Fill out an Adoption Application

YES! You are looking at a German shepherd dog that weighs in at only 38 lbs. The weight is right! She is a half sized shepherd! How perfect is that! Maggie is a young, strong, very healthy German shepherd mix. She is not underweight. Not even having seen her first birthday, she has found herself abandoned in a shelter. Only minutes away from being euthanized, she was pulled by a rescue group. A happy dog, and one with a loyal heart to give away to the right person, she has many traits associated with the shepherd breed. She is also a friendly girl, and good with other dogs. If you lead an active lifestyle, and you like the shepherd breed, this wonderful dog has her whole life ahead of her, and she would love to spend it with you. Because she is still young, there is some mouthing going on and she will not be placed with young children.

UPDATE FROM FOSTER;  She settled into things pretty quickly around here. She's a happy, friendly, affectionate puppy. She's much more "people-focused" than "dog-focused" though she will play with my dog if my dog initiates it, and they have taken to playing tag out in the yard. What she loves more than anything is to wiggle her way onto your lap or get her belly rubbed. I think she thinks she's a lap dog!Our main challenge with her is that she's a jumper, especially when she gets excited, and she tries to get attention from you by tugging on your sleeve (or stealing your glove if you're outside). She does like chewing, but she seems to know what are "her" toys and will happily sit down at your feet with a nylabone or rope toy and go to town.The kennel/crate training is coming along nicely. She knows to go in there when food comes and will now go in on command, because she knows there's a treat in there for her. If you leave her alone in the crate, she cries like any puppy for about a minute, then settles down and takes a nap. She will also sit on command and it's a command we give her often, to try to curb the jumping. She's REALLY eager to please and will do pretty much anything for a scrap of attention and affection. I am pleased with how well she takes cues from our other dog. At first she seemed mistrustful of Rio but now she has to sniff at everything Rio sniffs, bark at everything Rio barks at, and follows her around like...well, like a puppy. I believe she'd train up quickly and nicely if given the proper attention. She's very intelligent and quite the charmer for everyone who has been over at the house and the folks at the pet supply store. She especially loves men. She likes women too, but wow... loves guys, this one.Medically, we've had no issues with her spaying incision. It is healing up nicely. Her digestive system seems to be working fine. (I mixed up some pumpkin the first few days because of the new food, but she had noillness.) She's energetic, but will nap away after a nice long walk in the morning and a play session (sometimes I just let Rio and her out back to chase each other for 20 minutes) in the afternoon. I also took her to the dog park and she did well. No interest in retrieving balls, but she will run around tossing a ball or a toy up in the air and then catching it -- she'll do this for minutes on end.

Second Update and More on Maggie GSD: I took Maggie to be weighed today at the vet. She's 38 pounds. (She was a bit thin when we got her but she's all filled out now.) I know she looks bigger in the picture on the website -- I couldn't believe it either and then she showed up at my door. She's leggy and gangly, but we don't think she'll grow more. I don't know exactly what her "mix" is but whatever it is is smaller and has very skinny build. So she has the coloring and face of a german shepherd, but her body is more like a little greyhound. I need to take a few better pictures so you can get a good idea of what she really looks like. She's a very affectionate dog and LOVES all people. I can cat test her if you like, but she doesn't seem to be into "chasing" things (my dog chased a squirrel the other day and Maggie looked at her like she was nuts) and as soon as she settled into my house, she became fast friends with my dog. She's very eager to please and smart at picking up tricks. We've had her for less than two weeks and we've already taught her sit, down and fetch. Her recall is great. She loves having her belly rubbed. Mostly, she is a sweet dog who hasn't had the benefit of good training yet.
Maggie is a courtesy posting . If you are interested in her, please contact: 
lsalyer@4sw.us 

Good with Dogs, Good with Cats

---

Application Fees, Adoption Donations and Rescue Policy:

Please know that 100% of our fees and donations pay for the costs of rescuing dogs. These include but are not limited to pull fees from shelters, veterinary examinations, vaccinations, medications and care, microchips, neuter/spay surgeries, heartworm treatments, behavior evaluations, and foster care, as needed.

Important notes before applying.

• Approved adopters must have their primary residence in one of the following states: Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and parts of North Carolina and Kentucky.

• You must be at least 21 years of age to apply and legally sign our contract for adoption.

• Applications must be completed by the homeowner. 

• We do not adopt giant breed dogs to renters.

  • If you are renting, and you are applying to adopt a dog that is not a giant breed, permission to adopt an animal must be obtained from the landlord or property owner.

• We do not adopt giant breed dogs to homes with children under 6 years of age.

  • Homes with children should have a fenced yard.

• Applications will be denied if anyone residing in the household has a record indicating drug/alcohol abuse, theft, or violence.

• Pets currently in the applicant's home must have a history of appropriate veterinary care.
• Homes with intact dogs will not be approved for adoption.  Proof of any of the following exceptions is required:
  1. The intact dog is a working member of a law enforcement, or search and rescue/recovery team.
  2. The intact dog is registered under the auspices of the American Kennel Club and is actively being shown.
  3. A veterinarian has determined the sterilization procedure would harm the intact dog. 

• We believe in Force Free Training Methods and do not approve of methods or devices using pain or force to control the dog, or to deter undesirable behavior. 

• Homes with highly varnished steps must have carpeting, securely fixed stair treads, or a non-skid surface. **We encourage you to remediate potential safety issues while your application is under review, prior to the home visit.
  • ​Any inside steps to which the dog(s) have access, must have carpeting, securely fixed stair treads, or a non-skid surface.

  • Homes with highly varnished floors must have non-slip area rugs or mats wherever your animal walks or rests frequently. 

**Puppy Adoption Policy**

To ensure proper house training and socialization, puppies will only be adopted to homes where an adult will not be away more than an hour per day, per month of age of the puppy, up to 6 months.
Certain large-breed dogs should not be sterilized prior to 12 - 18 months of age.  If you adopt an intact puppy, you will sign an adoption contract agreeing to have the dog sterilized at your expense at the time your veterinarian recommends.
Proof of sterilization must be provided to Mastiffs To Mutts Rescue as soon as the procedure is completed.  If the puppy is not sterilized as required, Mastiffs To Mutts Rescue reserves the right to claim legal ownership of the dog. 

For additional information please review our FAQs or contact mastiffstomutts@gmail.com

**Mastiffs To Mutts Rescue reserves the right to approve or deny any adoption that occurs through this organization without disclosure.  We reserve the right to make exceptions for special circumstances.

**PA Kennel License: 05845

 

Hey there!
Check us out!

---

Donations made
through PayPal are
100% deductible!

---

Keep up-to-date
with our rescue efforts.
Follow us on Facebook!

© 2025 MTM