HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

One day not this summer but the summer before, the doorbell rang at nine p.m. There was a man at our door. He was doing construction down the street and asked if we had a dog and if so, were we missing a “St Bernard Mix.” Yes, we do and no we weren’t!

We looked out the door, and standing at the edge of our lawn was the largest dog we had ever seen.

He couldn’t take her home and didn’t want anything to happen to her, either someone being afraid of such a big girl or wildlife, as she was large but very gentle. He saw her early in the day, and told himself that if she was still wandering when he was done with work, he would look for her family. We both said we would take her in and try to look for her family in the morning. At that moment, for some strange reason we didn’t think we were totally out of our minds!! She wasn’t a St. Bernard Mix but a purebred, 3 foot tall, 150+ lbs English Mastiff. When we took her to check for a microchip, she took up every inch of the back seat to the point where we could barely close the door!

We called her “Good Girl”.

As you can see, what English Mastiffs like to do best is…sleep!

Time passed and we weren’t able to find her family through asking around, ads, posters, and checking all the lost dog ads too. It was a good thing, because she appeared to have never had a soft bed and her “owners” would not have wanted to meet me after seeing that! Her elbow calluses were giagantic and sore, and there were numerous rub marks and calluses all over her legs. She also must have been a puppy machine because she had an “udder” that hung very low, far beyond than a nursing dog. In fact, the last few teats were hanging down so low ….practically to her knees…that she later become the first dog I have ever heard of to have a mastectomy. There was fear that she would catch them on something and severely injure herself.

I also learned that English Mastiffs are not dogs that tend to have a wandering instinct so are seldom ever “lost” like a scent hound who becomes nose blind chasing a squirrel. The only call I received was from a man in the area who did not own the dog but had been leaving food out for her and was praying that someone took her in and she was not picked up by animal control. She came to his door, attracted by his own dogs, very dehydrated and starving. We all couldn’t help but think that she had made good on her escape, and maybe was trying to get to food and water. He had a full house so could not take her in, so she must have known we had a spare soft comforter at our house.

We were her foster family officially and she was placed in a wonderful home with a really nice couple who were just waiting for a Mastiff girl like her with the help of Southern States Mastiff Rescue. They were already approved and were just waiting for the dog that needed them. She goes to work sometimes with her new mom and is so beloved in the neighborhood that everyone wants to be with her and take her places. I understand that she lives with horses and cats, too, though the horses probably think she is one of them! Her new family named her Gillian, and she is four years old.

If you have never met an English Mastiff, you are really missing out. Fostering one is a very rewarding experience (Just be prepared to be drooled on, but also be ready to give a lot of hugs!). If you are interested in becoming a foster home or adopting, Southern States Mastiff Rescue is the place to go! They are great.

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