Posted over 4 years ago | Updated 1 year ago
CURRENTLY BEING FOSTERED IN ILLINOIS
Gia is a tawny Neo girl with quite the story to tell about her life, even though she is only a year old. Her original owner purchased her from a backyard breeder, thinking that a Neapolitan Mastiff would have the same temperament as an English Mastiff (hint: they do NOT!). Just months after getting Gia, Gia’s owner realized she was not the easygoing mastiff she believed her to be and claimed that Gia was resource guarding the owner’s husband. The owner submitted a surrender application to Mastino Rescue while at the same time threatening to euthanize Gia, and we began to make arrangements to have Gia transported from Florida to a foster in Illinois. While we were planning Gia’s transport, the owner notified us that she had Gia euthanized, only a couple days after we agreed to take her into rescue. When people confronted the owner about euthanizing the dog, she stated Gia was given to another rescue, but no other rescue confirmed that they had Gia. No one was certain whether Gia had been euthanized, surrendered to another rescue, rehomed privately, or perhaps still with the original owner.
A few weeks later, a stray tawny Neo girl was found wandering outside of a pizza shop in the same town in Florida where Gia lived. What is the likelihood another tawny neo would be in the same town with such a small population? (Please keep in mind that Neos are relatively rare, and tawny Neos are even more rare.) We saw photos of the stray girl, and her features looked remarkably similar to Gia’s—same color, same build, same nose, same feet… Gia’s owner also mentioned to us that Gia loved to sit and gaze through the glass door. The photo of the stray Neo outside of the pizza shop showed the dog sitting outside gazing through the glass door. We cannot say with absolute certainty who put Gia in grave danger by dumping her on the streets, but maybe you can guess.
We finally have Gia after the shelter who picked her up released her to us, and she is scheduled for a vet appointment on January 14th. We already know she will need bilateral entropion repair and updated vaccinations. Any other medical issues she may have will also be addressed.
So far, we have noticed Gia needs to work on her manners and obedience. It does not appear that she has the aggression issues her original owner described, but her behavioral issues are typical of a Neo when the owner does not provide a highly structured environment, clear rules, and strong leadership. Consequently, Gia will need a breed-experienced adopter who owns their home with a fenced yard, and no young children in the household. If you are interested in fostering to adopt Gia, please fill out a Family Profile application on our website: https://mastinorescue.rescuegroups.org/forms/form?formid=5945 or email us at mastinorescueinc@gmail.com with any questions.
