‘OLD DOG OF THE WEEK’ FEATURES NEW PHOTOS AND A FRESH WRITE-UP FOR AN OVERLOOKED OLDIE THAT HAS BEEN ON OUR WEBSITE FOR A WHILE BUT IS STILL WAITING FOR A NEW HOME.
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Soppy girl Mavis is an American Bulldog of around 13 years. She’s currently in a foster home in Fareham, Hampshire through Rescue Remedies.
Her foster carer says, “Mavis is an absolute angel with her big, dreamy brown eyes that melt your heart… has displayed impeccable manners during her first week in foster care. Mavis takes treats gently (though occasionally forgets how pointy her teeth are), sits beautifully when asked, and even waits patiently at mealtimes without being prompted.
During her initial walks, she was eager and quick, likely due to the new and unfamiliar environment. However, as the week has progressed, she’s begun to relax, taking time to sniff and explore at her own pace. Despite the growth on her rear left foot and some discomfort in her rear left leg when standing, Mavis shows no hesitation when it comes to enjoying longer walks.
At home, Mavis is the ultimate cuddle companion and thrives on endless petting. She adores being near you and will twist herself into knots just to stay in contact. Her affectionate nature shines through as she happily soaks up attention and reassurance from her humans.
Mavis is generally friendly but can sometimes feel unsure around men, particularly when approached for stroking. She may display discomfort through her body language or a low growl. It’s important for her future adopters to recognize and respect these signals, advocating for her boundaries before she feels the need to escalate. With time, understanding, and care, this behaviour can likely improve, but her comfort and trust must come first.”
Later, they added, “Mavis had her first full groom with us this morning—and what a session it was! So much hair came off, we could’ve knitted a couple of jumpers! She wasn’t too sure about the air blower, so the groomer switched to warm towels instead. Mavis absolutely loved the gentle warmth and relaxed so much she even started to doze off mid-dry—proper spa day vibes!
On one of our walks this week, we stepped aside to let someone pass with their beautiful black German Shepherd puppy. The walker asked if the pup could say hello, and I mentioned it was probably best not to. Unfortunately, before I could explain why, the pup made its way over to Mavis—and she was quick to let it know she wasn’t too happy with the unexpected approach.
We’re continuing to manage her interactions carefully and advocate for her space. That said, she’s becoming more comfortable with people—especially when she chooses to approach and take in their admiration first. If someone earns her curiosity, she’s usually happy to receive a stroke or two.”
Mavis is spayed and generally in good health, still strong and lively. Give her a secure field to have an off-lead explore and she’ll have a proper zoomies! She does suffer from hay fever in the summer and therefore needs to be walked very early and very late in the day when the pollen count is lower.
She is very food oriented and will tidy up any food you leave out, if she can reach it. She’s shown that she can detect when her foster carer’s blood sugar is too low. She paws at them and stays right by their side until they eat something. What a special girl!
If you want to enquire about adopting this sweet old girl, please contact Rescue Remedies as follows:
Please read and follow the links in the Rescue Remedies Rehoming process here.
Please note that Rescue Remedies has a policy of all adopters committing to keep adopted dogs on the lead at all times when out and about.
Please say you saw Mavis featured as Old Dog of the Week on the Oldies Club website.
This replaces Mavis’ original page dated 15 February 2025.