Mazy Boston Terrier Tuckerton, NJ

Mazy Update- 1/12



All youngsters eventually grow up. Even our Mazy.



The past year has been pretty amazing. Mazy has slowly but surely grown into her unique role in both our household and as a member of our pack. She is still our Crazy Mazy, but there is a degree of normalcy that has taken hold that is wonderful to see.



By and large, Mazy’s demon attacks are a thing of the past. She has been on her medication for over a year and it seems to have really had a positive, calming effect on her personality. When she eats, she still attacks her food with a vengeance, but she no longer snarls and swirls around the kitchen floor, seeking to keep her imaginary demons at bay.



A few months ago, we were amazed to see Mazy actually engage in “dog-play” with one of our other Bostons. This was totally new. In the past, she would prance around the house and bypass all the other dogs as though they were invisible. While still rare, now she sometimes sees the other dogs and challenges them to play. After they got over their initial confusion in the change to their sister’s attitude, the other Bostons may now warily invite her to play tug-of-war, race-around-the-house, or charge and gang-tackle our old Weimaraner.



Her routine is still closely managed. If she over eats or eats too rapidly, she will throw-up. She remains un-housebroken (this will never change). Before she gets to run around the house, she needs to spend time out on the deck and “due her business”. As before, she still has not tried to go down the stairs from the deck to the backyard, even when all the other dogs parade there in front of her. The backyard remains a realm beyond the borders of Mazy’s World. But she now manages to climb “up” onto deck furniture and even the shelf that runs along the windows (and also where we “safely’ used to keep a dish of cat food away from the dogs)!



In the house she does occasionally jump up on the seats and sofa, imitating this bad habit taught to her by her siblings. She likes to explore every nook and cranny on the ground living floor. She especially likes to explore under beds and in closets. She is especially fond of shoes, shirts and towels left on the floor. Mazy will proudly claim the trophy and prance around the house with it. She also enjoys going into our “bird room” to visit the macaws and to see if they have left anything interesting on the floor (they usually do).



Mazy sleeps in her own dog apartment. We have a double-decker stack of cages. She has the upper bunk. When we are out of the house, she is always in her cage and one of her less “reliable” sisters get the lower bunk.



Our little girl is growing up! And while she will always be “special”, the rewards she adds to our home are very real and special. Her someday forever parent(s) needs to be special too, and understand that Mazy requires dedication, time and a whole lot of consistency in her life. What makes Mazy special is the fact that, despite her handicap, she is so unique, happy, healthy and incredibly loving.




Nearly everyone that has seen her bio and pictures have said that she is “adorable”. And she is! But she is not a normal dog and never will be. Her condition is not something that will disappear with age. She is, and will always be, a special needs dog. As an adoptive parent, you need to know what this means for you, your family and other pets.



Mazy does best with a consistent routine. Deviations are disruptive to her mental state. Do not expect to leave her at a kennel or at a loved one’s home while you are away on vacation, and return to find her the same way you left her. Every time we have done this, we have noticed regression. I am afraid this is unavoidable, as we all need to focus on other aspects of our lives (from time to time when the Bostons are not in control).



Don’t get me wrong! We are proud of her progress and love her dearly. But honesty requires complete frankness. Where your normal dogs can be trained to live socially and respectfully in YOUR world, anyone that commits to be Mazy’s forever parent(s) must be prepared and committed to live in HER world.



If you think caring for and loving Mazy is part of your destiny, please get in touch with us and we can arrange an introduction.





Mazy Oh Mazy!



Everyday is different in Mazy’s World. Our little 1 year old foster girl is a bundle of energy one minute and then a sleeping beauty the next. Watching her at play is an experience. At the same time, it is easy to see that she is “special” and will always need a family that will be able to provide her with love and patience.



Mazy has a confirmed neurological condition that is either congenital but more likely caused by an injury at a very early age. As a result, her sensory functions are impaired. She moves with a very quick gait, combined with sudden stops and twitches. She can hear us but we do not know for sure if she knows where we are. When she looks at you with her pretty brown eyes, she seems to stare right through you...or past you...as though we are simply shadows.



We have two other Bostons in our household, plus three other dogs. Its fascinating to watch them all interact with Mazy. Dogs are very smart. Each member of our pack seems to know by instinct that Mazy is different. They give her a lot of latitude. Since Mazy lacks some social skills, most notably pecking order rules, we are always on guard for some face-offs. So far, that has never happened.



When Mazy first arrived, she also brought her own “demons” as part of her entourage. Only Mazy can see them, and she reacts violently when they arrive. The “demons” usually appear when she eats, or when she is being held. She will snarl and attack them as they tried to nip at her flanks, pull her tail or grab her neck. For awhile we had her on mild steroids to control her them and it seemed to work for a while, but they always returned. So we stopped the drugs. For the past three weeks, she has been good and she hasn’t seen them. We are keeping our fingers crossed that they are gone forever, but that is probably unlikely.



Mazy just does not understand one key aspect of being domesticated and living with a human family: bathroom rules. We try and try but she just does not understand that she needs to go outside to do her business. We are resigned to the fact that the ability to learn this important rule was found in the part of her brain that is now missing. The family that adopts Mazy forever will need to know that this will be a challenge. We are able to manage it most of the time by putting her outside at strategic times, like right after she awakes and after any meal.



“Outside” for Mazy is not in the yard where the other dogs go. “Outside” for Mazy means going on our back deck and racing around the grille, tables and hot tub. You see, Mazy does not do stairs....either off the deck or inside the house. We have never seen her even try to navigate them. For Mazy, the deck stairs must appear to be nothing more than an entrance into oblivion.



Now that we have custody of Mazy, it is easy to understand how parents of special need children come to understand and appreciate that, despite the defects, God has still created a very special life that deserves a chance to develop, to explore and to be cherished. There is no other dog in the world like Mazy. She is truly special.



We believe that Mazy will need very “special” parents. She will need someone that is willing to take on the responsibility of caring for a dog with mental challenges, knowing that, in return, Mazy will provide love, companionship and her unique type of entertainment. While Mazy gets along with other dogs, we feel that she would be best suited in a home as the only dog. If another dog is present, care is needed to make sure it does not feel threatened by Mazy in any way. While Mazy will not compete for her parent’s attention, like most dogs do, she will steal toys, be pushy at the food bowl and ignore another dog’s desire to be resting.



If you wish to learn more about Mazy or to schedule a visit, please get in touch with one of us. We would be happy to host a visit. Incredibly, Mazy travels fine in our car. She lays down on her blanket and goes to sleep. You can contact Kim and Evette Heinle kimscottheinle@msn.com or call 609-296-8197.



Mazy is currently being fostered in Tuckerton, NJ



We require an application, phone interview and homecheck. To see our application process before applying, visit our Petfinder shelter information page or visit www.nebostonrescue.org You can also complete our online application on our website.


There is a $10 application fee which helps to defer our costs. This does not in any way guarantee the dog you are requesting and applications are not based on first come, first served. Our goal is to carefully evaluate each applicant's individual situation to find the home that is best match for each dog in our care.