The day Mary was brought to a Florida animal shelter, the man holding her leash could barely hold himself together.
Through tears, he kept telling the shelter staff the same thing over and over again:
“She’s a really good dog.”
Surrendering Mary was never the plan — and never what anyone wanted. But her dad had been deported, and suddenly there was no one left who could care for her.
The man who brought her in was her dad’s nephew, already grieving the sudden loss of his uncle — and now forced to say goodbye to the dog they both loved.
He left the shelter heartbroken, hoping only that Mary would find another family who would love her as deeply as her dad had.
At first, Mary didn’t understand what was happening.
“Mary was shut down — quiet, confused, searching every face for the man she lost,” Chelsea Domaleski, communications manager at Animal Farm Foundation, told The Dodo. “But even through the heartbreak, she still leaned in for comfort, still wagged her tail, still believed someone would come.”
And someone did.
Animal Farm Foundation stepped in and pulled Mary from the shelter, determined to give her the second chance she deserved. In the safety of rescue care, Mary slowly began to come back to herself.
Now, her true personality is shining through. She’s affectionate, gentle, and eager for attention — especially when peanut butter is involved. Despite everything she’s lost, Mary remains trusting and full of love, ready to give her whole heart to the next family lucky enough to find her.
Still, no matter where life takes her next, Mary will always carry her first dad with her — the man who raised her, loved her, and shaped her into the good dog everyone keeps talking about.
“Her story speaks to something bigger happening across the country,” Domaleski said. “These surrenders aren’t about unwanted pets. They’re about families being torn apart by deportation, housing insecurity, and financial hardship. Dogs like Mary are caught in the middle — still loving, still loyal, and still deserving of a future.”
Mary is now waiting for the forever home she’s been believing in all along.
If you’re interested in adopting Mary, you can view her adoption profile. And if you’d like to help dogs like her get the care they need, you can donate to Animal Farm Foundation and support their lifesaving work.
