by ... not an uncommon issue for sensitive dogs coping with the stress of shelter life. Some of the same dogs she reacts to through kennel gates are her playmates in the yard. She can climb a fence like nobody's business, so needs a secure yard or family dedicated to daily walks.

Mary Jane has been through so much in her short life. If you think you might be able to provide the love and structure she so desperately craves, please contact us for next steps!

• 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.
• Invisible fences: 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 cannot 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.