Missouri German Shepherd Rescue      Love In Action - Restoring Hope for German Shepherds               an IRS 501(c)3 non-profit organization

 Marcus is an adorable, high German Shepherd-mixed breed puppy who has the most adorable "soft" ears!  He was picked up as a stray when he was about 4 months old and was taken to a local shelter, where staff was told he'd been hit by a motorcycle.   He had tremendous nerve damage to his front, right leg and as a result was not able to use this leg below the elbow, causing him to drag it behind him.  His veterinarian recommended a splint to see if the nerve would regenerate, but after 2-3 weeks in the splint, his leg was unresponsive and too damaged to save.  Without his splint or bandage he drug his leg around as best as he could but he was always tripping over it and it was a bloody scabbed mess. The only option was to amputate.  His leg was amputated above the elbow and still has a partial bone with muscle to help with his balance.  Occasionally, he will have phantom pain and is currently on a very light dose of a prescription narcotic to help with the pain.  We hope to have him weaned off of it soon.

A quick snapshot of MARCUS:

• Approximate weight: 45lbs
• Fence needs: Securely fenced yard strongly recommended
• Owner type: An active family who is ready to commit to life with a puppy and all the things that go along with it -- the energy outlet requirements, chewing, mouthing, training, etc.
• Favorite activity: Exploring!
• Activity level: High
• Other animals: So far, Marcus does well with medium-to-large dogs, but his play style and focus is far too much for small dogs and cats.
• Kids: Marcus is fine around people and kids, but he is a puppy, so will need to be supervised at all times around children.

Marcus is a typical puppy and will chew an anything he can get ahold of.  He loves sticks, acorns, raw bones, squeaky toys, shoes and anything wooden (including furniture).  Everything is a game to him.  He loves to explore the outdoors and will whine to go outside.  He will sit nicely for you to put on his leash and when you come back inside, he will sit to take it off.  When you put his leash on, he will grab the leash and walk himself to the door.  When he is outside, after he goes potty, he wants to play tug of war with the leash, and he is STRONG!  He is potty trained, housebroken, BUT, you do have to watch for his cues, or he WILL make a mess.

Marcus so far, is a very picky eater.  We think he was probably fed table scraps or human food, before he came to us.  He will eat the Costco brand Kirkland Signature Salmon and Sweet Potato though, no problem.  Even as picky as he is, he will not hesitate to pick up a rock and swallow it quicker than you can blink.  Usually just a quick tug on the leash and a leave it command will draw him away from whatever he is trying to scavenge. If he does get ahold of a small item, his foster mom opens his mouth and makes him spit it out.  He also drinks a LOT of water!

Marcus appears to have one issue that will need continued work on in his forever home.  He is protective of his food, especially around other dogs.  His foster mom is doing a great job of helping him modify his behavior by hand feeding him, and correcting him when needed.  Since he was picked up as a stray, it's very likely he had to defend his own food, or other dogs would snatch it away from him.  

Marcus is VERY interested in cats.  He currently lives with a cat and wants to play with her, but the cat does not want to have anything at all to do with him.  When she bats and hisses at him, he does not back down or look to me for guidance.  He just keeps going at her, trying to play with her. And he wants to play rough.  At this time, we are recommending NO CATS in his forever home!

Marcus is kennel trained and will occasionally go to the kennel without being asked.  If he is not tired enough or still wants to play, he will resist the kennel.  Once he is inside of the kennel, he calms down immediately.  He is kenneled at night, after last potty break and does a great job of waiting until the morning to go out again.

This little guy is a gem and will be a wonderful companion for one very lucky family!

MARCUS's ADOPTION FEE: $250
This fee covers only part of what we spend to vet, board and rehab the dogs we save. On average we spend over $450 on each dog. We made a decision to keep our adoption fee at the 2005 level even though vet prices have doubled and tripled since then. We are constantly fundraising to cover the deficit. At minimum, your adoption fee includes the dog's spay/neuter, heartworm test, heartworm treatment if needed, rabies shot, distemper/parvo shot, bordatella shot, deworming, monthly heartworm and flea preventives, and microchip. In many cases it also includes surgery and various types of vet treatment for standard issues such as hot spots, ear infections and so on.

INTERESTED IN ADOPTING MARCUS?