NorCal Boxer Rescue has been saving Boxer lives in Texas and California for over 10 years. During that time, we have rescued, rehabilitated and rehomed literally thousands of Boxers, each with his or her own special story and special set of circumstances, obstacles and victories. We have, unfortunately, seen just about everything that life could throw at these dogs, but we are consistently amazed at how resilient they can be when given the opportunity to thrive. Our volunteers would like to share a few of our favorite "Rescue Stories" with you...

 

 

Alex: The Beautiful Bald Brindle Boxer
Foster Dad: Jim D.

 

 

When I was first rescued, I had sores and calluses all over my body, my joints were swollen, I had a terrible odor, and I was almost completely bald. No one knew if I was a fawn or a brindle, and the people who saw me just couldn't imagine how anyone could let me get into such poor condition. Fortunately, my foster dad didn't care about all of that. He gave me a home, loved me regardless and made me whole again.

 

I am a living example of why every rescue story can be a success story if only given the chance. We ALL have a beautiful Boxer inside of us who is longing to take a run in the sunshine, it just takes some of us a little longer to let the outside reflect what the inside has always known we could be.

 

I'd like to extend a special thank you to my foster dad, Jim, who started me on this journey. To you, I owe my life. And to my new family, David, Renee and Loki, in the true spirit of an NCBR alum...I am your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. I will be yours, faithful and true, until the last beat of my heart.

 

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Candyland: Candy and Her "Delicious" Pups

Foster Mom: Holly G.


Candy was rescued from the shelter in a very delicate condition. She was just about to pop, and rightly so! She managed to grow ten little puppies in that petite frame of hers and gave birth to them shortly after she was rescued. There were 9 males and 1 female, all were fawn colored and all were named after various types of candy. Yum! Candy spent the next 6 weeks caring for her litter with the help of her foster mom, Holly, as well as her foster Aunt, April, and her foster cousin, Lexie. She was a great mom, but she really enjoyed all of the help her people gave her, too. Raising 10 pups at one time is quite the task! When it was time for her pups to be weaned, she left them in Holly's very capable hands and moved on to another foster home with Michael and Audry for a little "me time" so that she could focus on getting her figure back. It wasn't long after that when she found her forever home with a wonderful family who now volunteers for NCBR! (For more info on her more recent adventures, see her Happy Homes Story!) All of her pups went on to find great forever homes of their own and recently all got together at Holly's house for their 1st birthday celebration! They are a very lucky bunch of rescued pups who have brought tremendous joy to the families who have adopted them!

 

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Chaco: From Bones to Beautiful

Foster Mom: Jennifer M.


Chaco is yet another case of owner neglect that brought him very close to death. The first time I saw him at the animal shelter he was so sickly and emaciated that I had serious doubts if this skinny boy was going to live. At 45 lbs, he was at least 20 lbs underweight. His list of ailments was long: heartworms, hookworms, tapeworms, ear mites, staph infection, but nothing that couldn't be treated. It took over two months and lots of dog food (about 8 cups a day) but he gained 20 lbs and was finally able to get neutered and vaccinated. That was almost one year ago. Today he is happy, healthy, very spoiled and grateful to those who saved him!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Faith Ann: Rescue at it's Best
Foster Mom: Amy A.


In January 2005, I received a call from a wonderful Irish woman working for a shelter in a very small town about 2-1/2 hours South of Dallas. She explained to me that she had a female boxer, found in a ditch near an elementary school in terrible shape. She went on to tell me that the female boxer was found laying next to three puppies, two of which were dead. She was so sure that based on her description of the boxer, we would not come for her. Laurie, who was working in Texas at the time and staying at my house agreed to make the drive with me, we felt this girl deserved at least an evaluation. We arrived at what we thought was the shelter and was quickly escorted back out to our cars and instructed to follow the sweet Irish woman across town, we were a bit baffled. As it turns out the"shelter" was more of a shack and had been condemned by the city for months. This was when I first laid eyes on Miss Faith Ann.

 

She was a shell of a dog, barely resembled a boxer, emaciated, almost hairless, dirty, smelly, but true to this breed, very warm and loving. Barbara (our new Irish Friend) then asked the question "will you take them?", Laurie and I looked at each-other and replied "of course", Barbara began to cry and hugged us both. Of course to Laurie and I there was no question we would take her, after-all this is what we do and Faith is the perfect rescue candidate, but the emotional appreciate from Barbara made that moment very memorable!

The drive home with Faith and her pup was less than pleasant. The smell was horrible and all Faith wanted to do was crawl into the front seat with Laurie and I. After about an hour drive, Laurie gave in and Faith rode the rest of the way in Laurie's lap.

Once to the vet Faith was diagnosed with sarcoptic mange, hook and round worms. We packed up her medication and home we went. (her pup went to an all breed rescue group and was ultimately placed into a loving home) At the time I could not have imagined how much this girl would touch my heart and soul. It took several months, but Faith Ann improved every day, gaining weight, growing hair and of course acting more and more like a young boxer!

Inevitably the day came Faith Ann was ready for adoption. She attended a couple of pet fairs, received several aps, that I unconsciously and viciously picked apart! I finally did come to the realization that I had to let her go (with the help of my good friends in rescue). My timing was perfect as a wonderful family came to meet her and of course ultimately take her away from me (Ok, Ok, adopt her <grin>). My girl finally had what she deserved and never had, a loving family of her own! A wonderful friend and volunteer once told me "You were her angel. You did the hardest thing. You loved her enough to make her whole, and then you loved her MORE and gave her the precious gift of her very own family. This is the worst and the best part of rescue." This is a quote I repeated to myself for many days following Faith's adoption.

I have fostered hundreds and hundreds of dogs since I began this journey, many of my fosters quickly find their way deep into my heart while others I care for, but do not fall apart on their adoption day. Faith will always be my favorite and most memorable foster. I still refer to her as the one that got away, even though I knew and know that I could not keep her!


I received a call from Faith's family in October of 2006 and learned that she had been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Sadly, she went to the Bridge in November. She was a special girl who will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

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Hope: A Girl Who Never Gave Up
Foster Moms: Jamie & Trudy

 

As with many of the dogs that come through our program, we didn't know much about Hope's past. What we did know, however, is that before being rescued, Hope was living her life as one of hundreds of dogs being bred at a puppy mill in East Texas. She had spent most of her life locked in a cage, forced to pop out litter after litter of puppies until she was mercifully rescued. Upon her rescue, she was underweight, had a terrible case of mange, multiple lesions on her skin, and an enlarged uterus. Though she was a very sweet girl, her unfortunate past had left her unaware of how to play or to just be a happy-go-lucky Boxer girl. She didn't understand the joy in simple things like tug of war, fetch, or even having a bone or toy to chew on. It took her quite a while to begin to understand that her life was changing for the better, but after a while she finally caught on! No more puppies. No more nursing other dog's litters. No more sad and lonely days locked in a cage. No more nights sleeping outside on the cold, hard ground or days suffering and sunburned in the hot Texas heat. No more neglect. Her life was going to be good from here on out!

 

After about 6 months in foster care, Hope finally found her forever home! It was a wonderful day for her and for NCBR. Her story was a long and sorted one that most assuredly would have ended tragically had it not been for the coordinated efforts of many people who helped get her from her life of misery to one of "Hope."

 

 

 

 

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Hope: My Shadow Always
Foster Parents: Jodi & Ricky

 

Hope was posted by the Ft. Worth Animal shelter as an abused boxer that was extremely emaciated and was taken from her owners due to abuse. I picked her up after seeing her pictures and took her straight to the vet. The poor thing smelled terrible and was in urgent need of care. She weighed in at 19 pounds!! She was a petite girl for a boxer, but she should have weighed at least 40 pounds. The vet kept her overnight, performed an exam and found out that she had a skin tumor, she wasn't spayed and had heartworms. The vet sent her home with me the next day and said she had to put on weight before we could try to treat her for anything.

 

So I set out thinking she was just a starving dog. What did I know? The poor thing devoured anything and everything I set in front of her. Still, after a few days....no change in her weight. We kept trying. I even made Satin Balls to try to "fatten" her up. Still no results. We took her back into the vet and they kept her overnight again to run some tests on her. The tests came back positive for EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency). They put her on enzymes, and I started to research everything I could about EPI. I put her on a good EPI correct diet and gave her enzymes with each meal. She was a happy girl. She had the classic "wiggle butt" that all boxers tend to have. One of her favorite things to do was curl up on my back whenever I lay down on the couch to watch TV. She also liked to play with our other boxer, Dixie, in the sprinklers. They had a great time together. Dixie even taught her how to hunt down lizards in the flower beds next to the house. They were an awesome pair!

 

After more visits to the vet and really no change in her condition, they basically said she wouldn't be adoptable but that she was in no pain and was happy. Hope became my dog after that visit. We didn't know how long we would have Hope in our lives, but I was going to make sure she knew love and was happy for however many days she had left. That was June....In early August, she started to not feel well and I knew I was going to have to do the right thing and help her along to that Rainbow Bridge. Unfortunately the night before I took her to the vet she went on her own. My heart was broken. She was my shadow. She was MY girl. She loved me and I loved her. I still miss that little girl everyday.

I've been asked many times why we do rescue? Hope and all the other boxers out there that need someone to step up and take care of them....That's why we do rescue!

 

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Maggie: The Christmas Miracle
Foster Mom: Jennifer L.

 

Just before Christmas in 2006, our long-time foster mom Jennifer, received a call from a local shelter about a Boxer puppy who had a "problem with her legs." They said that the "problem" would prohibit her from going into adoptions and that she would be euthanized if rescue could not help. So, being the Boxer-lover that she is, Jennifer immediately got in her car and drove to the shelter, waited in the parking lot for 2 hours while the employees ate their Christmas lunch, and finally, met the sweet little girl that she later named Maggie. She was a young pup, maybe 6 months old, and had been the product of a backyard breeding operation. She had lived her whole life there with no medical attention before they finally surrendered her to the shelter for euthanasia. Maggie appeared to be a normal dog at first glance, but after watching her walk, it was very obvious that she had some kind of a significant of birth defect in her hindquarters. After further examination by NCBR's vets, it was determined that her leg bones were fused together from the hip down and that she didn't have any hip sockets. Her condition, though odd looking and a bit painful to watch, was not painful to her, nor could it be corrected with any type of surgery. So, Jennifer took her home and decided to see what happened. She introduced her to her pack, gave her lots of TLC and watched as she developed into a "regular" Boxer pup. It didn't take Maggie long to realize that she could run and wrestle with the big dogs, and she wasn't hindered in the slightest by her physical disabilities. She could do everything those other dogs could, she just had to do some things in a different way! Maggie is now a young adult who lives a very full life with Jennifer, who is no longer her foster mom, but her forever mom. She also serves as a reminder to all who meet her that anything is possible!

 

 

 

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Reece: The Junkyard Dog

Foster Mom: Marisa

 

Reece came to us off the streets, who knows how long he was living out there. He was a tough boy with a tough boy attitude. He was not too keen on other dogs who he had obviously had to compete with to stay alive and feed himself. He was skin and bones with scraps and scars all over his body - battle scars of a previous life.

When he arrived at our house, it took him about 2 weeks of serious love to warm up to his new 'spoiled' life. But once he did, he really came out of his shell - he was one of the coolest dogs we have ever met! He learned about toys and 'keep away' games with slippers and tennis balls. He loved a good game of chase around the house to retrieve your stolen items. We nick named him 'Junkyard Dog' because he had the attitude of a no nonsense street smart guy. The day we adopted him out was a sad day - he is a keeper!

 

 

 

 

 

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Remo: From Heartworms to Hero!

Foster Mom: Reggie


I received a call from Jenn L, for some reason I have a difficult time saying no to her. I already had a foster, but... there was a boy in the Irving shelter. He was a plain fawn with amber eyes. He had been dumped at the shelter like so many others. He got adopted by a family, but when they found out he had heartworms they took him back. Now his fate relied solely in the hands of rescue. I agreed to take him and in true dramatic fashion, a volunteer arrived minutes before he was too be euthanized.

 

He was named Remo, got his neutering and heartworm treatment and I brought him home. The first few days were uneventful as he was weakened by the heartworm treatment. As he started gaining strength, he tested my patience and the limits of the house rules. As most of our volunteers know I run a tight ship. Remo had issues with touching his collar, and specifically raising your hand near it. Made me sad, you know someone raised their hand to him. He also didn't want to go in the crate. I spent half an hour one day with the crate in the back door way with a treat coming in from the house end. It was very frustrating! I learned that he was okay with the leash, so we then would walk on the leash to the crate. As time passed, he got comfortable with me and learned to trust me. I could then touch his collar without fear of being bitten. He would enter his crate upon the command of "HIT IT". Now I knew it was time for him to move on to a forever home.

A young teacher of one of our volunteer's daughter expressed interest. We arranged a home visit. It went very well. Remo did well with the roommate's Boston Terrier and Australian Shepard mix, so it was settled: the adoption would take place the following week so the new Dad could have a full week to acclimate during spring break. This occurred without a hitch. We met at the dog park and Remo left with a new collar, leash, harness, Dad and name. Frank (I didn't ask). About 3 weeks later we got an e-mail telling of Frank's heroics. While at the dog park a pit bull attacked the Boston Terrier. Her Mom jumped up to rescue her baby. Frank was sitting by his Dad and saw the commotion. He leapt into action. Not wanting his aunt to get injured, he pushed her out of harms way, in the process she fell to the ground. The pit bull at this point had the little terrier by the neck shaking her violently. Frank then took hold of the pit's hind quarter causing him to release the now limp terrier. He acted in such a way that the pit just ran off. Frank then calmly returned to his Dad's side. Little Miss Boston Terrier was very lucky. She received a wound big enough for 11 staples in her neck. The vet said she was one of the luckiest he had seen to survive such an attack. Once again I am surprised by the boxer's resiliency, loyalty, and bravery. Who would have thought Frank's journey would travel such a large circle. I will always remember him as my Hero Foster.

 

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Sadie: A Tiny Teacher

Foster Parents: Kathi and Kerry

 

It was about 3:30 PM on a Wednesday afternoon in early November when the call came in. It was from our mentor saying there was a little 1 year old female in great need. You see, she was being put down in 2 hours if no one would take her. We did not hesitate to accept the challenge and thus, Sadie, our first foster came into our lives and changed us forever.

 

Through the gracious efforts of several volunteers, Sadie was transported from the shelter in Longview to our vet and finally to us. She was severely underweight and very anemic. They could not even do her surgery until she was healthier. That was our first challenge. She was so flea infested, that she was nearly bald in many places. Her hair was falling out by the handfuls. The fleas had sucked all of the blood from the base of the hair follicle causing it to fall out and her to become anemic. She was seriously ill. We put Sadie on Satin balls and a high quality food to begin the slow process of getting her healthy again. First she needed to be healthy enough to be spayed. Four weeks later, we achieved that goal. Then she had to heal from the surgery and continue down the road to recovery. After a few more weeks, her coat was back, beautiful, soft, and shinny. Her eyes sparkled and her gums were pink. She was a normal, 1 year old puppy, with lots of energy and was looking for her forever family.

 

But that is only part of her story. We do not know where she came from or how she landed in the Longview Animal Shelter. Sadie's story or rather ours, really begins when we brought her home as our very first foster. Already having 2 boxers of our own, one of them a NorCal Alum, we knew what living with boxers was all about. But Sadie taught us about the will to live and what a difference you can make in the life of one sweet little spirit. To watch her start out sad, weak and needing help just to walk outside to potty, to being able to run and play was a journey. The journey of a life time. Sadie found her forever family on December 30 th , with 2 furry brothers and 4 skin siblings. We check on her now and again. She is a spry, happy, well adjusted little boxer with a very bright future. It was a Very Happy New Year!

 

We will never forget any of our fosters, but especially the smallest one who taught us the most. Life is precious, wounds heal, and the spirit never dies. The journey was worth it.

 

 

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Uno: An Unlikely Gentleman

Foster Mom: Holly D.

 

We received a call from a shelter in October of 2004 about a senior male Boxer with an injured eye. When we arrived to meet him, what we saw was quite a bit more complex that a mere “injury.” His eyeball was actually hanging from the socket, ruptured, and smeared across his face. It was not a sight for the faint of heart…or stomach! We immediately made arrangements to get him to the vet as soon as the shelter would release him, but despite our best efforts, the vet was not able to salvage the eye. So it was surgically removed, the socket cleansed and then sewn shut. He was neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, given treatment for heartworms and just about every other kind of worms known to man, and finally, transported to his new foster home.

 

Once in foster care, it didn't take long to see that, in addition to his physical ailments, he had some significant behavioral issues as well. So, his foster mom, Holly D., started to work immediately. She never once gave up on him, no matter what obstacles presented themselves, and eventually, he blossomed into a fine, distinguished gentleman. After nearly 5 months of physical and emotional rehab, he was finally ready to find his forever home! He was adopted by a family who loved him from the minute they met him. In fact, because of Uno, that family became very actively involved in Boxer rescue and now volunteers for NCBR as a foster home so they can help other families find their very own “Uno.” Sadly, Uno passed away in November of 2006 after a bout with lung cancer. He is sorely missed by his family, but his legacy lives on through the many Boxers who have been saved because of him.

 

 

 

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Witten: From "Fritos" to Fantastic!
Foster Mom: Kim S.

 

Witten was a young puppy who came to NCBR severely malnourished and with a terrible case of mange. But even worse, he had absolutely no self esteem. He walked around hunched over in a fetal position with his rear-end tucked under his body and his head hung low. He looked as if he thought he wasn't worth much of anything, and he was certainly starved for human affection. He smelled terrible because of his mange (a scent that is often likened to a bad combination of fritos and dirty socks), and it was quite obvious that no one had wanted to touch him in quite some time because of it. But that all changed when he met his foster mom. Though she was a little leery of his condition (this was her first mange case), she dove in with both feet and made it her mission to show him what unconditional love was. And what a difference it made in his life! With a significant amount of TLC and a healthy dose of medication, Witten began to look and feel so much better. He started to walk with his head held high. He learned how to play and get his Boxer wiggle going in full swing. But even more importantly, he learned how to give and receive love from a human. His recovery was a long and "stinky" one filled with many new adventures for his foster mom (including a new aversion to "Fritos"), but it was totally worth it. HE was totally worth it. Witten found his forever home with an awesome family, and he is doing great!