Our Rescues

WHENEVER YOU ADOPT A RESCUE, YOU SAVE A LIFE

MEET OUR ADOPTABLE GRIFFS

The sweet Griffs shown here do not necessarily represent all who will be available. The nature of our rescue operation means that we must always be on the alert to bring animals in need into our program. All must be vetted and cared for in a foster home, where we give them any treatments necessary and explore their personalities. Your future fur-baby may be in the queue. Your application will allow us to make the right match.

Interested In Adopting? Click Here
Adele 3578 (1)

Adele

ID: 3578
Location: Pennsylvania

MEET ADELE!
#3578

 

Adele is the last one we have left of a group of 16 Griffs rescued in August 2019 from a puppy mill bust in Ohio. This girl was a puppy mill mama for about 6 years and the conditions there were pretty bad – she was the most traumatized of the group. She has been in a foster home now for about 2 years – but she still lacks confidence even though she has come quite a long way in that time. Adele is sweet and gentle – but very unsure of everything and afraid. She is partially housebroken but she reverts to making mistakes in the house and we are not sure why. Her foster mom will take her out on a walk and she does OK as long as there is another confident dog leading – she will follow – but she would be easily spooked.

Because we consider Adele to be an escape risk we will require a fully fenced yard for her. In her foster home someone is home all day and we prefer that for her new home so there is a better chance of her making a connection with a human. Adele has two other Griffs living with her now – a male and a female – and she is OK with them – but she is mostly a loner. She doesn’t seek out contact with her people at all. She doesn’t want to be on the couch or the bed with you. But she watches as the other Griffs get love and we think she would like to learn to accept love – but so far she doesn’t know how to trust.

Adele is well behaved at the vet and her foster mom says she is easy to bathe and groom. She is spayed, up-to-date on vaccines and microchipped. Adele weighs about 19 lbs. She is heartworm negative and takes heartworm preventative.

We think that Adele needs a quiet home with a loving person who has endless patience and would like a real challenge. She needs to have another dog with her. Some of these mill breeders will come around given love and space. Adele is about 8-9 years old now. We hope that she would adjust to a new home and continue to progress. If you think you might be the right person for Adele – please complete our adoption application and contact Vicki at vboneill@optonline.net. Adele is being fostered in Levittown, PA.

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NINA 3711 & PORKCHOP 3712 2

NINA & PORKCHOP

ID: 3711 & 3712
LOCATION: Minnesota

MEET NINA & PORKCHOP!
#3711 & #3712

 

Nina and Porkchop are a bonded pair who have been together since Porkchop was a puppy. Nina is 10 years old and Porkchop is 9 years old. They lived with three cats and their mom until their mom passed away. They both love the outdoors and they love to cuddle with everyone. They currently reside in their foster home with a senior Chihuahua and senior Min Pin and 3 children. Nina loves to be the center of attention . Porkchop is very food motivated and will let you know when it's time for breakfast . They are both house trained and will tell you when they need to go out . They are both very playful and they love to run around the yard .

Nina is very vocal and has a peculiar bark almost sounds like screaming or howling. She is very loving and enjoys being around other small dogs but seems nervous around bigger dogs. Porkchop is good with both smaller and bigger dogs . They are both good with cats but like to chase bunnies and squirrels in the fenced yard. Porkchop will eat everything and everyone's food if you don't watch him. They both need more work with walking on a leash – so a fenced yard is essential for them. 

Nina is 20 lbs. and Porkchop is 24 lbs.  They are both microchipped and up to date on vaccines and just had their teeth cleaned.  Nina and Porkchop are being fostered in Minneapolis.  If you are interested in adopting Nina and Porkchop – please complete our adoption application and contact Vicki at vboneill@optonline.net.

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Gigi 3668 Tile opening

Gigi

ID: 3668
LOCATION: Iowa

MEET RUDI & GIGI!
#3667 & #3668

 
 

Little Gigi is 10 lbs. of sweet girl who will be turning 11 in June.  This sweet girl came in to rescue as an owner surrender with another dog who was quite a bit older than her.  He is no longer with us – but she is not suffering his loss.  Gigi is a little shy at first but warms up quickly and then is tuned in to everything you do and she loves it when you talk to her. 

Gigi is an irresistibly cute as a button smarty pants with perky little ears, very independent, and curious about everything and anything. She may not be a typical velcro Griff, but she will definitely keep you laughing, with her antics, however a watchful eye is needed while scampering about the house as this little table cruiser and can get in to things if you leave a cabinet open – she has her foster mom trained! She is very food oriented and she wants your attention on her.  She rules the roost and her foster brothers will let her have whatever she wants.  She has never been aggressive to anyone and gets along fine with everyone.  She is camera shy and if she sees you get out your phone she will not perform!

Think of a perpetually active, entertaining pre-schooler, and you get an idea of life with Gigi, yet she also loves quiet little chats with her foster mom, and adorably tilts her head back and forth as she listens intently.  Gigi will use the potty pads that are down in her foster home but does most of her business outside. 

Gigi is spayed, up-to-date on vaccines, microchipped,  and she is heart worm negative. She takes heart worm preventative. Gigi is crate trained and leash trained. Gigi is being fostered in Beacon, Iowa. If you are interested in adopting Gigi – please complete our adoption application and contact Vicki at vboneill@optonline.net

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Cassidy 3715 and Jessie 3716 6A

Cassidy & Jessie

ID: 3715 & 3716
LOCATION: Pennsylvania 

MEET CASSIDY & JESSIE!
#3715 & #3716

 

Meet Cassidy (M) and Jessie (F) a brother and sister bonded pair of “grande” griffs who came to NBGR via a breeder surrender.  Cassidy weighs in around 19 lbs. and Jessie is around 18 lbs.  They are big but there’s just more of them to love!  C&J have just turned 8 years old.

These two are real sweethearts.  They are pretty good on the housebreaking in general although they don’t like going out in the rain and have been known to have accidents on rainy days.  They are good eaters and probably could learn some tricks as they do love their treats!  They get along great with other dogs and even like kids. 

Cassidy and Jessie sleep in the big bed with their foster parents.  They are good in the car and on walks – although Cassidy is missing part of one of his paws (we were told since birth) so he can be a little slow at times – but his foster mom says he is a trooper.

These two thrive on love and attention and they really enjoy time out in the big yard.  These guys will be a great addition to any family – maybe yours?

Jessie had her teeth cleaned recently – Cassidy’s teeth are good.  Both are up-to-date on vaccines, on heart worm preventative, spayed/neutered, and microchipped.   If you are interested in adopting Cassidy and Jesse please complete our adoption application on line at nbgr.org.  If you have already completed an application please contact Vicki at vboneill@optonline.net to let her know you are interested in C&J.  Cassidy and Jessie are being fostered in Levittown, PA.

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Tucker 3741 7

TUCKER

ID: 3741
LOCATION: Arkansas

MEET TUCKER!
#3741

Meet Tucker – newly arrived in NBGR. He is estimated to be 5-1/2 years old and has quite unique coloring (black, red, tan and silver, mixed throughout). He is a very loving “big” guy weighing 19 lbs. – more to love!
 
When he first arrived at his foster home, Tucker was very shy and afraid of people. He’s never been aggressive or nippy, just scared and unsure of his new world.
 
In the short time he has been with NBGR, he has really come out of his shell and is learning to trust people. He wants affection (he especially loves ear rubs) and will let you know that he loves your attention, by leaning into you for more, or giving you a kiss. Tucker is very friendly and wants to play. In his foster home he has been around other (older) dogs and gets along just fine with them. Due to their age, they just don’t want to play with him, but he is okay with that… he doesn’t push it.
 
Tucker really is a “go with the flow” kind of boy. His foster family is working on his potty training and whoever adopts him will need a little patience, but we are confident that he will “get it”. Once he gets to know you, although a little hesitant at first, he wants you to be around him and will come when called. He will bark if you leave him, but he doesn’t continue to bark and will quiet down within a few minutes. We suspect this could be because the other dogs in the foster home bark when their person leaves them, so maybe it’s a habit he’s picking up from them and may not occur in his new forever home.
 
Tucker has been in a 4’ tall ex-pen when no one is home, until he has proven himself trustworthy, we suggest he be crated or contained when no one is at home. Since he is a bigger boy, a taller ex-pen is needed, if you are going to use one, as he could jump over a 2’ pen.
 
Tucker seems to prefer women over men but is not afraid of men. He is fine sleeping in a crate or not sleeping in a crate. It doesn’t make much difference to him. (It’s the “go with the flow” mentality.) In an ex-pen, he will circle, but if you are patient, he will come to you when he has finished, with just the right amount of circling. This is a habit from his past life, that is improving more and more each day.
 
We would love for Tucker to have a forever family who will take the baton from the foster family and show Tucker all the wonders of a new world with a loving home. Give him the experiences he’s missed out on and hopefully, a playmate or two that he can romp around the backyard with. Could that family be yours?
 
Tucker is up to date on vaccinations, neutered, micro-chipped and HW negative. He is located in Northern Arkansas.
 
If you are interested in adopting Tucker, please complete our online adoption application found in the Foster, Adopt, Volunteer section on our website at nbgr.org.
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PAWS OF WINTER

In the ‘winter’ of their lives, older Brussels Griffons need care and security. Loving homes provide the dignity and quality of life each deserves. Because each one is precious. SM

We are committed to senior and special-needs Griffs
Over time, NBGR has taken in an increasing number of senior and special-needs dogs. Whether they have been abandoned by uncaring owners or puppy mill operators who don’t need them when their breeding days are over -- or they have been surrendered by heartbroken owners who can no longer care for them -- we take them in.

Like us, dogs require increasing medical attention in their senior years; and like us, their medical expenses can soar. The largest expense in the NBGR budget is, by far, the Paws of WinterSM program.

These sweet seniors and special-needs dogs still have a lot of life -- to enjoy, to share with us. It simply costs more to sustain and protect them and their quality of life. We are committed to making that happen for them.

If you agree, please help.

If you can you help with a donation…Thank goodness for you. Your support keeps us from having to turn away a senior or special-needs dog.

We call these dogs our “Forever Fosters”. They are not adoptable, and a change in their environment could affect them negatively, so we have settled them into special foster homes. Their foster families will care for them for the rest of their days, and NBGR will pay all their expenses.

 

To help provide for Paws of Winter dogs, please click here.

01-05-21gizzy5

GIZZY

ID: 3609
Location: Ohio

MEET GIZZY!
#3609

Hi! My name is Gizzy and I have lived with my foster family since mid-March 2020, so we started out in the bubble together.

In my former life I just seemed to pee all over the place and at any time. You would think I wasn’t even house trained!! My hair was falling out. I had a bald tail and a big bare spot on my hip. They were just at a loss.

Enter NBGR!! With your help I went to the vet and with a thorough exam it was discovered that I had Cushing’s. It was determined that I would need special pills to help me out and like magic, I became perkier and my house training came back and so has my hair.

I am very good at taking my pills. My foster dad sets a timer and when it goes off, my ears perk up and I head for the kitchen. I love, love, love my pill pockets!

I did have one scary moment in the early summer, when I went to the park for a picnic and became overheated. We found out that I need to be very, very careful in the warm weather, so it’s air conditioning for me! I can get out and play more once the weather turns. Sometimes in evening I go out and spend time watching the squirrels and the rabbits from our gazebo.

I also love to go with my foster dad anywhere he goes. Being a good boy at the bank gets me an extra snack and they are starting to know me at the recycle center and Lowe’s. The other day we even took a day trip to a town with a dog fountain! (I sniffed a number of the fountain dogs’ butts and I was suspicious. I just thought it was weird that they were spewing water!)

Thank you so much for what you have already done for me. You are giving me such a happy life! I know I am not inexpensive to keep, but to know me is to love me.

NBGR is very grateful to Gizzy’s foster family for their loving care of this special boy.

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Gustav 3509 POW

GUSTAF

ID: 3509
Location: Ohio

MEET GUSTAF!
#5309

A note about Gus from his forever foster family.

Meet handsome Gustaf (Gus), our special needs foster. Gus is part of the NBGR Paws of Winter program. He is energetic, playful, and often ornery. He loves his daily walks and considers the few blocks around home his territory. When not walking, the next best activity is a lively game of tug with any fabric toy. After the games are over, it’s time to snuggle on the couch with his foster mom.

Gus was born with a deformed heart. A cardiologist felt he only had one year to live after NBGR got him in – but that was 2.5 years ago. However, Gus doesn’t care what the doctor said. He turned three in June and shows no signs of slowing down. You would never know the little guy has a heart condition. In fact, he is one of the “busiest” dogs his family can remember. In reality we know he isn’t a completely normal 3 year old as he does tire out more quickly and he doesn’t tolerate heat well – but when he’s on – he’s ON full blast! He sees his cardiologist regularly and he’s been getting pretty good reports!

Many of the NBGR dogs have a few strikes against them in their lives. But with love and care, they make the best of each day. When you open your heart to rescue a dog, you will see that they make our days better too.

We are very thankful to Gus’s foster family – it’s hard to take on a young guy who you know will not live as long as he should.

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JACK 3713 & JOE 3714 1

JACK & JOE

ID: 3713 & 3714
Location: Virginia

MEET JACK & JOE!
#3713 & #3714

Jack and Joe have found their forever home in Virginia.

These two gents are sweet guys who came to us in late August because their owner had passed away.   They have now been groomed, neutered, had their teeth cleaned, been microchipped, and they have been brought up-to-date on vaccines and had their heart worm tests and they are now on heartworm preventative.

Jack is 15 and weighs about 17.5 lbs. and Joe is 13 and weighs about 13.5 lbs.  Jack is a friendly fellow and now that his teeth are clean he gives lovely kisses when you pick him up and he loves to cuddle.  Joe is a little more worried and not so cuddly – but they are still settling in.  They need someone who can be around for them – as older guys they need to get outside on a regular basis.

Sometimes a dog comes in to rescue and we determine that the dog might not be adoptable – like an older senior dog or a dog with health problems. When Jack and Joe first arrived we thought that might be the case with them.  These older dogs need a loving home to spend the rest of their lives in so they become part of our Paws of Winter program – where a foster home agrees to keep the griff for the balance of his or her life – and NBGR pays the expenses.

If you think fostering a rescued Paws of Winter Griff might be for you, please fill out our foster home application at nbgr.org and contact Vicki at vboneill@optonline.net  Senior dogs are the best!

We hope you will consider joining our team of amazing volunteers!

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National Brussels Griffon Rescue, Inc.

LEVI & MILEY

ID: 3420 & 3421
Location: Kansas

MEET LEVI & MILEY
#3420 & 3421

Levi & Miley were relinquished to NBGR in 2016. These two adorable senior Griffs are childhood sweethearts who met and fell in love at the tender age of just 10 weeks, and have been like two peas in a pod ever since. They continue to be as crazy in love with each other as the first day they met, and look forward to spending their twilight years together!

Levi (belge rough coat with a dark mask) is a well adjusted, happy go lucky, outgoing little fellow who loves to snuggle with his foster mom every chance he gets, and gets along very amicably with his foster siblings. Miley (red rough coat) is a strikingly gorgeous, yet backward, very shy, sweet little thing who shadows Levi's every move, and usually by his side for comfort.

Early on in foster care, we noticed Miley exhibited some very peculiar behavior. Initially we believed this was her way of adjusting to a new environment. However, eventually we realized it was much more than a normal adjustment period, and unlike anything we have seen with other dogs new to rescue.

After months of research trying to determine the cause of her odd behavior, and discussion with the veterinarian, it is believed Miley has canine autism, which is similar to human autism, such as being hyper sensitive to human touch, an excessive focus on mundane routines, and displaying stress and high anxiety when even the simplest of routines are changed, or new experiences are introduced.

Miley will never tolerate human physical affection or enjoy snuggling like Levi, but her foster mom has seen love and trust in her eyes. While Miley does not display typical bonding behavior like most dogs, she does express it in the only way she can by being her foster mom's almost constant shadow, yet still cannot tolerate being held except for very short periods of time before her body begins to stiffen, anxiety sets in, and her heart rate increases.

Think of Rain Man and you can somewhat imagine how Miley perceives her unique little world, and why a strict daily routine, stability, and no change to her environment is so very important to her long term wellbeing.

For this reason, it has been decided it is in Miley's best long term interests that this devoted little odd couple remain together in forever foster care with the foster family they bonded with, and where Miley is provided with the daily strict routine and stability she needs to remain calm, happy, and feel loved in her little world. We are certain her lifelong better half Levi would agree.

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10-28-17mikey3

MIKEY

ID: 3438
Location: Kansas

MEET MIKEY!
#3438

Mikey is a strikingly handsome, very psychologically damaged senior. This poor boy came to us from a horrific life in a Mississippi puppy mill in February of 2016 along with Kiko and the mother-daughter duo of Trixie & Lexi.

All 4 came to us heart worm positive requiring expensive medical treatment to eradicate this life threatening condition, along with multiple traumatic PTSD and fear based temperament/behavior issues derived from years of neglect and abuse at the puppy mill.

Only Kiko progressed far enough overcoming these issues to be deemed appropriate for an adoptive home placement. Sadly, he passed away one year after being adopted due to pulmonary issues secondary to living most of his life heart worm positive.

Unfortunately, Trixie also succumbed from similar pulmonary issues secondary to being heart worm positive most of her life. Poor little Lexi grieved for quite some time after losing her mother.

Mikey has remained healthy, but will remain in forever foster care because, like Lexi, any change to his current living environment could affect Mikey very negatively.

Although Mikey has finally grown to feel secure and loved in his foster home, and enjoys the camaraderie of his foster siblings along with snuggles with his foster mom, he remains extremely fearful of men, children, strangers, loud noises, car rides, is a very adept escape artist, and cannot go on walks because he will attempt to bolt and run if strangers approach despite ongoing intense positive reinforcement training.

Luckily, Mikey’s foster family loves him despite his struggles, and have agreed to care for him in their home for the rest of his life where he feels most comfortable, safe, and most of all cherished despite his tragic psychological damage.

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HAPPY ENDINGS AND NEW BEGINNINGS