MustLuvBoxers Rescue

Our foster families are the lifeblood of our work at MLBR! In between being rescued and being adopted, our Boxer dogs stay with one of our foster families. We provide foster families with food, bedding, and all other necessary supplies for the dogs. In return, foster families care for the dogs, feeding them, walking them, playing with them, taking them to necessary medical and behavioral appointments, etc. Fosters are also vital to help us match each Boxer with a perfect adoptive owner, as they provide us with insights into the dog's temperament, energy, whether the dog is comfortable with children or other dogs, etc. In many cases, fosters help to rehabilitate dogs that have been surrendered because of behavioral issues: by teaching these dogs how to live in harmony with humans, they make it far more likely that the dog will not be surrendered again for behavioral reasons.

MLBR partners with many shelters across Washington, Oregon, and California to rescue Boxers who are at risk of being euthanized. California shelters are especially involved in this program, as many California shelters are in locations that are "saturated" with Boxers, which means that Boxers make up a significant portion of their shelter animal population and are less likely to be adopted. By transferring Boxers from these "highly-saturated" geographical regions into the relatively "low-saturated" region of Washington state, MLBR increases the chance of adoption and prevents unnecessary euthanasia. In recent years, we have established a special position to serve as liaison to our California shelter partners because of the growing need to rescue dogs from this region.

MLBR believes that financial worries should not keep a loving Boxer owner from keeping their beloved furry friend. Each year, MLBR helps to fund low-income Boxer owners who love their dogs and want to keep them, but just need a little extra financial help to give their pet the resources they need to live a happy and healthy life. Whether helping with medical expenses, locating donations of food and supplies, or assisting with behavioral training, MLBR strives to keep Boxers and their owners together whenever possible. In future years, MLBR plans to add a free spay/neuter service to this program which will be especially designed for those in rural locations who either cannot afford to spay/neuter their Boxer or who cannot make the trip to a veterinary clinic.

All eligible dogs who enter our rescue are spayed and neutered before they are adopted.* We believe in responsible pet ownership and educate against dangerous practices such as backyard breeding and keeping an unaltered boxer. In the future, this program will work with the "Keep your Boxer" Assistance Program to run a free spay/neuter service that will be especially designed for those in rural locations who either cannot afford to spay/neuter their Boxer or who cannot make the trip to a veterinary clinic.

*Dogs may be ineligible for spaying/neutering for medical reasons or because they are too young. Adopters who adopt puppies from the rescue are required to sign a contract stating that they will spay/neuter their dog at 8 months old; we check in with adopters to make sure they have spayed/neutered their puppy after 8 months.

MLBR frequently rescues Boxers who have been abandoned or surrendered due to medical issues. In many cases, the Boxers in our Medical Program require thousands of dollars in medical procedures to help them live their healthiest lives. We work with a network of trusted veterinarians and animal hospitals within northwestern Washington to ensure that our Boxers receive the finest care. We also carefully select our fosters who house these dogs and make sure they have the training and resources necessary to care for them and their health issues.

MLBR works with a trusted network of dog trainers in northwestern Washington to make sure that Boxers who come into our rescue with behavioral issues are rehabilitated in preparation to be adopted. Boxers are rambunctious and high-energy dogs--if they are not trained while young or if they experience abuse, it is likely for them to develop negative habits that makes it more likely for them to be returned to the shelter. By working with these dogs to improve their behaviors, we dramatically increase the odds of their adoption. We also counsel with newly adoptive owners of Boxers about what kind of behavioral training would be best for their dog, offering them referrals and discounts for accessing the services of a trustworthy and experienced dog trainer.

Most of our foster volunteers foster a dog for a matter of months before the dog is adopted, but some of our special foster volunteers open their homes to foster a dog for the rest of the dog's life. Dogs are placed in the Forever Foster Program because they are unlikely to be adopted because of their advanced age and/or serious health issues. MustLuvBoxers Rescue supplies crates, bedding, food, and medical care to Forever Foster dogs. The majority of Forever Foster dogs are senior dogs, and the rescue typically adds one to two new dogs to our Forever Foster program each year. We look forward to expanding this program in the future.

All eligible dogs who enter our rescue are microchipped before they are adopted.* We make sure to include our rescue's information in the microchip. Microchipping makes it much more likely for lost dogs to be reunited with their owners, thereby decreasing the chance that our dogs will return to a shelter.

*Dogs may be ineligible for microchipping for medical reasons or because they are too young.

We run a private, social-media-based support group for adopters to get advice from trainers, volunteers, and fosters about how to best care for their dog. While most of the support happens online, adopters can also receive in-person assistance with their dog in their own home. Adopters have access to this support group for the life of their dog.